Sikshya Kafle, who lives in Banke district in Nepal’s Terai, was waiting eagerly for her spring break.
But this year is different, as her school closed early. On March 19, in fact, Nepal officially closed all educational institutions to help contain the spread of COVID-19. A nationwide lockdown followed four days later.
“I miss my friends, and I am worried about missing out on learning,” says the ninth-grader.
Since March, the pandemic has kept an estimated 8.2 million Nepali children away from their classrooms, jeopardizing their progress in education.
Even before the coronavirus, Nepal was in the midst of a learning crisis, as more than half of the country’s students were not proficient in reading.
Now the pandemic may worsen further education outcomes, increase dropout rates, and leave behind the most vulnerable students.