1.2 DISRUPTION TO EDUCATION All EU Member States gradually closed all education facilities temporarily to limit the spread of COVID-19 by late March, with the exception of Sweden.25 This has significant consequences for the rights of the child and the right to education. However, at least a third of Member States (Austria26, Belgium27, Czechia28 Denmark29, Estonia30, Germany31, Hungary32, the Netherlands33 and Slovenia34) kept a number of schools open for children of parents working in selected ‘essential’ professions or for families where there is no other solution but childcare provided by grandparents. Almost all Member States introduced distance learning to ensure the continuity of education. A few, including Estonia,35 Italy36 and Latvia,37 published guidelines on distance learning, sometimes including how to evaluate students and how to guarantee education for students with disabilities. In practice, remote schooling is often organised on a school-by-school basis, by emailing homework to students and parents, recording classes and putting them online, and using educational apps and online platforms to communicate with students. Austria38, France39 and Slovenia40 provided governmental online platforms for distance learning, while in Croatia41, Hungary42 and Cyprus43, educational or school programmes are broadcast on television. However, not all educational establishments or students have the equipment necessary for effective distance learning. For example, Eurostat data show that in 2019, on average, 10 % of households in the 27 EU Member States did not have access to the internet. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to have access to computers and digital equipment or the internet, making it more difficult for them to continue their education remotely. In some countries, such as Cyprus, teachers have reported problems reaching migrant or refugee families.44 There are also reports, from Bulgaria45 and the Greek hotspots for example, of the suspension of education and group activities in refugee centres. On the other hand, in Croatia, the government introduced the possibility for children in reception centres to follow school programmes broadcast on television. Actors in some countries, such as Lithuania,46 raised the issue of children from disadvantaged backgrounds losing access to free meals in schools and day-care centres following the closure of educational facilities. Measures to address this were taken in Estonia47 and Finland,48 for example, where some schools organised lunches for students in need through home delivery. 1.2.1 Measures allowing parents to deal with school closure Governments across the EU encouraged employers to allow teleworking for parents who need to look after their children. In addition, about a third of Member States introduced the possibility for some workers to apply for special leave or an allowance to enable them to stay at home to look after their children. For example the allowance is 80% of the salary in Poland49 and 60% in Czechia.50 In Malta, the government will pay two months of leave (€800 per month) for parents who have to stay at home to take care of children because of school closures.51 Greece has mandated special leave for parents of children or adults with disabilities attending school while these are closed.52 18 PROMISING PRACTICE: PROVIDING DIGITAL EQUIPMENT TO STUDENTS WITH LOWER INCOME In Croatia, the media reported that schools were instructed to provide devices from school reserves to students who did not have them. The government earmarked HRK  4 million (approximately € 500,000) to purchase computers for secondary school students. Schools will also provide free SIM cards for unlimited internet use to students who do not have internet at home. Similarly, in Latvia, following an agreement with the Ministry of Education, mobile phone companies/retailers will supply smart devices and provide internet access to all children in need. Croatia, Jutarnji Vijesti (2020), Najdetaljniji Vodič Kroz Online I Tv Nastavu, 14 March 2020. Latvia, Cabinet of Ministers (Ministru kabinets) (2020), Rīkojums Nr.117 Par iekārtu un dāvinājuma pieņemšanu attālināta mācību procesa nodrošināšanai ārkārtējās situācijas laikā, 19 March 2020.