The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children's Learning and Wellbeing: Evidence from India
51 Pages Posted: 21 Feb 2023
Abstract
We study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated school closure on primary school children’s learning and mental wellbeing in Assam, India. Using a comprehensive dataset that tracked and repeatedly surveyed approximately 5,000 children across 200 schools between 2018 and 2022, we find that children lost the equivalent of nine months of learning in mathematics and eleven months in language, during the pandemic. Children lacking resources and parental support experienced the largest losses. Regular practice, teacher interaction, and technology helped sustain learning. Over the same period, children’s psychological wellbeing improved. Our research provides valuable insights for designing post-emergency programs.
Note:
Funding Information: Financial support from J-PAL South Asia at IFMR’s Cash Transfers for Child Health, J-PAL Post-Primary Education Initiative (PPE-1843), Swedish Research Council (2016-05615), Carl Bennet AB, and Mistra (the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research) is greatly appreciated.
Declaration of Interests: I confirm that none of the authors has competing interests and that all participants in the study provided informed consent.
Ethics Approval Statement: The original study received ethical approval from IFMR Human Subjects Committee (IRB00007107) and Trinity College Dublin Ethic Review Board (05062018).
Keywords: COVID-19, School Closure, Primary School, Learning Loss, Psychological Wellbeing, India
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