Kathmandu, Sept. 11 -- School closures have led to an alarming loss of learning opportunities for children in South Asia despite efforts to promote remote education, new research by UNICEF in South Asia has revealed.

Some 434 million children in South Asia are facing interruption in schooling due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Girls, children from the most disadvantaged households and children with disabilities faced the biggest challenges whilelearning remotely.

In India, 80% of children aged 14-18 years reported lower levels of learning than when physically at school. In Sri Lanka, 69% of parents of primary school children complained that their children were learning less.

In Nepal, the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns have widened e...