31 Amendments of María Soraya RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS related to 2021/2209(INI)
Amendment 23 #
C. whereas since March 2020, around 194 countries have closed schools nationwide because of the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting more than 1.8 billion school learners globally and cutting off their access to education and to other vital benefits that schools provide; whereas one third of children globally do not have access to the internetin some regions schools are still closed;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
C c. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic and fast-tracked innovative measures used to ensure continuous learning for children provides an opportunity to reimagine education and build systems that are more forward-looking, inclusive, flexible and resilient;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas during the emergency school closure more than 90 percent of countries have implemented some form of remote learning policy; whereas remote learning mostly benefited children in primary and secondary education levels, leaving pre-primary level children at risk of being unprepared for primary school;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas at least 463 million or over 30 percent of schoolchildren remain cut off from education mostly because of lack of remote learning programmes, access to the internet or equipment needed for learning at home; whereas a need for remote education will remain after the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in countries vulnerable to environmental risks leading to emergency school closure; whereas remote learning programmes need to be designed around modalities that are accessible to all children and adapted for households that do not have access to broadcast or digital media;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas well before the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was already facing a global learning crisis, with more than half (53 %) of children in low- and middle- income countries unable to read; whereas in low-income countries, the learning crisis is even more acute, with the ‘learning poverty’ rate reaching over 87 % – 90 % in Sub-Saharan Africa; whereas an estimated 617 million children between the ages of 6 and 14 do not have minimum proficiency levels in reading4 ; _________________ 4UNESCO (September 2017), Fact Sheet No. 46, More Than One-Half of Children and Adolescents Are Not Learning Worldwide. caused not only by hampered access to education due to poverty, long commute to the nearest school, harmful gender norms, discrimination of vulnerable groups, environmental risks and conflicts, but also by schooling that does not necessarily lead to learning; whereas 617 million children and adolescents worldwide are unable to reach minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics, even though two thirds of them are in school;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas an estimated additional 825 million children will not reach adulthood with the secondary-level skills they need for work and life by 2030; whereas millions of children and young people who regularly attended schools are not developing the skills they need to get a job, start a businesssuccessfully enter the labour market and contribute to their communities;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas school closures have a large economic impact as they prevent children and youth from developing necessary skills and accessing higher and/or reaching their full poterntiary education, which leads to them entering the labour market upon completion of their education without the required skillsl and preparing for life and work, giving rise to learning losses and increases in inequality;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas according to UN, there are 11 million primary and secondary school learners worldwide – 5.2 million of whom are girls – at risk of not returning to education following COVID-19-related school closures5 ; whereas the longer children are out of school, the greater the risk that they will drop out of education altogether; _________________ 5 UNESCO (30 July 2020), How many students are at risk of not returning to school?.
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas it is estimated that school closures during crises may lead to increases in teenage pregnancy of as much as 65 %6 ; whereas girls out of school are disproportionally exposed to the risk of chilforced transactional sex and early and forced marriage; whereas it is estimated that one million girls in Sub-Saharan Africagirls may be blocked from returning to schools once they reopen given the existence of certain policies that ban pregnant girls and young mothers from school; _________________ 6World Vision (2020), COVID-19 Aftershocks: Access Denied.
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
I a. whereas 129 million girls worldwide are out of school, including 32 million of primary school age, 30 million of lower-secondary school age, and 67 million of upper-secondary school age; whereas only 49 % of countries have achieved gender parity in participation in primary education, 42 % of countries have achieved gender parity in lower secondary education and only 24 % in upper secondary education;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I b (new)
Recital I b (new)
I b. whereas nine of the top 10 most difficult nations for girls to be educated are in sub-Saharan Africa and the remaining one is Afghanistan, where Taliban have effectively deprived girls from education past primary school by ordering re-opening of secondary schools only for boys; whereas an unclear Taliban policy, vague and unfulfilled promises about girls education makes millions of Afghan girls understandably fearful for their education; whereas several international initiatives by universities and private individuals emerged offering remote education for Afghan girls and women;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas school closures have been essential to limit the spread of COVID-19, in particular to elderly people and other vulnerable people in contact with children and youth; whereas schools are more than places where children can learn, as they also constitute hubs for mental health and psychosocial support; whereas according to UNESCO and UNICEF, school closures do not only affect the right to education but also the right to health, with more than 80 million children missing primary vaccinations as a result of school closures; whereas school closures also impact the right to good nutrition as 304 million children have no access to a daily meal when schools are closed; whereas school closures seriously affect children’s mental wellbeing as children can be exposed to violence and stress in the home;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas dropping out of school reinforces social inequality and may affect a country’s stability and prosperity jeopardizing the futures of millions of the world’s poorest children and risking the loss of a whole generation;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1 Acknowledges and expresses appreciation for the work of teachers, all kinds of educators and supporting staff, who rapidly adjusted to the COVID-19 pandemic situation and ensured continuation of learning process for children and adolescents; also, commends initiatives by international and local civil society organisations, private citizens and businesses to provide children with information and communication technology, remote learning courses and other learning materials, especially in countries where children have limited access to remote learning or no access to learning at all;
