While many countries struck by the COVID-19 crisis may require international support to ensure educational continuity for all learners and to protect and maintain the welfare of the education workforce during the current emergency, governments, through their Ministries of Education (MoEs), remain responsible for education provision. Rapid response programmes that aim to ensure continuity of education provision should align with MoE priorities and long-term activities. Supporting MoEs in institutionalizing crisis risk reduction and management into education planning processes can help MoEs in better leading the planning and delivery of education before, during, and after a crisis, as well as in preparing for and mitigating the impacts of the crisis. This approach is referred to as ‘crisis-sensitive planning'.