The OECD just published a report, The Impact of COVID-19 on Education: Insights from Education at a Glance, analysing the impact of the pandemic. One of the major questions facing governments is regarding the “allocation of public funds as economic growth slows, tax incomes decline and healthcare and welfare costs rise”. Vocational qualifications, that were the mainstay of economic and social life during this period, are those worst affected and governments need to make these attractive to young people. As the OECD Secretary-General, Angel Gurría, commented “Strengthening education systems needs to be at the heart of government planning to recover from this crisis and give young people the skills and competencies they need to succeed,”. According to the article, in monetary terms Covid-19 “learning loss will lead to skill loss, and the skills people have relate to their productivity, gross domestic product (GDP) could be 1.5% lower on average for the remainder of the century. The present value of the total cost would amount to 69% of current GDP for the typical country”. Fixing the cause is one thing, but the effects on education are more profound and long-lasting and policies need to be put in place to address these before one generation loses its future.
https://www.oecd.org/education/education-critical-to-build-a-more-resilient-society.htm