Are children really learning? Exploring foundational skills in the midst of a learning crisis

This report offers unique insight into the extent of the learning crisis by providing an in-depth picture of which children are most at risk of not acquiring foundational learning skills. The analysis of 32 low- and middle-income countries and territories uses newly released data from surveys undertaken in 2017-2021 as part of Round 6 of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS6) to examine the equity perspectives of the crisis, exploring learning outcomes among different subgroups of children, with a focus on the most vulnerable. Simulations are also carried out to preview the extent to which learning loss has occurred as a result of the pandemic, as well as determine the impact of different strategies to overcome these losses. Finally, the report examines timely concerns of remote learning readiness in the event of school closures and draws links between this pressing matter and learning outcomes.