Project Description:

UNICEF Bangladesh has commissioned DM WATCH to conduct a “Rapid Qualitative Assessment on The Impacts of the COVID-19 Related School Closures on Marginalized Children and Adolescents in Bangladesh”. The aim of this rapid assessment is to gain insight on the potential impacts of the 18-month school closure, specifically the learning level and loss, on the most marginalized children and adolescents in Bangladesh, identifying the push and pull factors for school drop-out during this season.

There are four marginalized groups being studied: children and adolescents with disabilities, living in climate-affected and disaster-prone areas, urban slums and Rohingya refugee camps. The expected results will provide narrative information on these objectives and provide programmatic and policy-level recommendations for all relevant stakeholders, including UNICEF, the Government of Bangladesh, and development partners in addressing and responding to the specific impacts documented through the study for these marginalized groups.

The study attempts to reflect, learn, document, and adapt with the best evidence as the basis for continued programming to accelerate results for all children here in Bangladesh. The data collection phase of the study is underway in the following geographic areas: 22 districts and 12 City Corporations across 8 Divisions (Barishal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Sylhet, as well as the following 9 Rohingya camps: 2E, 2W, 6, 8W, 14, 15, 16, 25, and 26. Different qualitative data collection tools are prepared to conduct this study, including In-Depth Interviews with children, adolescents, and caregivers, Child-Friendly Participatory Assessment Workshops (CFPAWs), with children, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with school teachers and government officials.