What do teachers need to know?

To support the back-to-school process and ensure its safety and effectiveness, teachers’ capacities and knowledge should be strengthened around:

• COVID-19 and its implications for children, young people, and teachers: It is important that teachers are familiar with COVID-19 so that they can understand the rumors and misinformation, and stigma that exist in the community and how this can have a negative impact on certain groups of children and young people.
• COVID-19 prevention with specific hygiene, hand washing, and physical distancing measures: Teachers have a key role to play in the dissemination and respect of these practices. They must master and model them to help children and young people stay safe.
• Social exclusion linked to COVID-19 stigmatization, including how to prevent and respond to stigmatization.
• Identifying & Reporting Protection Concerns: As schools reopen, teachers should be prepared to identify child protection risks and referral pathways, including SGBV given the unique needs of girls after COVID-19. Teachers should familiarize themselves with and actively practice these three principles of psychological first aid tailored to teachers:
  • Look: Identify children and young people showing signs of distress
  • Listen: Communicate sensitively with a child or young person in distress
  • Link: Refer a child or young person to support services they may need