Safe to Learn during COVID-19

The Safe to Learn during COVID-19 guidance outlines the heightened risks of violence against children resulting from school closures and socioeconomic stress during the pandemic. It highlights how confinement, economic hardship, and reduced access to protective services increase children’s exposure to physical, sexual, and emotional violence, child labour, and exploitation—particularly for girls, children with disabilities, refugees, and other marginalized groups. The document calls for coordinated, cross-sector responses to ensure children remain safe in all learning environments, including at home and through distance learning. Key recommendations include strengthening collaboration between education and child protection systems; ensuring remote access to reporting, psychosocial, and counselling services; integrating violence prevention and social-emotional learning into alternative curricula; training and supporting teachers to maintain safe contact with students; and prioritizing low- and no-tech distance learning solutions for the most vulnerable.