Digital Education Response to Covid-19 in Pakistan

Due to the unprecedented global outbreak of COVID-19, the education sector worldwide is experiencing a unique crisis. Schools across the world have shut down and children could potentially be out of school for several months. In a country like Pakistan, where learning outcomes are already extremely low, the pandemic will severely impact students, particularly those enrolled in low-cost schools that have not established a digital learning infrastructure and may face substantial constraints in doing so now. The researchers aim to experimentally evaluate the effect of interventions offering encouragement and technological support in easing the transition to digital learning and helping to ensure that children continue to learn. Specifically, they will provide free access to a student learning platform with curated digital learning content to 600 low cost private schools, and evaluate the extent to which an
encouragement call to school-owners and offers of technology support to teachers, students, and households alleviate the barriers to adoption and utilization of digital learning. The study will evaluate the effect of these interventions on school, student, and teacher take-up and use of digital learning tools, as well as student learning outcomes and the ability of private schools to continue to operate.