Covid-19 pandemic might have increased learning poverty rate from 53 percent to 63 percent in low and middle-income countries, a recent World Bank report has revealed.
World Bank defines learning poverty as the inability to read and understand a simple text by the age of ten.
In the report, title, Realising the future of learning: From learning poverty to learning for everyone, everywhere, the bank noted that too many education systems were not delivering even basic skills for all children.
At the peak of school closures, according to the research report, 1.7 billion children and
youth had their classes interrupted.
‘Moreover, some education systems reopened but then had to close again at least partially and return to remote instruction (where that was available)’, the report noted.
‘This experience signals a protracted and uncertain process in which countries are still learning how to deal with the pandemic and at the same time trying to minimise learning losses.
‘On top of this, the deep recession is limiting family’s capabilities to invest in education and is putting a strain in public budgets’.
According to the report, countries that are serious about living up to the challenge of facilitating quality education during the pandemic must invest in its people to build human capacity.
The bank said the countries must show that learning matters to their development as a nation and commit not only financial but also the political and managerial resources needed to build an education system that serves all with quality.
The bank recommended that countries chart their path with a political commitment to carry out investments and reforms in key areas.
‘Learners must be prepared and motivated to learn, with a stronger emphasis on whole-child development and support to learning continuity beyond school’, it recommended.
Also, learning resources, including curricula, should be diverse and high-quality to support good pedagogical practices and personalised learning.
Furthermore, the report recommended that teachers be prepared to take on an increasingly complex role of facilitators of learning with the use of education technology.
Source: World Bank
Photo source: UN Women
