COVID-19 has disrupted the education of millions of primary and secondary school students. It is assumed that students will have sustained a learning loss as a result of extended disengagement from their studies. Now that classes have resumed following a prolonged period of school closure, it is likely that the learning capacities of students within a given grade level will be more varied or unequal than they were before. Prior to implementing strategies to eliminate learning gaps, it is crucial that students’ current learning levels be determined. A pilot study was conducted to test the survey instruments and identify any logistical and measurement concerns associated with implementation. The findings of this study would subsequently be used to assist in the planning of a larger-scale implementation. An in-person survey of households was conducted from the 21st to the 25th of May 2022. The tools were piloted in 400 rural households across eight administrative divisions (Barisal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Sylhet). The findings show that children’s performance varies by the type of school they’re attending, and the findings reveal that a higher portion of private school students has basic core skills in Bangla, English and Mathematics than public school and madrasa students. Additionally, fewer public school students than madrasa students have advanced levels of foundational Bangla and Mathematics skills.
Authors: Hossain, Marjan; Rahman, Khandker Wahedur
Type: Report
Year: 2022
