Education policies during the COVID-19 pandemic: scope, efficiency and gaps

This chapter examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education and assesses the policy responses provided by ministries of education around the world. Remote learning policies have played an essential role in ensuring continuity of learning for schoolchildren globally. The analysis looks at the magnitude and duration of school closures with the goal of quantifying the number of days classroom instruction was disrupted. It then estimates the prevalence of remote learning response and examines how effective the adopted programs were in terms of reaching the most marginalized children. The chapter ends by outlining the importance of sound remote learning policies in response to the current pandemic and future crises that could disrupt education.