THE IMPACT OF
1
COVID-19 ON
EDUCATION
INSIGHTS FROM
EDUCATION AT A
GLANCE 2020
Andreas Schleicher
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON EDUCATION - INSIGHTS FROM EDUCATION AT A GLANCE 2020 @OECD 2020
,2
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON EDUCATION - INSIGHTS FROM EDUCATION AT A GLANCE 2020 @OECD 2020
, 3
The impact of COVID-19
on education - Insights from
Education at a Glance 2020
This brochure focuses on a selection of indicators from Education at a Glance, selected for their particular relevance in the
current context. Their analysis enables the understanding of countries’ response and potential impact from the COVID-19
containment measures. The following topics are discussed:
p 06
PUBLIC FINANCING OF EDUCATION
IN OECD COUNTRIES
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT
p 09 MOBILITY
The impact of the
crisis on education p 12
THE LOSS OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME
DELIVERED IN A SCHOOL SETTING
MEASURES TO CONTINUE STUDENTS’
p 14
LEARNING DURING SCHOOL CLOSURE
p 16
TEACHERS’ PREPAREDNESS TO
SUPPORT DIGITAL LEARNING
p 19 WHEN AND HOW TO REOPEN
SCHOOLS
COVID-19 and
educational p 21 CLASS SIZE, A CRITICAL PARAMETER
FOR THE REOPENING OF SCHOOLS
institutions
p 23 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION DURING
THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON EDUCATION - INSIGHTS FROM EDUCATION AT A GLANCE 2020 @OECD 2020
, 4
Introduction
As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, so do country. These estimates assume that only the cohort currently
the risks we face. The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped in school are affected by the closures and that all subsequent
at national borders. It has affected people regardless of cohorts resume normal schooling. If schools are slow to
nationality, level of education, income or gender. But the same return to prior levels of performance, the growth losses will
has not been true for its consequences, which have hit the be proportionately higher. Of course, slower growth from the
most vulnerable hardest. loss of skills in today’s students will only be seen in the long
term. However, when considered over this term, the impact
Education is no exception. Students from privileged becomes significant. In other words, countries will continue
backgrounds, supported by their parents and eager and able to to face reduced economic well-being, even if their schools
learn, could find their way past closed school doors to alternative immediately return to pre-pandemic levels of performance.
learning opportunities. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds For example, for the United States, if the student cohorts in
often remained shut out when their schools shut down. school during the 2020 closures record a corona-induced loss
of skills of one-tenth of a standard deviation and if all cohorts
This crisis has exposed the many inadequacies and inequities thereafter return to previous levels, the 1.5% loss of future GDP
in our education systems – from access to the broadband and would be equivalent to a total economic loss of USD 15.3 trillion
computers needed for online education, and the supportive (Hanushek E and Woessman L, forthcoming[1]).
environments needed to focus on learning, up to the
misalignment between resources and needs. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a severe impact
on higher education as universities closed their premises
The lockdowns in response to COVID-19 have interrupted and countries shut their borders in response to lockdown
conventional schooling with nationwide school closures in measures. Although higher education institutions were quick
most OECD and partner countries, the majority lasting at to replace face-to-face lectures with online learning, these
least 10 weeks. While the educational community have made closures affected learning and examinations as well as the
concerted efforts to maintain learning continuity during this safety and legal status of international students in their
period, children and students have had to rely more on their host country. Perhaps most importantly, the crisis raises
own resources to continue learning remotely through the questions about the value offered by a university education
Internet, television or radio. Teachers also had to adapt to which includes networking and social opportunities as well as
new pedagogical concepts and modes of delivery of teaching, educational content. To remain relevant, universities will need
for which they may not have been trained. In particular, to reinvent their learning environments so that digitalisation
learners in the most marginalised groups, who don’t have expands and complements student-teacher and other
access to digital learning resources or lack the resilience and relationships.
engagement to learn on their own, are at risk of falling behind.
