More than four years after the COVID-19 pandemic shut classrooms worldwide, a new global study has found that students have still not fully recovered their lost learning — and in some countries, the gaps have grown even wider. Researchers say the “post-pandemic learning loss” is becoming one of the most severe education crises in modern history.
The study, published by the Center for Global Development (CGD) and supported by UNESCO, analyzed test data from over 90 countries. It found that in many developing nations, students are now performing below 2019 levels in reading, writing, and math — despite schools having reopened nearly two years ago.
“Learning recovery has been slower than anyone expected,” said Dr. Rukmini Banerjee, CEO of the Pratham Foundation, which contributed to the India segment of the study. “We’ve seen children move up grades but not necessarily gain the foundational skills they missed. That’s the quiet crisis inside classrooms today.”
According to the report, low- and middle-income countries have been hit hardest. Students in India, Kenya, Pakistan, Indonesia, and the Philippines lost the equivalent of one to 1.5 years of learning, while children in wealthier nations lost about half a year on average. The difference reflects unequal access to technology, stable internet, and teacher support during remote learning phases.
The study highlights that digital inequality remains one of the strongest predictors of continued learning loss. While urban students benefited from online classes, millions of rural and low-income children either had no devices or shared one phone among several siblings. In India alone, over 250 million schoolchildren were affected by prolonged closures, with rural states like Bihar and Jharkhand experiencing the steepest setbacks.
Teachers across countries report that post-COVID classrooms are filled with multi-level learners — students of the same age but drastically different skill levels. “In one Grade 6 class, some children read fluently while others still struggle with alphabets,” said teacher Meenakshi Pillai from Kerala. “It’s like teaching three grades at once.”
The consequences of these losses go far beyond academics. Researchers link them to increased dropout rates, reduced future earnings, and declining emotional well-being. Many students who fell behind never returned to school, especially girls and children from marginalized families. In sub-Saharan Africa, secondary school enrollment dropped by nearly 12% since 2020, reversing decades of progress.
Psychologists are equally concerned. “Children’s confidence has taken a hit,” said Dr. Paul Schmidt, a child development specialist at the University of Melbourne. “They feel left behind, and that frustration can turn into anxiety or disinterest in learning.”
UNESCO’s analysis shows that even when schools resumed, curriculums often resumed at pre-pandemic pace, assuming that students could catch up on their own. But without remedial support, the gap between the “learning haves” and “have-nots” has only grown.
To combat this, the report recommends targeted programs like “Teaching at the Right Level” (TaRL) — a method pioneered in India that groups children by learning ability rather than age. Countries adopting this model, including Kenya and Zambia, saw faster improvements.
Experts also call for longer-term reforms: smaller class sizes, teacher training for differentiated learning, and mental health counseling in schools. “Recovery is not just about marks; it’s about rebuilding motivation and emotional safety,” said Dr. Schmidt.
In India, the ASER 2025 preliminary data supports these global findings. While basic reading skills have improved slightly since 2022, arithmetic skills — especially division and fractions — remain below pre-pandemic benchmarks. “It’s the hardest gap to close because math builds layer by layer,” explained Dr. Banerjee.
International agencies warn that if governments fail to act now, a generation of students could suffer permanent setbacks. The World Bank estimates that the lifetime earnings loss from pandemic learning gaps could exceed $21 trillion globally. “This is not just a learning crisis,” said World Bank Education Director Jaime Saavedra, “it’s an economic and human crisis.”
Some success stories, however, offer hope. Vietnam introduced “bridge modules” that let students complete two years’ worth of core concepts in one. Rwanda and Uruguay used community radio lessons to reach remote learners. In India, grassroots efforts by NGOs like Pratham, Teach For India, and Akshara Foundation have begun to rebuild confidence through evening learning camps and peer tutoring.
Parents also play a crucial role. Experts urge families to read with children daily, encourage problem-solving, and focus on consistency over perfection. “Ten minutes of focused attention from a parent can do what technology sometimes cannot — restore curiosity,” said Dr. Banerjee.
The report concludes with a clear warning: if education systems don’t evolve now, recovery will never catch up with time lost. “We cannot turn back the clock,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, “but we can make sure no child’s potential is lost to it.”
As the world looks beyond COVID-19, the test of our recovery will not be measured in vaccines or GDP — but in whether every child, no matter where they live, can once again open a book and believe that their learning still matters.
