The economic cost of UK school closures

Pupils in UK schools have lost up to 105 days of education due to school closures during the COVID-19 lockdown, and a second wave is disrupting education further. A Centre for Macroeconomics (CfM) survey predicted that the cost to UK economic growth in the long term will be minor to moderate, writes Ethan Ilzetzki (LSE). However, the CfM panel was unanimous that school closures will increase inequality, with a large majority predicting a persistent increase in inequality. The panel also predicted harm to gender equality.