Reopening schools and universities will bring unquestionable
Hanushek and Woessman have used historical growth benefits to students and the wider economy. In addition,
regressions to estimate the long-run economic impact of this reopening schools will bring economic benefits to families
loss of the equivalent to one-third of a year of schooling for by enabling some parents to return to work. Those benefits,
the current student cohort. Because learning loss will lead to however, must be carefully weighed against the health risks
skill loss, and the skills people have relate to their productivity, and the requirement to mitigate the toll of the pandemic. The
gross domestic product (GDP) could be 1.5% lower on average need for such trade-offs calls for sustained and effective co-
for the remainder of the century. The present value of the total ordination between education and public health authorities at
cost would amount to 69% of current GDP for the typical different levels of government, enhanced by local participation
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON EDUCATION - INSIGHTS FROM EDUCATION AT A GLANCE 2020 @OECD 2020
1
COVID-19 ON
EDUCATION
INSIGHTS FROM
EDUCATION AT A
GLANCE 2020
Andreas Schleicher
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON EDUCATION - INSIGHTS FROM EDUCATION AT A GLANCE 2020 @OECD 2020
,2
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON EDUCATION - INSIGHTS FROM EDUCATION AT A GLANCE 2020 @OECD 2020
, 3
The impact of COVID-19
on education - Insights from
Education at a Glance 2020
This brochure focuses on a selection of indicators from Education at a Glance, selected for their particular relevance in the
current context. Their analysis enables the understanding of countries’ response and potential impact from the COVID-19
containment measures. The following topics are discussed:
p 06
PUBLIC FINANCING OF EDUCATION
IN OECD COUNTRIES
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT
p 09 MOBILITY
The impact of the
crisis on education p 12
THE LOSS OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME
DELIVERED IN A SCHOOL SETTING
MEASURES TO CONTINUE STUDENTS’
p 14
LEARNING DURING SCHOOL CLOSURE
p 16
TEACHERS’ PREPAREDNESS TO
SUPPORT DIGITAL LEARNING
p 19 WHEN AND HOW TO REOPEN
SCHOOLS
COVID-19 and
educational p 21 CLASS SIZE, A CRITICAL PARAMETER
FOR THE REOPENING OF SCHOOLS
institutions
p 23 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION DURING
THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON EDUCATION - INSIGHTS FROM EDUCATION AT A GLANCE 2020 @OECD 2020
, 4
Introduction
As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, so do country. These estimates assume that only the cohort currently
the risks we face. The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped in school are affected by the closures and that all subsequent
at national borders. It has affected people regardless of cohorts resume normal schooling. If schools are slow to
nationality, level of education, income or gender. But the same return to prior levels of performance, the growth losses will
has not been true for its consequences, which have hit the be proportionately higher. Of course, slower growth from the
most vulnerable hardest. loss of skills in today’s students will only be seen in the long
term. However, when considered over this term, the impact
Education is no exception. Students from privileged becomes significant. In other words, countries will continue
backgrounds, supported by their parents and eager and able to to face reduced economic well-being, even if their schools
learn, could find their way past closed school doors to alternative immediately return to pre-pandemic levels of performance.
learning opportunities. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds For example, for the United States, if the student cohorts in
often remained shut out when their schools shut down. school during the 2020 closures record a corona-induced loss
of skills of one-tenth of a standard deviation and if all cohorts
This crisis has exposed the many inadequacies and inequities thereafter return to previous levels, the 1.5% loss of future GDP
in our education systems – from access to the broadband and would be equivalent to a total economic loss of USD 15.3 trillion
computers needed for online education, and the supportive (Hanushek E and Woessman L, forthcoming[1]).
environments needed to focus on learning, up to the
misalignment between resources and needs. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a severe impact
on higher education as universities closed their premises
The lockdowns in response to COVID-19 have interrupted and countries shut their borders in response to lockdown
conventional schooling with nationwide school closures in measures. Although higher education institutions were quick
most OECD and partner countries, the majority lasting at to replace face-to-face lectures with online learning, these
least 10 weeks. While the educational community have made closures affected learning and examinations as well as the
concerted efforts to maintain learning continuity during this safety and legal status of international students in their
period, children and students have had to rely more on their host country. Perhaps most importantly, the crisis raises
own resources to continue learning remotely through the questions about the value offered by a university education
Internet, television or radio. Teachers also had to adapt to which includes networking and social opportunities as well as
new pedagogical concepts and modes of delivery of teaching, educational content. To remain relevant, universities will need
for which they may not have been trained. In particular, to reinvent their learning environments so that digitalisation
learners in the most marginalised groups, who don’t have expands and complements student-teacher and other
access to digital learning resources or lack the resilience and relationships.
engagement to learn on their own, are at risk of falling behind.
Reopening schools and universities will bring unquestionable
Hanushek and Woessman have used historical growth benefits to students and the wider economy. In addition,
regressions to estimate the long-run economic impact of this reopening schools will bring economic benefits to families
loss of the equivalent to one-third of a year of schooling for by enabling some parents to return to work. Those benefits,
the current student cohort. Because learning loss will lead to however, must be carefully weighed against the health risks
skill loss, and the skills people have relate to their productivity, and the requirement to mitigate the toll of the pandemic. The
gross domestic product (GDP) could be 1.5% lower on average need for such trade-offs calls for sustained and effective co-
for the remainder of the century. The present value of the total ordination between education and public health authorities at
cost would amount to 69% of current GDP for the typical different levels of government, enhanced by local participation
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON EDUCATION - INSIGHTS FROM EDUCATION AT A GLANCE 2020 @OECD 2020
