After being upended by covid-19, few low- and middle-income countries successfully addressed learning and education recovery post-pandemic, according to a recent World Bank report (pdf). The report, titled Learning Recovery to Acceleration, looks at more than 60 education systems in low- and middle-income economies — including in Egypt — to assess “what countries have done so far to recover and accelerate learning since reopening schools, and what we have learned from their experience.” The report examined the type of policies and interventions these countries employed, the constraints they faced in reducing inequalities, and how countries can push forward with learning recovery and acceleration at scale.

The big takeaway: “Most countries did not fully comprehend the necessity for learning recovery and acceleration.” Less than one third of the countries examined in the report used the most cost-effective policy measures to improve learning, such as targeted instruction programs, the report says. Of the countries assessed, some 15% “supported teacher performance through structured pedagogy programs.”

IN CASE YOU NEEDED REMINDING- Education faced significant disruptions during covid-19, with schools in Egypt and beyond moving to remote learning or shutting down entirely for stretches of time in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. On average, schools around the world were suspended for 140 days, World Bank Regional Director of Human Development for Latin America and the Caribbean Jaime Saavedra said in a webinar discussing the report earlier this month. These closures and alternative teaching methods “cost large learning losses,” Saavedra noted. “If before the pandemic, 57% of children were not able to read and understand a simple text by the age of 10 — what we call learning poverty — that 57% could have increased to 70% because of the impacts of the pandemic,” he said.

The pandemic-induced learning gaps have significant financial ramifications: Lost schooling as a result of covid-19 is estimated to cost the current generation of students “as much as USD 21 tn in future earnings — equivalent to 17% of today’s GDP,” according to the report. Marginalized groups, including those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, girls, and ethnic or other minorities, are also expected to be disproportionately affected by the effects of the pandemic on learning systems, the report says.

The World Bank prescribes applying its RAPID policy framework for education recovery: The framework “organizes a menu of policy options” for countries to apply in education systems following any sort of shock or disruption to learning, with five key policy areas to follow: Reach every child and keep them in school; Assess learning levels regularly; Prioritize teaching the fundamentals; increase the efficiency of instruction; and Develop psychosocial health and wellbeing. The framework is designed to get students back on track following a shock to the system — such as covid-19 — and accelerate their learning to surpass where they were prior to the pandemic.

Although countries did implement parts of the RAPID framework, it’s been spotty and insufficient: Of the 60 countries assessed in the report, only a quarter implemented some form of expansion of social protection services that fall under the Reach category to re-enroll students and ensure they stay in school. Just above one third worked on assessing the extent of learning losses following the pandemic and implemented a more regular structure of classroom-based formative assessments. Meanwhile, a focused curriculum geared towards teaching fundamental knowledge and skills was evident in only 22% of countries, the report showed. Instruction efficiency — including implementing targeted instruction or tutoring programs, individualized self-guided learning programs, or supporting teacher performance with classroom based coaching — was reported in less than a third of countries covered in the report. One bright spot is the implementation of mental health and psychosocial support, where the report found that some 57% of countries increased the availability of these services within schools. However, a meager 27% bolstered or expanded school feeding programs.

Part of the problem: Fiscal constraints as national budgets were bogged down by the effects of the pandemic. “Approximately 40% of low- and middle-income countries reduced their spending on education, with an average decline in real spending of 13.5%,” according to World Bank and UNESCO data cited in the report. In Egypt, the government is planning to spend c.24.5% more on education, higher education, and scientific research during the current fiscal year than it did in FY 2022-23, although previous World Bank data indicated that we’re not spending enough on education, leading to a shortage in teachers and classroom infrastructure.

The prescription for the way forward: Countries need to begin moving to reflect “the urgency of the learning crisis” in their policies by enacting several measures, the report indicates. “The complexity of improving learning requires a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach: A package of coherent learning recovery and acceleration policies,” the report says. Recommended responses include throwing political weight behind developing a long-term response to addressing the issues caused by the pandemic, identifying the unique needs of their education system — and the resources at their disposal — and building a sustainable recovery program that involves all relevant stakeholders, including the government, NGOs, private sector businesses, and development partners.

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