Bangladesh to face the worst impact of learning losses: World Bank

Bangladesh is going to face one of the worst impacts due to the learning losses as the education of 37 million children has been disrupted due to one of the longest school closures in the world during the pandemic, a report by the World Bank said.

It also noted that school closures have been difficult for all children, but poor and girl children were most affected. They suffered greater learning losses and were at higher risk of dropping out.

The report also said that the learning standard of the Bangladeshi children was poor even before the pandemic, but now 76% of children will not attain the minimum reading proficiency at the end of primary school due to school closures.

The report titled 'Prioritizing Learning During Covid-19' launched Saturday presented the latest data on the impact of school closures on children.

"Estimates suggest that without urgent action, a Grade 3 child who has lost one year of schooling during the pandemic could lose up to three years' worth of learning in the long run," said the report.

Since closing in March 2020, schools in Bangladesh remained shuttered for 18 months. They were reopened in September 2021 but were again closed for a month in February 2022.

School closures have caused large and persistent damage to children's learning and wellbeing, the cost of which will be felt for decades to come, according to the report by the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP), supported  by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UNICEF, and the World Bank. 

Key evidence and findings from the report were presented and discussed Saturday in Dhaka at a virtual event attended by expert panelists representing the GEEAP, FCDO, the World Bank, UNICEF, development practitioners and the government.

"Even before the pandemic, in 2017, more than half of the Bangladeshi children completing primary school could not read and comprehend a simple text. The World Bank is helping Bangladesh's efforts towards a resilient and inclusive recovery through investments in human capital such as remedial education and ramping up stipend programmes to keep poor children in school," said Mercy Tembon, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan.

"The pandemic has disrupted the education of millions of students in Bangladesh on an unprecedented scale as anywhere else in the world. For the future of these children and for their present well-being, it is crucial that we invest in recovery of learning losses and ensure that all children come back to and remain in school," said Dipu Moni, minister of education, during the panel discussion.

The report identifies four urgent recommendations made by the Panel (GEEAP) to help prevent further loss and recover children's education. These are -- Prioritize keeping schools and preschools fully open; prioritize teachers for the Covid-19 vaccination, and use masks where assessed as appropriate, and improve ventilation; adjust instruction to support the learning needs of children and focus on important foundational skills and governments must ensure teachers have adequate support to help children learn.