Learning Loss and Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review of Evidence

Abstract

This systematic review provides insights on the effects of school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic and of measures to reduce learning loss while schools were closed. The review provides the first meta-analysis of learning losses that covers more developing countries than developed ones. It finds that a year of school closure is associated with learning loss equivalent to 1.4 years’ worth of learning and that school reopening reduces this loss to 0.7 years. Looking at measures to reduce learning loss, it finds that tutoring delivered either in-person or through mobile phones has positive, statistically significant effects.