LONDON: Save the Children on Tuesday called for urgent action to help kids in the world’s poorest countries to return to schools closed as part of coronavirus restrictions.

The British charity said it would cost just $370 (£275) per pupil to get youngsters back, warning that every day without lessons risked widening inequalities. London-based Save the Children has repeatedly called for action to help children continue their education despite the pandemic, which its chief executive Inger Ashing called “the biggest education emergency we’ve ever seen”.

The charity published its latest research looking at the world’s 59 poorest countries, including Uganda, Syria and Yemen, calculating the average cost of reopening schools with anti-virus safety measures as well as helping children catch up lost lessons.

The total cost for all 136 million children affected would be $50 billion, it estimated, urging international donors to help governments raise the sum.

This would cover financial support for families to send children to school, catch-up classes, hygienic facilities and safety training for teachers, as well as national campaigns to encourage children to return, it said.