The ongoing costs of lost education

According to the World Economic Forum, COVID-19 has forced school closures in 188 countries and disrupted the learning process of more than 1.7 billion children worldwide.

A study released in May by a panel of international scientists suggested that lost education — one of the spheres worst hit by the pandemic — could have wider impacts until the end of the century. In fact, it could see as much as $24 trillion in reduced earnings over the lifetimes of an entire generation of students around the world.

Already this year, figures show that in early May only 3% of children in Victorian Government schools were in attendance, whereas the Northern Territory had returned to normal levels of 79%. According to Gardian, there has been a 46% increase in community COVID-19 cases in the past month and a 55% increase among state school students.

Meanwhile, school principals report that 60% of teachers have been affected by COVID, and up to one in five students have been absent this term alone.

With community transmission being closely correlated with COVID-19 in schools, Gardian says that a robust protocol of screening testing should be implemented at least weekly for students in communities with moderate, substantial or high transmission, and for teachers and staff who are not fully vaccinated, regardless of the levels of community transmission of COVID-19.

In addition to reliably monitoring COVID-19 transmission rates and severity, regular testing policies and systems allow for prompt isolation to protect the relevant populations in these settings and the broader community, as well as being able to reassure parents and staff about the safety of in-person learning.

Ensuring that one has a robust protocol in place for effective screening, however, goes beyond ad hoc or voluntary at-home testing, Gardian says; it needs to be a committed regimen where those attending the premises perform rapid antigen tests twice a week in conjunction with a secure mobile app, such as Gardian Self Check, that ensures repeatable, self-managed COVID-19 testing and reporting.

Rapid antigen testing is the ideal way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 — but only if done correctly, Gardian says. This means using tests that have a very high accuracy (95% and above). It also means capturing consent, storing information appropriately, with an auditable process and the ability to report results to individuals, school administrators and, where necessary, the health authorities.

The Gardian app provides a step-by-step guide for the individual and enables the capture and recording of individual consent and proof of test result. While recording all relevant info of the individual for action and follow-up, it also registers batch number and test kit to the individual being tested so it can be tracked and traced, if required. The image of the test result is stored and displayed as part of the test result certificate. When sharing results, the image capture allows the individual to provide proof that the test was completed, that it is a valid interpretation of the test outcome and that it was completed in accordance with the instructions for use.

The data can help determine safe school and return-to-work plans, Gardian says. When a combination of effective prevention strategies is implemented and strictly adhered to in the in-person learning environment, the risk of transmission in the school setting should decrease to significantly lower than the transmission risk in other community settings.

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