Remote Learning during COVID-19: Lessons from Today, Principles for Tomorrow

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted learning around the globe. Simulations conducted in June 2020 suggested that learning gains already achieved by students could well be partly lost as a result of school closures. These simulations were premised on the fact that remote learning may not be as effective as in-person schooling. Emerging data on the effectiveness of remote learning suggests this may well be true – though the picture is mixed at best. In dealing with school closures governments have deployed an array of tools – from adjusting the curriculum, to delaying high-stakes examinations to partnering with the private sector to facilitate the deployment and take-up of remote learning.

This November 18^th, in advance of World Children’s Day (November 20^th), the World Bank is launching two reports “Remote Learning During the Global School Lockdown: Multi-Country Lessons” and “Remote Learning during COVID-19: Lessons from Today, Principles for Tomorrow”. These twin reports were developed at different times during the pandemic and are complementary. The first one follows a qualitative research approach to understand the perceptions of education experts from 17 countries regarding the effectiveness of remote and remedial learning programs implemented during COVID-19 school closures. The second one uses mixed-methods to analyze how countries implemented different remote learning strategies, whether or not these strategies were taken-up and what available evidence suggests about the effectiveness of remote learning during this period. It presents lessons that policymakers can draw on as they strive to reimagine learning. 

The World Bank is organizing a high-level roundtable discussion among policymakers and NGOs from different regions to launch these reports. The event will include Jaime Saavedra, the World Bank’s Global Director of Education, and a panel of international experts who will reflect on the evidence presented in these reports but also and how the lessons they contain can be used for a resilient learning recovery. The Global Education Practice team has chosen to do this event on World Children’s Day to highlight the central importance of learners. 

The event will be available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.