Latin America’s silent tragedy of empty classrooms
Prolonged school closures are inflicting lasting harm on a generation
FOR THE first time in more than a year, this month small groups of children with their backpacks and chatter have trooped into some schools in Mexico City. It is a cautious re-opening. It is up to schools whether or not they open, and only a minority have chosen to do so. Only part of the class attends each day. The same goes for 18 of Mexico’s 31 other states; in the others all schools remain shut. With the pandemic far from over, caution may be understandable. But among the living, children continue to be among its principal victims, in Mexico and across Latin America.
This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “Latin America’s silent tragedy”
From the June 19th 2021 edition
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