By 16 March 2020, most education systems in the EU neighbourhood and Central Asia had closed their schools. In a matter of days, some distance learning was offered in most systems and in the ensuing weeks, most countries steadily broadened the offer and the extent of participation. This short report aims to describe what happened in the countries of the EU neighbourhood and Central Asian during the COVID-19 crisis. It documents the truly impressive achievements, while providing a reality-check for those who see the internet as the means to fulfilling the promise of education for all, whenever and wherever. This report builds on the mapping of the responses of 27 education systems in South Eastern Europe, Turkey, the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The analysis is based on desk research and interviews conducted with key informants, generally in ministries and national agencies, over a three-week period from 20 April to 13 May. The mapping aimed to find out about the nature and the extent of distance learning in response to the COVID-19 crisis, the methods used, and how it is managed, regulated and implemented. The investigation has focused on the uptake of distance learning across compulsory public education systems, and, where possible, also in vocational and work-based learning contexts. One conclusion of this report is that better monitoring of competence, capability and participation in DDL will help countries make the most of the COVID-19 response and better prepare for and meet learning demands. This mapping nevertheless gives evidence of the capacity of educational systems to change. In particular, it demonstrates that, with the right support and training, many teachers were able to change how they teach in a very short period of time. However, the report also makes plain that countries that did not invest in educational technology and professional development and did not have organisations able to take the lead in the crisis, have been at a disadvantage. It also reveals that Digital Distance Learning is not a panacea: there are considerable challenges with respect to inclusion, pedagogy, connectivity, engagement and quality.