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Covid-19 Learning Loss and Recovery: Panel Data Evidence from India

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  • Abhijeet Singh
  • Mauricio Romero
  • Karthik Muralidharan

Abstract

We use a panel survey of ∼19,000 primary-school-aged children in rural Tamil Nadu to study ‘learning loss’ after COVID-19-induced school closures, and the pace of recovery after schools reopened. Students tested in December 2021 (18 months after school closures) displayed learning deficits of ∼0.7σ in math and 0.34σ in language compared to identically-aged students in the same villages in 2019. Two-thirds of this deficit was made up within 6 months after school reopening. Further, while learning loss was regressive, the recovery was progressive. A government-run after-school remediation program contributed ∼24% of the cohort-level recovery, and likely aided the progressive recovery.

Suggested Citation

  • Abhijeet Singh & Mauricio Romero & Karthik Muralidharan, 2022. "Covid-19 Learning Loss and Recovery: Panel Data Evidence from India," CESifo Working Paper Series 10031, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_10031
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    Cited by:

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    2. Saravana Ravindran & Manisha Shah, 2024. "Disruptions to early childhood preschool services during a pandemic: Evidence from India," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(2), pages 1-20, June.
    3. Alderighi, Lorenzo & Ballatore, Rosario M. & Tonello, Marco, 2023. "Hidden drop-out: Secondary education (unseen) failure in pandemic times," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1293, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    4. Hai-Anh Dang & Minh Do, 2022. "COVID-19 Pandemic and the Health and Well-being of Vulnerable People in Vietnam," Working Papers 628, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    5. Zoido, Pablo & Flores-Ceceña, Iván & Székely, Miguel & Hevia, Felipe J. & Castro, Eleno, 2024. "Remote tutoring with low-tech means to accelerate learning: Evidence for El Salvador," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    6. Alasino, Enrique & Ramírez, María José & Romero, Mauricio & Schady, Norbert & Uribe, David, 2024. "Learning losses during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from Mexico," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    7. Emily Beam & Priya Mukherjee & Laia Navarro-Sola, 2022. "Lowering Barriers to Remote Education: Experimental Impacts on Parental Responses and Learning," Working Papers 2022-030, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    8. Guariso, Andrea & Björkman Nyqvist, Martina, 2023. "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s learning and wellbeing: Evidence from India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    9. Dessy, Sylvain & Gninafon, Horace & Tiberti, Luca & Tiberti, Marco, 2023. "Free compulsory education can mitigate COVID-19 disruptions’ adverse effects on child schooling," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    10. Liang Choon Wang & Michael Vlassopoulos & Asad Islam & Hashibul Hassan, 2024. "Delivering Remote Learning Using a Low-Tech Solution: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Bangladesh," Journal of Political Economy Microeconomics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 2(3), pages 562-601.
    11. Andres Ham & Emmanuel Vazquez & Monica Yanez-Pagans, 2023. "The Effects of Differential Exposure to COVID-19 on Educational Outcomes in Guatemala," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0313, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
    12. Jessie Bruhn & Christopher Campos & Eric Chen, 2023. "Who Benefits from Remote Schooling? Self-Selection and Match Effects," Working Papers 2023-004, Brown University, Department of Economics.
    13. Zoido, Pablo & Flores, Iván & Hevia, Felipe & Székely, Miguel & Castro, Eleno, 2022. "Remote Tutoring with Low-tech Means to Accelerate Learning: Evidence for El Salvador," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 12647, Inter-American Development Bank.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Covid-19; school closures; learning loss; recovery;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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