The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of large numbers of learners, teachers and parents around the world, with millions now teaching and learning from home. While this is first and foremost a health crisis, it will likely have significant long-term effects on education, including on curriculum and learning. The situation, however, could become an opportunity to rethink curriculum, teaching-learning-assessment processes and the development of learners’ competencies with a view to strengthening their learning skills and sustaining their motivation. Lessons learned from country/national level efforts, especially in the context of Education in Emergencies (EiE), and the meaningful usage of resources (including digital resources) should be leveraged so that learners, teachers and parents are neither overwhelmed nor confused. This crisis will likely provide an opportunity for schools to strengthen their ties with families, and for teachers to communicate and cooperate better with parents in the interest of learners. In the same vein, the crisis means teachers and parents may become more involved in decisions regarding curriculum appropriateness. This can support the development of a learner-centred, participative and inclusive learning paradigm that takes into account the interests of learners, as well as their environments and aspirations.