ADB Calls for Extended Study Time for Students to Recover From Pandemic Learning Loss

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) released a study last July 18, 2022, titled “How to Recover Learning Losses from COVID-19 School Closures in Asia and the Pacific,”

The study states that “School closures led to substantial learning losses that urgently need to be recovered to prevent lasting impacts on student progression, human capital formation, and livelihoods,”

Schools in Asia-Pacific and the Philippines are struggling with the reopening of schools that were previously closed due to the pandemic. ADB is joining the call to extend the learning time of students to counter learning loss.

“A key first step after schools safely reopen is to test students to determine how much knowledge was lost or forgone and at what level to restart instruction, after which attention should focus on regularly tracking the progress of learning,”  says ADB.

For the Philippines, 100% of face-to-face classes will only begin this November despite the school year starting in August.

Data from ADB suggests that across developing countries in Asia, schools have been closed for an average of 73% of school days or 272 instruction days in the period February 2020 to October 2021.

ADB mentions that “As a result, students in developing Asia are estimated to have lost what they would typically learn in nine-tenths of a school year. A recent review of studies worldwide found that, on average, students lost half a year’s worth of learning,”

ADB says “Additional classroom time can give students the opportunity to cover material missed because of school closures,” and to add “This can take the form of hours added to the school day, weekend classes, and reducing the breaks between academic years and terms. Dedicating a clear time slot for remedial lessons is also important for effective implementation of targeted instruction,”

Source: Inquirer