Save the Children: Schools in Italy closed for over 3.7 million children and youth because of Coronavirus

More than 3.7 million children and adolescents are missing out on school following Coronavirus prevention measures taken in several Italian regions, representing 40 percent of the total number of pupils in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, Save the Children in Italy warned.

"We hope the suspension will not last long, but we believe it is important to use all possible educational tools to make sure the children’s education is not interrupted, for example by online teaching. Luckily, the latest statements by the Minister of Education point in that direction”, said Raffaela Milano, Director of the Italy-Europe programmes of Save the Children in Italy.

“The fact that the virus - fortunately - currently does not seem to affect children in particular does not mean that they are not impacted by the situation around them. It is essential that boys and girls living in the areas directly involved in the measures receive the correct information on what is happening, tailored to the different age groups. It is important to address the anxieties and fears that many children have in the face of the continuous news about the virus and the upheaval of daily life, to promote appropriate prevention behaviour and to prevent the emergence of any form of discrimination or xenophobia”, Raffaela Milano concluded.

For enquiries you can reach out to:
Media team Save the Children Italy: ufficiostampa@savethechildren.org / Tel. 06-48070023/63/81/82
During out of office hours: Media@savethechildren.org.uk / Tel. +44 7831 650 409