The sudden closure of educational facilities upended the lives of young people, their families, and educators, who were forced to move quickly from traditional onsite teaching to online education. This prolonged suspension of conventional education posed a number of new challenges for students, parents and teaching staff. Students who were already marginalised prior to the pandemic, due to various gender+ vulnerabilities, experienced further detrimental impacts on their educational progress. The experience gained from the global education crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic should be used to develop more resilient education systems that can ensure a balance between the digital and physical space and guarantee that no one is left behind. The insights provided below are developed on the basis of findings from quantitative and qualitative evidence, participatory workshops, and an analysis of National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) and other COVID-19 recovery policies.