Supporting continuous learning and education system resiliency in Latin America

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to school closures and disruptions affecting 1.3 billion children worldwide. Education systems are struggling to provide adequate continuous education through a meaningful transition to distance learning. This learning disruption has considerable consequences, including negative impacts on the cognitive, academic, and socio-emotional development of students. In addition, it has stalled or even reversed learning gains in affected regions. It has also reduced the educational attainment of marginalized children, including girls, children with disabilities, and those in refugee and internally displaced communities. There is a need to support low-income countries in their efforts to provide educational continuity during school closures, as well as generate knowledge to prepare for future emergency situations. Evidence on effective approaches to distance learning and addressing negative consequences of school closures has never been more urgent. This project seeks to respond to this crisis over the short and long term by providing innovative digital solutions at scale and building the capacity of key actors such as teachers, principals, parents, and policymakers to effectively deal with this unprecedented education crisis in Latin America. The results of this grant are intended to contribute to immediate government responses to the educational crisis as well as more resilient school systems in Latin America that are better prepared for future crises.