Despite efforts to ensure that all learners return to class when schools reopened following closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 30 502 learners nationwide could not be traced after reopening. In addition, over 4 000 girls in Namibia became pregnant while the schools were closed. Abhiyan Jung Rana, UNICEF Regional Education Advisor for Eastern and Southern Africa, revealed this at the opening of the four-day National Conference on Education in the capital. He said the regional situation is dismal and added that in order to avoid a catastrophe that is much more severe, immediate action is required. Rana stated that while the magnitude of learning poverty must be addressed in the long run, systems must also be strengthened concurrently, particularly through the transformation of education systems to become inclusive - if not, things could get even worse. “UNICEF is pleased to continue strengthening the global vision for digital learning for every child in Namibia in order to compensate for lost learning during school closures. This will be accomplished through a global cooperation agreement with a non-profit research partnership (ED-Tech), as well as by cultivating strategic partnerships with the private sector, particularly in the ICT sector, in order to reduce the cost of access to devices and data,” he said.