In this brief, Wills & Van der Berg review what we know about learning losses and other schooling impacts in South Africa after two years of the pandemic. Together, the evidence discussed in this brief, confirms that learning losses in South Africa have been large. Covid-19 has disrupted South African education in significant ways, with enduring impacts for the system (including altered enrolment patterns) and for children’s development. This work has been produced as part of the Covid Generation project funded by Allan and Gill Gray Philanthropy South Africa.
DOWNLOAD PDFPopular Posts
- Counting the Cost: COVID-19 School Closures in South Africa & its Impact on Children June 16, 2020

- How does South Africa’s Covid-19 Response Compare Globally? A Preliminary Analysis using the new OxCGRT Dataset April 17, 2020

- Schools in the time of COVID-19: impacts of the pandemic on curriculum November 3, 2020

Other Readings
- Do survey items function equivalently in diverse contexts? Evidence from TIMSS and PIRLS in South Africa May 13, 2026
- An unequal start: The impact of school-entry age on grade repetition and academic performance in Grades 1 – 4 April 16, 2026
- Schooling and learning? How South African students get through high school despite low academic outcomes in the early grades February 19, 2026
- The impact of early grade repetition on test scores: Evidence from a regression discontinuity design in South Africa December 12, 2025
- An Exploratory Analysis of Schoolbased Assessment before, during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic in Gauteng September 16, 2025
Related Posts
Education - Reports & PolicyPolicy BriefsReports
Socio-economic status predicts response patterns in surveys of learner experiences and beliefs
Mike CruywagenJuly 21, 2026
Education - Reports & PolicyPolicy BriefsReports
Age of school entry and learning outcomes in Grades 1-4
Mike CruywagenApril 16, 2026
EducationEducation - Reports & PolicyPolicy BriefsResearch Outputs
Heterogeneity in South African classrooms
RESEPFebruary 18, 2026
