NY Times says school COVID closures may be ‘most damaging disruption’ to kids’ education in U.S. history (msn.com)

The New York Times editorial board composed a new piece lamenting the damage that COVID-19 school closures have done to children. Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images© Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

To read more of Gabriel Hays article, click here, NY Times says school COVID closures may be ‘most damaging disruption’ to kids’ education in U.S. history (msn.com).

The New York Times editorial board penned a new editorial on Saturday stating that the school closures enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic "may prove to be the most damaging disruption in the history of American education."

The editorial provided a reflection on the "significant" learning losses stemming from keeping around 50 million kids out of the classroom because of the virus, and urged elected officials and the education community to move quickly to heal some of the damage.

"It also set student progress in math and reading back by two decades and widened the achievement gap that separates poor and wealthy children," it added.

To compound the issue, the board noted that learning losses "will remain unaddressed when the federal money runs out in 2024."

As such, this generation of students "will experience diminished lifetime earnings and become a significant drag on the economy," The Times added, citing economists.