Policy Briefs

Building Resilient Education Systems to Mitigate the Adverse Effects of COVID-19 and Future Disruptions of Learning

Task Force: Sustainable economic recovery

Authors:

Elizabeth M. King ,

Daniel Suryadarma ,

Michelle Kaffenberger ,

Dieter Dohmen ,

Tetsushi Sonobe

Abstract

Natural disasters, violent conflicts, and health crises are becoming more frequent and severer. These events disrupt schooling, resulting in significant learning losses and larger learning disparities. Without a carefully planned scheme to mitigate the impact of these disruptions and recover learning losses, the disruptions will lead to significant scars, permanently lowering lifetime earnings and well-being of individuals and persistently depressing economic growth. Previous and current disruptions clearly demonstrate the need to build highly resilient education systems. A resilient education system can be prepared to protect students, staff and school infrastructure in the best possible way, continue learning processes in the face of school closures, and rapidly recover foregone and lost learning. The G7 and international organizations can partner with country governments to ensure high education system resilience.