A group of former world leaders has called for urgent measures to prevent the global health crisis creating a tragic “Covid generation” denied an education. Among the 275-strong group of senior figures are former UK prime ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Sir John Major, as well as economists, politicians and educationalists from around the world. In a letter addressed to G20 leaders, national governments and global financial institutions, the group call for action to ensure that a generation of young people are not “robbed of their education” due to Covid-19. As countries’ lockdowns come to an end, they warn that as many as 30 million children may never return to school because of the pandemic, according to a Unesco report. They have also raised concerns that the world’s poorest children have been “locked out of learning”, denied internet access and, with the loss of free school meals for pupils across the globe, face the rising threat of hunger. They also state that being in school is the “best defence against forced marriage” for millions of adolescent girls. As part of its proposals, the group suggests that every country should pledge to protect frontline education spending, prioritising the needs of the most disadvantaged children and promoting school participation. It also calls on the international community to increase aid for education, focusing on the most vulnerable, to free up resources for education through debt relief, and for the International Monetary Fund to issue $1.2tn from its global reserve asset towards the countries that need the most support. The letter states: “We write to call for urgent action to address the global education emergency triggered by Covid-19. “With over 1 billion children still out of school because of the lockdown, there is now a real and present danger that the public health crisis will create a Covid generation who lose out on schooling and whose opportunities are permanently damaged. “While the more fortunate have had access to alternatives, the world’s poorest children have been locked out of learning, denied internet access, and with the loss of free school meals – once a lifeline for 300 million boys and girls – hunger has grown. “An immediate concern, as we bring the lockdown to an end, is the fate of an estimated 30 million children who according to Unesco may never return to school.” The letter also highlights the danger of young children being forced into “exploitative and dangerous labour” and progress on gender equity potentially being set back by years. It continues: “We cannot stand by and allow these young people to be robbed of their education and a fair chance in life.” Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland, and Ban Ki-Moon, former UN secretary general, are also among the signatories.