📄 The World Bank Annual Report 2020 p. 55 Open PDF ↗
"pandemic and use the investments made for remote
learning during the crisis as a launchpad to accelerate progress toward a more
resilient, equitable, and personalized education system. To support countries
while schools are closed, we have moved quickly to help them set up or improve
remote-learning systems, including through the effective use of print, radio, televi
sion, and mobile technology. We are also supporting nutrition for those who have lost
access to school meals. To help countries manage continuity as schools reopen and
to minimize student dropout, we are promoting learning recovery while ensuring that
schools can operate safely through health protocols and better hygiene practices;
campaigns to promote reenrollment and prevent dropouts based on early-warning
systems; school feeding programs; blended in-person and remote learning through
technology; and training to help teachers assess and remediate learning losses.
To improve and accelerate learning after reopening, we are helping countries
build resilient education systems by ensuring that learning can happen anywhere;
using data to make schools more equitable; providing personalized learning; and
offering greater support for parents, teachers, and students, including socioemo
tional support.
We are working closely with a consortium of partners on these efforts, includ
ing UNICEF, UNESCO, the Harvard School of Education, and the OECD. Through
project restructuring, additional financing, and new projects in nearly 60 coun-
tries, we have mobilized over $2.5 billion for education in response to COVID-19.
Examples include:
• In Turkey, a $160 million emergency project to help the government develop dig
ital content for television and online channels, as well as catch-up courses and
blended teaching and learning programs. All TV-based materials will include sign
language, subtitle support, and audio transcriptions for students with hearing
or visual impairments. The project will also fund expansion of the current online
education system, as well as mental health counseling.
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THE WORLD BANK ANNUAL REPORT 2020
• In Pakistan, a procurement plan to help the Ministry of Higher Education provide
devices to all students so that they are able to participate in remote-learning
opportunities.
• In Rwanda, an interactive instruction program that aims to reach 60 percent of all
students, as well as a $10 million GPE-financed project to support remote learn
ing through television, YouTube, and the government’s e-learning platform. When
schools reopen, the project will support remedial, or catch-up, programs, includ
ing for students at risk of dropping out.
• In Nigeria, the restructuring of an existing project to provide 325,000 students
with interactive radio lessons, digital self-study activity packets, storybooks, and
mobile interactive quizzes, as well as support from teachers through classroom-
based WhatsApp groups. It will also provide digital lesson guides for parents to
support learning at home.
Ensuring accessible and quality health care
In March 2020, the Bank Group announced the COVID-19 Fast Track Facility to sup
port countries’ response to the pandemic. This early response focused on address
ing the immediate health needs of countries, including strengthening the capacity of
health systems, limiting the spread of the pandemic, boosting disease surveillance,
and supporting research to facilitate the development of vaccines and treatments.
We are also helping countries access critically needed medical supplies by reaching
out to suppliers on their behalf.
In fiscal 2020, we rapidly approved health operations to help more than 100
countries combat COVID-19. This is part of the Bank Group’s pledge to deploy up
to $160 billion over 15 months through June 2021 to help countries address their
health needs, as well as bolster economic recovery.
Our work is strengthened by our collaboration with key international partners. In
February 2020, we joined forces with the WHO and other multilateral"