Remote learning not as effective as in-person

Of all the pandemic edicts - the mask requirements, the vaccination mandates - few were more contentious than the decision to shutter schools. Did learning remotely work as well as being in a classroom?

For the most part, new data suggests, the answer is no.

A comprehensive global report, released this week by UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank, adds to a growing body of evidence that students suffered massive educational losses during the pandemic. Learning setback projections have gone from bad to worse, with a disproportionate hit for poor and otherwise marginalized children regardless of whether they lived in rich and poor countries.