THE UNITED Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund urged governments to prioritize the safe reopening of schools as further delays can result in “generational catastrophe.”

UNICEF said on Monday that the students’ return to the classrooms cannot wait. The agency fears that the continuation of school closures will lead to permanent school dropouts and more cases of abuse.

The agency said that 156 million children are still out of school because of pandemic restrictions.

“We urge decision-makers and governments to prioritize the safe reopening of schools to avoid a generational catastrophe,” a joint statement from Unicef Executive Director Henrietta Fore and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said.

UNICEF said “support to get children’s education back on track is vital.”

However, it said that 1 in 3 countries where schools are or have been closed due to the pandemic is not taking any action to help students recover from lost learning.

The Philippine government only allowed face-to-face classes for students of medical courses.