Response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic

Between April and October 2020, GPE approved $467 million in COVID-19 accelerated grants to 66 countries and another $25 million for a global grant to UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank.

The grants to partner countries helped produce and distribute learning materials, train teachers to track learning and provide distance education, ensure that schools could re-open safely, and provide remedial learning opportunities for children. The support also laid the foundations to build resilient education systems ready to face future crises.

The country grants helped ensure that girls and children from the poorest families, who were hit hardest by school closures, were not left behind.

• Grants supported partner countries' response in:
  • Equity: Hygiene and psychosocial support programs, with priority for the most vulnerable children, including children with disabilities.
  • Learning: Distance learning initiatives, provision of learning materials, support to teachers in distance and accelerated remedial learning programs.
  • System resilience and school reopening: Preparations for the reopening of schools by ensuring that students and teachers can return to safe education facilities.
• 38% of the grants supported low tech solutions for distance learning (radio and TV); 34% supported printed materials, and 28% supported e-learning.

More on thematic allocations of COVID-19 grants