Tired of seeing her students only through the screen of a computer, a Brazilian elementary school teacher Maura Silva, 47, decided to act. She bought dozens of plastic raincoats, gloves and face masks to safely visit 55 children in Rio de Janeiro.
On two separate visits in July, she hugged dozens of students who live in the peripheral neighborhoods of Rio — always protecting herself and the children to avoid being infected by COVID-19. Her warmth left students, fathers and mothers emotional.
"It took me seven hours. I did not visit more students, because many were not at home," said the elementary school teacher in an interview with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC Rio).
The surprise event was arranged in advance with the students' parents, who agreed to protect the children with face masks and raincoats. When arriving, the teacher record played a famous song - it was the tip the parents needed to take their kids outside.
"It is impossible for me to recall those visits and not to cry," said the teacher. "I wanted to never let go, to keep hugging them. I could touch their tiny hands and smell their hair" she said.
Maura Silva with students. Photo courtesy Maura Silva
"I don't believe in education without affection. It is not possible to make a child want to discover the world or discover his/her potential without establishing an emotional connection."
Lockdowns disproportionately affected vulnerable students in Brazil
At the height of local lockdowns, nearly 35 million children and adolescents were affected by school closures in Brazil.
Alternative approaches were put in place for remote learning, but not everyone is managing to keep up with the studies - especially the most vulnerable.
The teacher reported the lack of access to the Internet as one of the main difficulties. "I have 57 students in both classes. Not everyone can stay connected," she said. Maura Silva explains that some of the students' parents do not have fixed broadband at home, so they have to pay to use their cellphones, which makes the learning process more difficult. Others have to ask their neighbors for a wi-fi password.
"There are also those who work during the day, so I have to teach their children at nights", said the teacher, explaining that remote learning requires parental supervision.
Maura Silva's workday is also more intense, as she strives to meet the needs of both parents and students. "I have semi-illiterate, functionally illiterate parents, who don't quite know how to support the children with their homework."
The COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption to education in history and prolonged school closures could further entrench inequalities in access to learning, the UN Secretary-General said last month, underlining the need for "bold steps" to address the crisis.
The UN estimates that the pandemic has affected more than one billion students worldwide.
Despite efforts to continue learning during the crisis, including through delivering lessons by radio, television and online, many children are still not being reached.
Maura Silva devotes most of her day to making remote learning less stressful. She transformed her living room into a classroom and invests in activities that students can carry out with their families.
The teacher argues that schools should be open to families after the pandemic. "The teacher's job is to help the children realize that there is a big world outside the school gates. The family should be part of that learning process."
Despite planning new visits, Maura Silva hopes she will soon be able to teach her students in the classroom. "That's where the magic happens, that's where our world is," she concluded.
Globally, 1 in 3 children have missed out on remote learning
For at least 463 million children whose schools closed due to COVID-19, "there was no such a thing as remote learning," Henrietta Fore , Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said last month, as the agency launched a outlining the limitations of remote learning and exposing the deep inequalities in access.
"The sheer number of children whose education was completely disrupted for months on end is a global education emergency. The repercussions could be felt in economies and societies for decades to come," she added.
The report – based on a globally representative analysis on the availability of home-based remote learning technology and tools for children from pre-primary to upper-secondary levels – also found that even when children had the necessary platforms, they may not be able to learn remotely due to competing factors at home.
The competing factors, UNICEF said, could include pressure to do chores, being forced to work, a poor environment for learning, and lack of support in using the online or broadcast curriculum.
To respond, governments should prioritize the safe re-opening of schools when they begin easing lockdown restrictions, UNICEF urged, along with urgent investment to bridge the digital divide.
