Covid-19 poses a risk to youngsters' education opportunities, with over 1.2 million students poorer now than they were before the pandemic began almost two years ago, a researcher has found.
Speaking at a seminar on the impact of the pandemic on youngsters, Sompong Jitradab, a specialist at the Equitable Education Fund (EEF), said children are at greater risk of dropping out of the education system.
Citing research findings, he said the number of students classified as "extremely poor" has increased to 1.24 million, from 994,428 in the first semester of 2020.
About 20% of students nationwide are now "extremely poor", he said.
The EEF and its partners have identified two key factors that could make students drop out of the system -- the widening inequality gap triggered by the pandemic and being unable to access online learning during the lockdown, Mr Sompong said.
He said the shift to online learning has affected some children studying at Pathom 1-3 levels, noting some have fallen behind in reading, writing and maths as a result.
Meanwhile, 87% of students in 29 provinces have no access to electricity or equipment, he said, noting that students who are unable to catch up with their classmates are unlikely to return to school.
Mr Sompong said more cooperation is needed to help children to stay in the education system.
However, he said providing them with financial assistance may not be enough. This this group faces stress, anxiety and isolation, and need all the help they can get.
Siriporn Promwong, manager of the Klong Toey Dee Jang project, said the pandemic has hit children from poor families in urban communities the hardest.
Citing findings from four communities with a population of more than 5,000, she said about 200 of every 1,400 are at risk of dropping out of the system.
