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Pandemic School Closures May Increase Inequality in Test Scores

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  • Catherine Haeck
  • Pierre Lefebvre

Abstract

Schools have been closed across the country and will remain closed until September in most provinces. The decision to reopen should take into account current inequalities in cognitive skills across the country and the impact of school interruptions on knowledge accumulation. In this article, we use information from a companion article to estimate the socioeconomic achievement gaps of 15-year-olds across Canada and assess the impact of the pandemic on inequalities in education. Using estimates from the literature on the impact of school closures, we find that the socioeconomic skills gap measured using Programme for International Student Assessment data could increase by more than 30 percent.

Suggested Citation

  • Catherine Haeck & Pierre Lefebvre, 2020. "Pandemic School Closures May Increase Inequality in Test Scores," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 46(S1), pages 82-87, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpp:issued:v:46:y:2020:i:s1:p:s82-s87
    DOI: 10.3138/cpp.2020-055
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    16. Peter Dolton & Oscar Marcenaro Gutierrez, 2011. "Teachers' Pay and Pupil Performance," CentrePiece - The magazine for economic performance 352, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
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    Cited by:

    1. Pierre‐Loup Beauregard & Marie Connolly & Catherine Haeck & Tímea Laura Molnár, 2022. "Primary school reopenings and parental work," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(S1), pages 248-281, February.
    2. Juan-Francisco Albert & Nerea Gómez-Fernández, 2024. "Estatus social y consecuencias sanitarias y socioeconómicas del coronavirus," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 249(2), pages 35-63, June.
    3. Sabine Zinn & Michael Bayer, 2021. "Time Spent on School-Related Activities at Home during the Pandemic: A Longitudinal Analysis of Social Group Inequality among Secondary School Students," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1132, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    4. Kóczán, Zs., 2024. "Lasting scars: The long-term effects of school closures on earnings," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    5. Zinn, Sabine & Bayer, Michael, 2021. "Time Spent on School-Related Activities at Home During the Pandemic: A Longitudinal Analysis of Social Group Inequality Among Secondary School Students," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 12.
    6. Svaleryd, Helena & Vlachos, Jonas, 2022. "COVID-19 and School Closures," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1008, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    7. Małgorzata Krywult-Albańska & Łukasz Albański, 2021. "Gender and Educational Inequalities during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Preliminary Insights from Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-15, November.
    8. Valenzuela, Juan Pablo & Kuzmanic, Danilo & Cortés, Fernanda, 2024. "Socioeconomic inequalities in opportunities and participation in in-person learning during the Covid-19 pandemic," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    9. Krisztián Széll & Borbála Károlyi & Anikó Fehérvári, 2022. "Learning Patterns at the Time of COVID-19-Induced School Closures," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-17, August.
    10. Marina Murat & Luca Bonacini, 2020. "Coronavirus pandemic, remote learning and education inequalities," Department of Economics (DEMB) 0177, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Department of Economics "Marco Biagi".
    11. Marina Murat & Luca Bonacini, 2020. "Coronavirus pandemic, remote learning and education inequalities," Department of Economics 0177, University of Modena and Reggio E., Faculty of Economics "Marco Biagi".

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    cognitive skills; socioeconomic inequalities; PISA; pandemic; Canadian provinces;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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