Noah Baker and Helen Pearson grapple with the massive impact COVID has had on education

Despite the devastating loss of life caused by COVID-19, some researchers are arguing that the longest-lasting impact of the pandemic will be on education. UN agencies calculate that more or less all school students on the planet — 1.6 billion — have faced an average of 4.5 months of school closures owing to the pandemic, the largest disruption to education in history. Teachers have been under immense pressure to keep their students happy and learning, but it is an uphill battle. In this episode of Coronapod, we discuss the research which might guide policymakers and teachers in their attempts to repair some of this damage, and ask how implementing an evidence-based system of education could have benefits beyond the pandemic.

News Feature: COVID derailed learning for 1.6 billion students. Here’s how schools can help them catch up

Never miss an episode: Subscribe to the Nature Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast app. Head here for the Nature Podcast RSS feed.