Global data suggest that the risk of transmission of COVID-19 between children in a school setting is minimal when adequate protective measures are applied (mask wearing, physical distancing, hygiene practices).
However, in response to the pandemic, many governments around the world implemented temporary school closure measures. As of March 2020, as part of its efforts to contain COVID-19, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) decided to close schools nationwide, depriving over 27 million children of access to education. Schools in the DRC first reopened in October 2020, only to close again after two months in response to a second wave of the outbreak. Following advocacy efforts by national and international organisations working in the DRC, the government reopened schools and universities on February 22 2021.