Amendment 71 #
1. Stresses the key importance of guaranteeing children's rights to education and giving every child the opportunity to go back to school and calls on the Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Member States to support the authorities of third countries in prioritising school reopening in their recovery plans, including support for teachers to help children catch up with lost learning and support for children’s wellbeing, as schools are critical for children’s learning, safety, health, nutrition and overall wellbeing;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that improving domestic resource mobilisation, protecting and increasing domestic expenditure on education, and improving the quality of this expenditure is essential in national recovery plans worldwide; insists, in this context, on ensuring equitable allocation and financing so that impoverished, marginalised children and young people are not left behind;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to support the authorities of third countries in implementing ‘safe school’ operations, including providing hygiene supplies and sharing information on handwashing and other hygiene measures as well as on maintaining the continuity of nutrition services for school-age children and adolescents; highlights, in this regard, the key role that teachers can play in health promotion;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Stresses that schools meals are not only vital in ensuring children’s nutrition, growth and development, they also provide a strong incentive for children – especially girls and those from the poorest and most marginalized communities – to return to school once restrictions are lifted;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to support the authorities of third countries in establishing education risk mitigation and management plans through resilience planning; highlights the importance of developing contingency planning and crisis response plans now to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools and to better anticipate the impact of school closures on children, especially on the poorest and most marginalised children;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to support the governments of third countries in building stronger gender- responsive education systems and in such cases as Afghanistan, where Taliban does not ensure girls and women rights to education, work and public life, supports that the EU financial support through the authorities be conditional on full respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 e (new)
Paragraph 10 e (new)
10 e. Reiterates its call on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to further strengthen their support for gender equality, the full enjoyment of human rights by all women and girls and their empowerment worldwide; calls for further action to protect girls at risk of or living in poverty and girls who face a greater risk of early and forced marriage, and to ensure the well-being and development prospects of all children and communities;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Calls upon the Commission and the EEAS to preserve and further strengthen the achievements of the past 20 years in girls and women education in Afghanistan; urges to allocate required funds within the EU humanitarian aid package for Afghanistan to enable international and local organizations to facilitate re-opening of educational facilities for girls and women and to develop remote learning programmes as a temporary measure; calls for similar attention to education of Afghan children and youth in countries hosting Afghan refugees;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 d (new)
Paragraph 10 d (new)
10 d. Condemns the fact that millions of girls worldwide do not have access to education, thus leaving them exposed to dependence and at a higher risk of violence and exploitation; calls for the EU, the Member States and global actors to support worldwide actions to provide girls with quality education; highlights the need to support women’s participation in STEM education and careers; urges to address gender-related barriers to education such as laws, policies and harmful social-cultural norms that prevent girls from continuing education in case of pregnancy, marriage and motherhood; encourages to tackle gender stereotypes and harmful socio-cultural norms through education, and prevent violence through gender-sensitive education programming for both boys and girls;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10 b. Underlines that the right to education and information on sexual and reproductive health, family planning, modern contraceptive methods, safe and legal abortion, and maternal, prenatal and postnatal health care, must be guaranteed for all people;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10 c. Rejects the misuse and instrumentalisation of belief or religion to impose discriminatory access to education and closing of schools; calls for these practices to be put an end and urges for the reopening of all schools for girls and women;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Urges to cease opportunity and employ COVID-19 recovery funds and fast-tracked innovative measures used to ensure remote learning during the pandemic to reimagine education and build systems that are more forward- looking, inclusive, flexible and resilient; these new approaches must address learning losses, prevent dropouts, and ensure the social and emotional welfare of students, teachers and staff;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to support the authorities of partner countries in addressing the challenges in their education systems with the aim of making them capable of withstanding future crises, and making systems more resilient and inclusive, through planning for resilience, implementing learning recovery programmes and protecting educational budgets, with dedicated investments in high-quality, affordable and inclusive education, including investments in education technology, teacher training and other resources to ensure that children and youth reach their full potential, are prepared for life and do not miss out on opportunities to enter the labour market later in life;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Highlights that remote learning programmess designed to address future crises must encompass different learning materials, including printed ones, in order to be accessible to most disadvantaged and marginalised children;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Highlights the importance of preparing andcontinuous professional development and financial supporting for teachers, empowering them to address learning losses among their students and to incorporate digital technology into their teaching;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Considers that national governments – and their competent national, regional or local authorities – must communicate with children in a child- friendly manner to explain the measures taken to limit the spread of COVID-19;