Learning Loss During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Poor Urban Neighborhoods

Abstract

Ten months after the nationwide school closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, schools in Ghana reopened in January 2021. A survey of poor urban neighborhoods in Accra shows that 94% of school-aged children are back in school. However, missing one academic year has limited learning for many young Ghanaians. Many students only spent an hour or less on learning during the lockdown, and one out of four did not have any contact with their teachers. Limit-ed access to communication infrastructure and the inability of parents to assist children in their studies profoundly hindered learning at home. Missing school meals deprived children of a healthy diet crucial for further development and growth. Hence, despite most students being back in school in Ghana, the learning loss is huge.