My great colleague @ZParolin and I wrote a commentary in @TheLancetPH on #COVID19, school closures and child poverty. Open access: doi.org/10.1016/S2468-…. We argue that urgent action is needed to avoid #CoronaCrisis becoming a social crisis. Here’s a summary of our argument: 1/
School closures affect children’s learning negatively through two mechanisms. First mechanism: school closures will increase food insecurity. 2/
For many students living in poverty, schools are not only a place for learning but also for eating healthy. Unhealthy diets are associated with lower grades and substantial risks to physical health and mental well-being of children. 3/
Second mechanism: gaps in math and reading tend to widen wen school is out, for instance during summer breaks. Although students are supposed to continue learning digitally, the gap will widen nonetheless. 4/
Poor children face an uphill battle in completing homework and following online courses due to their more precarious housing situations which make home schooling particularly difficult. 5/
Beyond education, low-income families face an additional threat: the #CoronaPandemic will lead to a severe economic recession. Previous recessions exacerbated levels of child poverty with long-lasting consequences for children’s health, well-being, and learning outcomes. 6/
So, urgent action is needed. What to do? First, the immediate nutrition and learning needs of poor pupils need to be addressed. E.g. continuation of school meals, and adapting online learning materials for students without a proper place to study. 7/
Second, one must prepare for the immense challenges that await when the pandemic subsides include targeted education and material support for low-income children to begin to close the learning gap. 8/
Importantly, this includes providing regular income support for households with children throughout the impending economic crisis to prevent a deepening and broadening of child poverty. Redistribution matters, also for addressing the academic achievement gap. 9/
It is crucial to avoid the current health crisis becoming a full-blown social crisis in which the most vulnerable children will be hit the hardest. We hope our piece might inspire policy action and further research on this matter. Feel free to share. thelancet.com/journals/lanpu… /END
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