Covid-19 was a disaster for the world’s schoolchildren

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These findings are all the more disappointing given their previously discouraging trends. Years of international testing shows that, when the pandemic hit, the number of typical teenagers in the rich world was no more than those who had received any schooling from about 20 years earlier. According to OECD norms, in reading and science, average scores have been going down for a decade, even as spending has been rising. So there are good reasons to think that grades in the latest exams (often known as PISA tests) would have been lower even without the disruption of COVID-19.

The disappointing school report requires governments to come together to accomplish two tasks. The first is to renew pandemic “catch-up” programs, which have begun to focus energy and funding, even if the work is not completed. Data released in July by a major test-provider showed that many U.S. students in the most recent academic year did not progress any faster than usual before the pandemic. This month’s PISA results show that America’s scores have dropped slightly compared to many other places — but that means nothing for the millions of young people who are still advancing at the end of their school days in their skills. Happened with emerging deficiencies.

The priority of any revised catch-up plan should be to reduce absenteeism. In both the US and UK 20–30% of students miss at least one lesson out of ten, and often more. This is almost double the rate before the pandemic. As for those students who are attending classes regularly, schools may offer them more lessons than usual. Providing more learning time – over holidays, on weekends and after school – is perhaps the easiest way to get youngsters up to speed again. But in many places extra hours have been given only a minimal role in catch-up plans; They are expensive because teachers must be paid more, or more teachers must be hired. And the kids aren’t keen.

The second task of governments is to reverse disappointing long-term trends. International trials provide clues about what works and what doesn’t. Cutting class sizes is often a waste of money; Having high quality teachers matters more. There can be better focus on education budget. In rich countries, disadvantaged students work with less qualified staff and make do with fewer books. Changing much of this means taking on powerful lobbies, including teachers unions and wealthy parents. In principle, the crisis provides a great opportunity to make such reforms.

What is even more regrettable is the fact that politicians are focusing their energies elsewhere. The UK government has portrayed the performance of its pupils in the PISA tests as a victory (like the US it has moved up the league tables, but only because its scores have fallen slightly below average). The Labor Party, which will likely come to power next year, plans to make private schools stricter by making them pay taxes; These do not cost the government anything and yield good results, but taxing them would probably force some parents to increase the burden on the public sector. Meanwhile, in America, much energy has been wasted over the past few years on furious but mostly futile battles about the teaching of history, gender, and race. The never-ending interruptions during the pandemic were bad for learning. School children should not be disappointed once again.

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