Missed School Time will Likely Have Long Term Negative Effect on Brazil's GDP

According to OECD report, economic effects of the educational gap will be felt for decades

Ana Estela de Sousa Pinto Paulo Saldaña, da Folha
Bruxelas

Even without a set day for the national return of classes in Brazil, the closing time of schools due to the coronavirus pandemic is already longer here than in the average of rich countries. According to a report by the Organization and Economic Co-operation and Development, the suspension of school activities will have an impact on the global economy.

The organization released on Tuesday (8) the 2020 edition of the Education at a Glance report. This year, the study includes a special chapter on the consequences of the pandemic.

Humbolt School, in São Paulo. (Foto: Bruno Santos/ Folhapress) - Folhapress

The document connects the interruption of classes to the accumulation of loss of skills and the impact on productivity. The economic effects of the educational gap will be felt for decades, according to the OECD.

"As the loss of learning is reflected in the losses of skills, this reflects in productivity. The relative impact on GDP can be 1.5% on average by the end of the century", said the report, anchored in historical growth regressions to estimate the long-term impact of an approximate 1/3 year loss of studies for students.

The global economy is expected to shrink by at least 6% in 2020. The Brazilian economy recorded a 9.7% decline in the second quarter of 2020, and the market projections for the year are down 5.28%.

Translated by Kiratiana Freelon

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