Reflecting public health experience with managing influenza, countries worldwide
closed schools during COVID-19 (coronavirus) as a precautionary measure, even
before the availability of direct evidence of the epidemiological role of children
and adolescents in transmission. There remains no consensus regarding whether
closing schools, or preventive actions in schools that did not close, had meaningful
consequences for the transmission of COVID-19 in either the school population
or the general population. In contrast, global evidence clearly shows significant
negative consequences for human capital formation and well-being of learners,
more so in vulnerable populations: school closures in the context of the pandemic
led to 6–12 months of lost learning. The closures had additional unforeseen societal
consequences, including increased rates of early pregnancy for school-age girls,
inappropriate labor for school-age children, and substantial dropout from school.
This experience of removing support from schoolchildren and adolescents has
spurred national governments to reestablish and strengthen investments in schoolbased
services, especially national school meals programs. Lessons learned can shape
evidence-based policies regarding schools in subsequent pandemics, which will
again need to weigh any potential trade-offs between protecting public health and
ensuring the integrity of the school system.