India's school lockdowns have robbed a generation of upward mobility

A thriving edtech market caters mostly to the needs of the wealthier segments of the population, writes Andy Mukherjee.

Economic lockdowns hurt output, but once they’re lifted, activity usually bounces back, and jobs return. School lockouts, by comparison, may have a longer and more pernicious effect. 

A new survey of nearly 1,400 underprivileged school children across 15 Indian states raises some disturbing possibilities. A year-and-a-half of pandemic-related school closures, for instance, have created a four-year learning deficit. A student who was in Grade 3 before Covid-19 is now in Grade 5, and will soon enter middle school, but with reading abilities of a Grade 1 pupil. 

Trying to narrow this gap would put enormous demands on a reluctant welfare