Malaysian children are being left behind globally due to learning loss during the pandemic

Photo: AFP

THE World Bank estimates that Malaysia’s learning poverty is already high and that unless swift and bold action is taken, it will worsen. Malaysia has had one of the highest learning losses among developing Asian nations and exceeds losses of all Asean members, except Myanmar (Asian Development Bank April 2021 report).

With school closures of more than 40 weeks during the Covid-19 pandemic, most children in Malaysia have had a major loss in education progress.