Girls are likely not to return to schools after lockdowns

Save the Children warns in a new report that COVID-19 pandemic could force at least 9.7 million children out of school forever by the end of this year, with millions more falling behind in learning, .

Girls are likely to be much worse affected than boys, with many forced into early marriage.

Despite the efforts of governments and organisations, some 500 million children had no access to distance learning, and many of the poorest children may not have literate parents who can help them.

Having lost out on months of learning, many children will struggle to catch up, raising the likelihood of drop out.