Oecd covid survey eag indd

Upper secondary general education
Year
Countries and economies that implemented 
standardised assessments
Countries and economies that did not implement 
standardised assessments
Number 
Share 
List of countries and 
economies
Number 
Share 
List of countries and 
economies
2020
14
44%
Austria, Chile, 
Czech Republic, Denmark, 
England (UK), Estonia, 
France, Italy, Korea, 
Luxembourg, Latvia, Mexico, 
Poland and 
Russian Federation
18
56%
Belgium, Colombia, 
Costa Rica, Finland, 
Germany, Hungary, 
Israel, Japan, Lithuania, 
Netherlands, Norway, 
New Zealand, Portugal, 
Slovak Republic, Slovenia, 
Spain, Switzerland and 
Turkey
2021
11
37%
Austria, Czech Republic, 
England (UK), Estonia, 
France, Korea, Lithuania, 
Luxembourg, Latvia, 
Netherlands and Poland
19
63%
Belgium, Canada, Chile, 
Colombia, 
Costa Rica, Denmark, 
Finland, Germany, Hungary, 
Israel, Japan, Mexico, 
Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, 
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland 
and Turkey
Source: 
OECD/UIS/UNESCO/UNICEF/WB (2021
[1]
).
National measures have been implemented to address learning gaps
A number of countries have taken steps to address 
the learning gaps associated with school closures. 
For instance, following the first closure in 2020, 78% 
of countries report having implemented remedial 
measures to reduce students’ learning gaps, and 70% 
declare having implemented these measures with a 
special focus on disadvantaged students. In France, for 
instance, in a recent national survey, 9.2% of Grade 9 
students from disadvantaged schools (REP+) reported 
having benefited from teachers’ support during the 
March-April 2020 school closures, compared to 5.6% 
in more advantaged schools (Ministère de l'éducation 
nationale, de la jeunesse et des sports, 2021
[15]
). 
Moreover, a support programme will be implemented 
at the start of the 2021/22 school year, notably to 
help upper secondary students with homework.
Other common approaches to ensure equitable 
access to quality learning include remedial measures 
with a special focus on students who were unable to 
access distance learning (63%); on students at risk 
of dropping out or repeating a grade (59%); and on 
immigrant and refugee students, ethnic minority or 
indigenous students (45%). In France, for instance, the 
programme “Learning Holidays” was implemented in 
2020 and 2021 to support students that may have 
been particularly affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
This initiative builds on co-operation with local 
authorities and associations, and has two main 
objectives: 1) educational (addressing learning 
gaps and reducing the risk of dropout); and 2) social 
(ensuring children’s access to enriching experiences 
during summer vacations). 
Remedial programmes were also often implemented 
after the reopening of schools. About two-thirds of 
countries (26 countries) took decisions on additional 
remedial programmes after the school reopening.
In 12 out of these 26 countries, these decisions were 
taken at school or subnational level, most often within 
a framework from the central government. In the other 
eight countries and economies, the decisions involved 
various levels, either as different types of decisions 
are taken at or consulted among different levels or 
as different programmes are organised at different 
levels. For example, in the Flemish Community of 
Belgium, summer schools were decided by the Flemish 
government, while other remedial measures were taken 
at school level. Decisions were nevertheless taken at 
the central level in full autonomy in 4 of the
26 countries (see Figure 4).

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24
© OECD 2021
4
Support for primary and secondary 
teachers during the pandemic
Criteria for deciding on the working requirements of primary and 
lower secondary teachers are often set at school level
In 40% of countries responding to the Special Survey 
on COVID-19 (15 out of 37), schools or school 
boards/committees decide on working requirements of 
teachers during school closure. In half of them (8 out of 
the 15), decisions are taken in full autonomy, and in
4 countries decisions are taken within a framework set 
by a higher authority. In the remaining 21 countries with 
responses, decisions are taken at the central level in
10 countries, at the subnational level in another 8 and 
at multiple decision-making levels in 3.
Similarly, in more than a half of countries and 
economies (20 out of the 37), schools or school 
boards/committees decide how their teachers should 
adapt their teaching practices to school closures and 
reopenings, and decisions are taken in full autonomy 
in about half of these countries and economies (11 out 
of the 20). In more than a quarter of these countries 
and economies (6), decisions are taken within a 
framework set at the central level. For example, in 
Chile, the Ministry of Education proposed a tool to 
prioritise certain objectives of the pre-primary to upper 
secondary curriculum and schools decided whether or 
not to adopt the tool.
The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in significant changes in the 
teaching and working conditions of primary and lower secondary 
teachers