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Learning Losses from School Closure Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic for Thai Kindergartners

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Listed:
  • Weerachart Kilenthong
  • Khanista Boonsanong
  • Sartja Duangchaiyoosook
  • Wasinee Jantorn
  • Varunee Khruapradit

Abstract

This paper presents empirical evidence of learning losses from school closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic for kindergartners using a large-scale school readiness survey in Thailand. Its findings indicate that school closure during the outbreak of COVID-19 causes enormous learning losses in cognitive skills, especially in mathematics and working memory. The negative impact is heterogeneous across several dimensions, including child gender, special needs, wealth, having private tutoring, caregiver's education and parental absence. This paper also estimates daily learning gains, of which significant results confirm that going to school has significantly benefited young children, especially in receptive language, mathematics and working memory.

Suggested Citation

  • Weerachart Kilenthong & Khanista Boonsanong & Sartja Duangchaiyoosook & Wasinee Jantorn & Varunee Khruapradit, 2022. "Learning Losses from School Closure Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic for Thai Kindergartners," PIER Discussion Papers 174, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:pui:dpaper:174
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kleibergen, Frank & Paap, Richard, 2006. "Generalized reduced rank tests using the singular value decomposition," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 133(1), pages 97-126, July.
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    4. NgỌc Tãš T. Ä Inh & Weerachart T. Kilenthong, 2021. "Do Parental Absence and Children’s Gender Affect Early Childhood Investment? Evidence from Rural Thailand," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 66(05), pages 1443-1468, September.
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    7. Joshua Goodman, 2014. "Flaking Out: Student Absences and Snow Days as Disruptions of Instructional Time," NBER Working Papers 20221, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Banerjee, Rakesh & Bharati, Tushar, 2025. "Learning disruptions and academic outcomes," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    2. Warabud Suppalarkbunlue & Sartja Duangchaiyoosook & Varunee Khruapradit & Weerachart Kilenthong, 2022. "Material Incentive Motivation and Working Memory Performance of Kindergartners: A Large-Scale Randomized Controlled Trial," PIER Discussion Papers 187, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.
    3. Weerachart Kilenthong & Sartja Duangchaiyoosook & Wasinee Jantorn & Varunee Khruapradit, 2024. "A Randomized Evaluation of an On-Site Training for Kindergarten Teachers in Rural Thailand," PIER Discussion Papers 215, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.

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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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