The COVID-19 crisis significantly impacts learning and will widen existing inequalities in education systems across the world. Last year, on average, students in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) lost 100 school days of learning, and these closures were different for countries while most of the high-income countries returned kids to schools quickly, some middle-income countries of ECA had longer periods of closures.
As measured across ECA countries, the actual learning loss is significant and equates to an average of 0.13 standard deviations or about half a year of learning adjusted years of schooling. In all countries but one, the learning loss was unequal, affecting children disproportionately from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Today, countries in the region want to stay fully open and are eager to support children with learning recovery, regain socio-emotional skills, and reduce anxieties.
“No one is safe until everyone is safe” is the slogan of these days to end the Covid-19 pandemic. Vaccinating teachers and students proved to be the most viable strategy for keeping schools open and avoiding frequent disruption of students’ learning, especially for those vulnerable.
During this workshop, the World Bank experts together with the invited external speakers will discuss the important issues of school re-opening in the region, as well as give their perspectives on vaccination. READ MORE
