Unicef and Microsoft said they have expanded a global learning platform, originally developed with the University of Cambridge for displaced and refugee children. The platform will now help children and youth continue studying amid the coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic. According to the latest data from Unesco, about 1.57 billion students have been affected by school closures in over 190 schools worldwide.
The Learning Passport programme will help those whose schools have had to close and also help teachers and educators. The programme has been in development for the past 18 months and was set to start as a pilot programme sometime this year. When the pandemic hit, the programme was expanded to include all countries with a curriculum capable of being taught online. Kosovo, Timor-Leste and Ukraine will be the first to use the programme.
Under the programme, children and youth will be able to access a country-specific platform. Content will include online books, videos and additional support for parents of children with learning disabilities, in national languages. Curation will be at country level.
