Regional : Research on Reducing Learning Loss in Asia-Pacific

Education / Education sector development

This knowledge and support TA will generate rapid research to: (i) measure the magnitude of learning losses, (ii) characterize and analyze responses by school systems, households, and other actors to limit losses during the pandemic, and (iii) test ways to address losses when schools return to in-person instruction. Given that schools in developing Asia are already in the process of reopening, it is imperative that solutions are quickly presented to policy makers to recover learning losses.

This TA was initially approved on 16 May 2022 as Small Scale TA, which has no TA Report. In October 2022, it received additional funding to become a knowledge and support TA.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a global disruption in education that is unparalleled in modern history. Approximately 1.3 billion children were subjected to closure of face-to-face schooling in more than 150 countries. The developing world has had the greatest disruption, with hundreds of millions of children facing closures that have lasted up to and in some cases more than 2 years, whereas in the developed world, closures were generally not more than several months.

During classroom closure, there has been great variation in the means of primary and secondary education offered. For students who have not received effective education during this period, learning has regressed and learning loss has been substantial. In contrast, students under the most effective teaching arrangements have continued to make progress and learning loss has been less pronounced.

Educational systems will continue to further amplify learning losses if adjustments are not made to address changes in student learning levels due to classroom closure. Those students who fell behind normal patterns of progression will likely lack foundational skills for further learning, so that losses compound over time. Increased learning level heterogeneity will increase mismatches between the level of teaching provided and the learning capacity of students. Solving these challenges requires new evidence on the extent of learning loss, the factors that have conditioned losses, and the effectiveness of learning loss solutions.

Learning outcomes in primary and secondary education post-COVID-19 enhanced in ADB developing member countries.

Improved policies to address COVID-19 learning losses adopted by developing member countries.

Research papers on assessing and addressing learning loss in Asia-Pacific published and effectively disseminated