A significant number of school students across all grade levels are still struggling to catch up on their studies after suffering learning losses during the prolonged Covid-19-induced school closures in 2020 and 2021.
Schools across the country reopened after being closed for 18 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic in September 2021. Over a year after the reopening, many students from grades 1-7 are still lagging behind, according to a recent study by the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), with support from the European Union (EU).
Altogether 18,838 students of three government primary schools participated in the study. The findings were disclosed by research team members Prof Shah Shamim Ahmed and Prof Jamie Hossain on Tuesday.
The study found that around 50% of students in the fifth grade are still lagging behind due to the Covid-19 closures. Many of them have forgotten their previous studies in Bangla, Maths, English and Bangladesh studies.
Only 20% of students across all grade levels attended online classes during the Covid-19 closures, with the vast majority of the attending students being from urban areas, it added.
In the opinion of educationist Rasheda K Chowdhury: "Learning losses and gaps caused by Covid-19 are a global crisis. We created more discrimination among students as not all of them could attend online classes, and we need to implement a remedial plan to reduce this gap immediately.”
She urged a formulation of policies and training of teachers in order to implement and monitor the remedial package.
Dhaka University Prof AKM Rezaul Hasan said learning losses due to the Covid closures could affect students when they pursue higher education or try to get into the job market if they are not promptly addressed.
He suggested that the government approve a mega project to bring about radical changes in the education sector.
Picture of learning loss
A large proportion of students in first grade are suffering from severe and moderate learning deficits in all subjects (Bangla, mathematics and English).
Among them, 35.59% are lagging behind in Bangla, 31.09 % in English, and 78.27% in mathematics.
In second grade, 42.72% of students are lagging behind in Bangla, 41.61% in mathematics, and 31.82% in English. In third grade, 38.94% are lagging behind in Bangla, 35.28 % in English, 39.71 % in mathematics, 48.84% in science, and 34.98 % in Bangladesh and Global studies.
Among fourth grade students, 43.73% are lagging behind in Bangla, 48.56 % in English, 38.78 % in mathematics, 36.34 % in science, and 43.14 % in Bangladesh and global studies.
In the fifth grade, 33.35 % of students are behind in Bangla, 47.68 % in English, 42.92 % in mathematics, 3.92 % in science, and 39.70 % in Bangladesh and Global Studies.
District wise learning loss
Students in Barisal division are ahead of students of other divisions in all classes and subjects, according to the study.
On the other hand, students of Sylhet division are the farthest behind.
Meanwhile, rural students of the second and fifth grades performed better than urban students. On the other hand, third and fourth grade students of urban areas are ahead of rural students by a small margin.
In all subjects and classes, students from urban areas have performed better than students from hill areas.
Distance Learning scene
The study found that around 70.2 % of fourth and fifth graders never participated in a televised distance learning program, and 84.2% students never participated in distance learning activities through radio.
Students who regularly or occasionally participated in distance learning activities performed significantly better than those who never participated.
Recommendations to reduce leading loss
The study recommended prioritising Banglai, maths and English education in the remedial plan. The students who were enrolled in primary schools in 2020 and 2021 should also get priority.
Furthermore, the training of teachers on new teaching-learning methods and techniques is essential for implementing remedial learning packages. With this end in view, a teacher training manual should be prepared and the training of teachers should be completed as soon as possible.
The study also suggested that school-based assessment programs be conducted to identify learning deficits in future students even after learning remedial work has been completed.