Learning poverty is defined as being
unable to read and understand a simple text
by age ten. Global learning poverty is at crisis levels and continues to worsen
in the wake of the worst shock to education and learning in a century.
Disruptions to education during the COVID-19
pandemic have impacted children in 188 countries.
The length of school closures varied greatly by region. Between February 2020
and February 2022, education systems were fully closed for in person schooling
for about 273 days in South Asia, 225 days in Latin America
and the Caribbean, 82 days in East Asia and the Pacific.
Even before COVID-19, there was already a learning crisis.
New data confirms that learning poverty was very high just before the pandemic.
The average global learning poverty rate
was 57% in low and middle income countries in 2019, exceeding 50% in several regions.
Global progress in reducing learning
poverty between 2000 and 2015 appears to have stalled between 2015 and 2019.
New data show that between 2015 and 2019,
learning poverty rose slightly from 53% to 57%.
The COVID-driven school disruptions have
worsened the severe pre-pandemic learning crisis.
Our best estimate is that the global learning poverty rate is now 70%.
Especially the largest increases are in the regions where the schools have been
closed the longest and education systems were delivering some learning prior
to the pandemic, South Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The learning losses have the potential
to generate a major shock to human capital accumulation and productivity.
The current generation of students now risks losing $21 trillion in lifetime
earnings in present value, and most of the losses are expected to be
observed in low and middle income countries.
This intergenerational inequality shock has worsened inequality within the current
generation of children, with children from lower socioeconomic
backgrounds and other disadvantaged groups having suffered larger learning losses.
Recovery from this major blow to human capital requires sustained national
political commitment throughout our society.
From the highest political levels to all members of society.
Recovering and then turning the tide
against the longer term learning crisis will require coalitions that include
families, educators, civil society, the business community and other ministries.
Action is urgently needed now.
Business as usual is not sufficient to heal the scars of the pandemic.
Commitment needs to be further translated
into concrete action at the national and subnational levels with better
learning measurement to end the learning data crisis.
Clear targets for progress and evidence-based plans supported
by adequate financing and good implementation. Countries are adopting
evidence-based interventions for learning recovery to avoid huge losses
to productivity and inclusion of today's children.
This now needs to happen much more.
The Rapid Learning Recovery Framework captures the essential policy actions
needed to meet the challenges brought by the shock to education systems worldwide.
Rapid Framework requires that education
systems are reaching and retaining all children in school.
Assessing learning levels regularly.
Prioritizing the fundamentals. Increasing catch up learning using proven methods.
Developing the psychosocial health and well being of children and teachers.
A robust learning recovery program built
around the Rapid Framework can help tackle the pre-pandemic learning crisis and ensure
inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all children.
To lead to broad, sustained change, these interventions must be implemented as
part of a national strategy of structural reforms.
There is a narrow window to act decisively to recover and accelerate learning.
The core policies that can help recover learning lost to the pandemic will also
address the deeper underlying learning crisis.
Sustained progress will depend on reforms like ensuring a professionalized teaching
career, providing minimum learning materials for all,
closing the digital divide, ensuring that schools are safe
and inclusive, and investing in management schools and the system in a professional
way that focuses relentlessly on improving education outcomes.