How was education affected during the COVID-19 pandemic? The release of the 2022 Programme for International Assessment (PISA) survey results revealed that Europe and Central Asia are facing a serious learning decline, especially due to the closure of schools during lockdowns.

Although the pandemic has affected studies, many educators have advised not to blame it entirely since countries like Singapore have been able to maintain its track record. Rather, the results convey a serious warning to poor-performing countries to reform outdated education systems. In Thailand, educational outcomes are lagging as classes focus on rote learning and the curriculum has not yet to been updated since 2007. Inadvertently, it has led to an increasing educational gap between children from affluent families and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Countries that performed worse also highlighted an issue regarding a shortage of teachers and a lack of support for them. Teachers have had to take on other administrative responsibilities which can hinder their focus on educating students. More must therefore be done to ensure that teachers are well-supported.

While crises can greatly impact education, the learnings we pick up from them can help prepare us for future unprecedented events. The upcoming climate crisis for example will be a tremendous hurdle to overcome. A recent UNICEF report has shown that the Philippines and Vietnam has had one of the highest records of children displaced due to climate-related disasters — undoubtedly, Southeast Asian nations will be badly affected in the future. It then becomes crucial to be able to adapt and improve innovations, such as digital tools in education, once the next era of turbulence comes.