STUDENTS may need to take remedial lessons in the next two years in order to catch up with the learning losses caused by the pandemic, according to an ADB expert.
In an Asian Development Blog, ADB Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department Senior Economist Paul Vandenberg cited a need to accelerate the learning process to make up for the losses caused by remote schooling.
“A pupil entering grade 5 must first catch up on grade 4 material and then also complete the grade 5 syllabus. That might be done by the end of grade 5,” Vandenberg said.
“It depends on how much learning was lost and how much acceleration is possible. It may take to the end of grade six or seven to fully catch up,” he added.
Vandenberg said solutions for getting more learning into a given semester or year can be done through effective teaching; more hours for learning; consolidating the curriculum; and adopting a hybrid approach.
Effective teaching and learning per class hour, Vandenberg said, can be done by groupings and adding teaching assistants in the classroom. Schools should also provide computer-assisted learning.
The ADB Senior Economist said school days may have to be extended by using Saturdays for remedial classes or adding summer school. The curriculum also needs to devote more time to core subjects.
“Where students can learn remotely, a hybrid approach can couple in-person learning during school hours with remote learning afterwards,” Vandenberg also said.
Further, there is a need to help teachers “teach at the right level for each student.” These tools involve education technology such as the use of artificial intelligence.
This is part of a “build back better” approach in addressing both the learning losses and learning crisis which many developing countries already had prior to the pandemic.