What financial consequences will the school closings during the corona pandemic have for children?
According to an ifo education researcher, it could cost them hard cash.
The global spread of the
coronavirus
has
forced
schools
to close down or switch to distance learning.
The result: children and young people invest
significantly less time
in their education - also in Germany.
Ludger Wößmann
from the Ifo Institute is certain that the disadvantages could mean that those affected could earn noticeably less for a lifetime.
Munich - Since the beginning of the
corona pandemic
*, everyday school life has changed extremely - at the expense of the learners.
The situation could be with those affected forever: In relation to their entire professional life, they could
earn
around
three percent
less
on average
.
At least that is what Ludger Wößmann, educational researcher at the Ifo Institute, expects.
The average salary in Germany is around 3,500 euros a month.
Should the generation affected by the school closings actually earn around three percent less, that would be
105 euros per month
less, 1,260 euros per year, 50,400 euros after forty years of work.
Three percent less income: ifo economist calculates severe financial consequences of the corona for children
In his essay, published in June 2020, “Follow-up costs of missing learning: What we can learn from research about corona-related school
closings
”,
Ludger Wößmann
describes
how he comes to his conclusion.
The expert describes studies that show a
connection between education and income
.
In addition to specific skills learned, the duration of the training also plays a role.
"Roughly speaking, every school year goes hand in hand with an average of around 10 percent higher earned income," says Wößmann's publication.
That education has a positive influence on a career sounds plausible.
"The strong correlation between years of education and income is probably one of the most robust findings in empirical economic research," Wößmann continues.
However, it is questionable whether the findings can also be applied to the
current situation
.
After all, it is not about individual children who have to forego education due to family or other circumstances, while others of the same age receive education.
The
corona pandemic
* restricts access to education for everyone - even worldwide.
Maybe everyone could make up for what they missed.
Disadvantages are generally relevant when others enjoy advantages.
Corona school closings: Negative effects, especially for groups who are already disadvantaged
In addition to general losses for all children and adolescents affected by the lockdown, Wößmann also addresses
differences between individual groups
in his article
.
“There are clear signs that children from disadvantaged backgrounds and students with learning difficulties find it particularly difficult to cope with the phase of learning at home.
Because of the very different levels of pollution, the school closings threaten to become a major burden for equal opportunities in education and to increase inequality in our society, ”said the ifo education researcher.
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On the basis of his results,
Wößmann
demanded "effective learning for all children and young people in a mix of distance and face-to-face teaching" in June 2020.
It remains to be seen what effects the pandemic-related school closings will have on equal opportunities or whether an entire generation will suffer from it for life.
In order to effectively end the current second lockdown and to make school openings possible again, voices from science are calling for "Zero Covid".
In addition to mass vaccinations, this strategy also promises to overcome the pandemic.
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