"Structured remedial teaching and teaching-at-the-right-level recover pandemic learning losses faster than technology"

"from March 2020 to September 2021 (Mizunoya et al. 2021). Among them, 59 percent—or nearly 77 million—missed almost all in-person instruction time, with severe consequences for learning inequality. Given long school closures and the varying effectiveness of remote learning, learning poverty in low-and middle-income countries has risen sharply—the share of children under 10 who are unable to read and understand a simple text, which already exceeded 50 percent before the pandemic, is expected to surpass 70 percent (figures 1.18.C and 1.18.D; Azevedo et al. 2021). Unless governments act to recover these learning losses, they may continue to accumulate in coming years, potentially reaching about $17 trillion in global lifetime earnings in present value terms for the cohort of students affected by closures (Azevedo et al. 2021). Past health emergencies suggest that the impact on education is likely to be most severe in countries with already low learning outcomes, high dropout rates, and low resilience to shocks. The harmful impact of the pandemic on households’ ability to support children’s education is also likely to be compounded by the fact that two-thirds of low- and lower-middle-income countries have cut their public education budgets since the onset of the pandemic (Al-Samarrai et al. 2021). Against this sobering backdrop, it is critical for EMDEs to promote policies to enhance education and learning. These include learning recovery programs that prevent further learning losses once children return to school, as well as early-warning systems that monitor absenteeism or nonreturn of students (UNICEF 2022). Remote and hybrid 8 Trade costs cover the full range of costs associated with trading and are expressed in excess of the costs that the same goods face when traded domestically, as defined in the ESCAP-World Bank (database). CHAPTER 1 G LO BAL ECO NO MIC PROSPECTS | J UNE 2022 42 education, which became a necessity during the pandemic, has the potential to transform the future of learning if systems are strengthened and technology is better leveraged (World Bank 2018). Enhancing digitalization and fostering connec- tivity are some of the steps that can increase the efficiency of education spending. Enhancing learning equality should also be promoted, including by channeling resources to disadvan- taged pupils, such as those displaced by war and conflict. Finally, flexible programs aimed at life- long learning and reskilling the unemployed are also needed. Raising labor force participation The pandemic resulted in widespread job losses in EMDEs, especially among vulnerable groups such as women and youth, leading to higher unemployment and lower participation rates (figure 1.18.E). In previous recoveries, the improvement in employment lagged behind activity, often resulting in long unemployment spells (Brown and Koettl 2012). Promoting labor force participation is key to offsetting the labor market losses brought about by the pandemic and fostering long-run labor productivity. To that end, active labor market policies can increase labor demand and the efficiency of labor market matching. These include wage subsidies and job retention policies, measures that enhance job search assistance and on-the-job training, and pension reforms. A comprehensive policy package, including sustained investment, education policies and active labor market reforms, could enhance EMDEs labor force participation and help mitigate the slowdown in potential output expected over the next decade (figure"

", strengthening insolvency regimes, and building financial sector resilience in Indonesia, Mexico, Paraguay, and Uruguay. In the Philippines and Uganda, we are expanding financial technology, liquidity, and access to credit, particularly for SMEs and women. And in the Maldives, the COVID-19 Emergency Income Support Project provided temporary income support for workers who lost a job or income as a result of the pandemic; the project also helped strengthen the country’s social protection system to prepare for future crises. Close to 23,000 work ers received financial support, including nearly 9,000 women, more than two-thirds of them self-employed. Several partnerships housed at the Bank are promoting better jobs outcomes and informing policies related to migrant workers. This includes Solutions for Youth Employment, an alliance with strong private sector participation, and the Knowledge Partnership on Migration and Development (KNOMAD), which moni tors migration and remittance flows. Under the new KNOMAD-Migration Umbrella Multidonor Trust Fund, we are laying the foundation for more operations on migra tion and forced displacement, with an initial focus on Colombia. The March 2022 KNOMAD policy brief projects that remittances to Ukraine will increase significantly in 2022, while remittances from Russia to Central Asia will decline. We continue to work with partners and countries to keep remittances flowing despite the pan demic and other crises. Addressing the global learning crisis Even prior to COVID-19, the world was facing a global learning crisis. The pandemic— which at the peak of school closures in April 2020 saw 94 percent of students out of school—has compounded it. In low- and middle-income countries, the global learn ing poverty rate, which measures the share of 10-year-old children who cannot read and understand a simple text, may be reaching 70 percent. Globally, children affected by learning losses stand to lose $21 trillion in earnings across their lifetimes; in low- and middle-income countries, the loss is $11 trillion. While almost all countries provided some form of remote learning during school closures, children from disadvantaged households were less likely to benefit. At least a third of the world’s schoolchildren—463 million—were unable to access WORKING TOWARD DEVELOPMENT GOALS AMID CRISES 59 remote learning. Girls, students with disabilities, and the youngest children also faced significant barriers to remote learning and are less likely to return to school after the pandemic. Our support to countries covers the entire learning cycle to promote resilient, equitable, and inclusive education systems that ensure learning happens for every one. We are the largest source of external financing for education in developing coun tries; our portfolio of about $23 billion aims to improve learning and provide everyone with access to the education they need to succeed. Over the past three years, our lending for education has doubled compared to the preceding 10 years. Our projects are reaching at least 432 million students and 18 million teachers—a third of stu dents and nearly a quarter of teachers in client countries. We are also the largest implementing agency of the Global Partnership for Education’s grants for low-income countries, managing $3.6 billion in these grants or 57 percent of its grant portfolio. Through our data, analytical work, policy advice, financing, and technical assis tance, we are helping governments implement ambitious learning recovery programs to get children back to school, recover lost learning, ensure student and teacher well-being, support marginalized children, and accelerate progress. In Brazil, we are supporting learning recovery by providing targeted instruction for students with learn ing difficulties and structured exercises to develop socioemotional skills in schools. In India, we"