The closure of schools due to the Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected millions of students countrywide, causing them to miss many on-site classes over the past two years. A number of research works point to the adverse impact of long-time school closures on children, in terms of learning, mental health, and lost opportunities. A team of researchers led by Suchart Kilenthong of the Thai Chamber of Commerce University found that closing schools takes a heavy toll on kindergarteners, for example. Each missed day of school means they lose 98% of that day’s learning. This means that home schooling in Thailand cannot compete with going to school.
Teenagers are another hard-hit group. A survey by the Mental Health Department conducted on 190,000 people under 20 years of age from the start of the outbreak until September 2021 found that 28% experienced high stress,…
