NY Post Editorial Board – The price tag for COVID school closures that led to historic learning losses for children could top $28 Trillion

You can add one more grim number to the list exacted by disastrous COVID-era school closuresRemote schooling can lead to a significant loss in the lifetime earnings of students. This could amount to as much as $28 trillion (more than the nation’s entire GDP) over the remainder of the 21st century.

These figures are based on a new study by Eric Hanushek of Stanford University, an economist and expert in education. It is a continuation of his 2020 study as well as work published October by Harvard and Dartmouth professors. 

The new study analyses the hideous nationwide decline in 8th-grade math scores on the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, a k a the nation’s report card. The Average drop in math scores amounted to eight points — the largest ever recorded, erasing all gains since 2000, equal to as much as 0.8 missed Jahre School There is a 5.6% lifetime penalty on earnings. 

But that’s only for the average, eight-point decline. Drops of more than 5% were seen in the worst states. 10 points, implying even bigger future penalties. The size of a state’s economy also plays a role in the eventual catastrophe, so — per Hanushek’s models — California, which saw a six-point score drop, will nonetheless see the biggest absolute state-level economic loss (amounting to $1.3 trillion). 

It’s not only earnings that take a hit. A Harvard study found that lower NAEP math scores were associated with higher rates of incarceration, teenage pregnancy and the use food-stamp benefits, as well as lower odds of owning and marrying and full-time employment. These scores are a good indicator of overall success and failure.

Tragically, the learning losses could have been prevented. Schools were never the vectors of COVID transmission. Yet the United Federation of TeachersThey conspired with the federal government and the blue-state politicians to close them down during the pandemic. This forced parents and students to accept less-effective remote education.

UFT head Randi Weingarten’s justification for the closures? This is the cruel and heartless claim “kids are resilient.” Yet the new study suggests they’ll pay a big price. But don’t expect Weingarten or any of her co-conspirators to seriously apologize — let alone take responsibility.

Yes, learning losses can be recovered — If Schools return to their pre-pandemic achievement levels in the medium term and exceed them. However, they are currently trying to get rid of the problem. All It seems absurd to abandon academic standards for woke indoctrination (done under the name of equity) as a means of remediation. 

It’s more ugly evidence that on education — as on every other social issue — kids come dead last for US progressives.