,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #hbbj ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,september #aa1 #bjbj,ms4 ,houlahan 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,fitzpatrick1 and ,mr4 ,quigley7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to direct the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development to submit to ,congress a report on the impact of the ,,covid-#ai pandemic on global basic education programs4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,global ,learning ,loss ,assessment ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,before the ,coronavirus ,disease #bjai 7commonly referred to as ,,covid-#ai7 pandemic began1 #beh1jjj1jjj children were out of school1 including #acj1jjj1jjj girls4 7#b7 ,students already at a disadvantage before ,,covid-#ai will experience greater learning loss1 thereby worsening inequity and inequality4 7#c7 ,approximately #ij percent of the world's student population--over #a1gjj1jjj1jjj children and youth--have had their education disrupted by school closure due to ,,covid-#ai4 7#d7 ,school closures lead to interrupted learning1 poor nutrition1 gaps in childcare1 increased dropout rates1 exposure to violence1 and social isolation4 7#e7 ,up to #i1gjj1jjj children are at risk of dropping out of school permanently due to rising levels of child poverty associated with the pandemic4 7#f7 ,school closure and remote learning is especially burdensome on girls1 who are frequently expected to shoulder more household chores and responsibilities1 and are more vulnerable to gender-based violence4 7#g7 ,during the ,ebola epidemic1 nationwide school closures in ,sierra ,leone in #bjad led to increased instances of sexual- and gender-based violence1 teenage pregnancy1 school dropout1 and child labor for girls4 7#h7 ,over #fj percent of national distance learning alternatives rely exclusively on online platforms but as many as #dfe1jjj1jjj children and young people in these countries do not have access to the internet at home1 with #hj percent of students in sub-,saharan ,africa without such access1 and an even higher rate for girls4 7#i7 ,distance learning tools are not always accessible to learners with disabilities or those with complex learning needs1 especially in poorer and rural households4 7#aj7 ,before the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 refugee children were twice as likely to be out of school as other youth1 and school closures and a lack of access to distance learning tools threaten to make the education gap among refugee children even more severe4 7#aa7 ,the economic downturn caused by the ,,covid-#ai pandemic could lead to an education financing gap of #gg1jjj1jjj1jjj in low- and middle-income countries over the next two years4 7#ab7 ,the economic cost of school closures could be up to #a1ccg per student1 which on a global scale equates to approximately #aj1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj in lost economic output over the coming generation4 #c4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states that ,united ,states-funded basic education programs operating in foreign countries should-- 7#a7 provide inclusive learning opportunities for students and teachers1 especially for the most marginalized1 including girls and children with disabilities2 7#b7 build local capacity and help countries strengthen their education systems2 7#c7 improve the delivery and quality of education services2 7#d7 improve equity and safety in education services2 and 7#e7 support the return of children to school who have experienced interruptions in their education due to the ,,covid-#ai pandemic and other causes4 #d4 ,report 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 acting through the ,senior ,coordinator for ,international ,basic ,education ,assistance and in consultation with the ,senior ,coordinator for ,gender ,equality and ,women's ,empowerment1 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the impact of the ,,covid-#ai pandemic on global learning and basic education programs4 7b7 ,matters ,to be included ,the report required under subsection 7a7 shall include1 at a minimum1 the following elements3 7#a7 ,an assessment of the magnitude of global learning loss that will result from protracted school closures1 including the specific effects of school closures on marginalized children and youth1 including girls1 minority populations1 and those with disabilities4 7#b7 ,descriptions of the effectiveness1 cost1 accessibility1 and reach of the most commonly used forms of distance learning in low resource contexts4 7#c7 ,an overview of existing ,agency programs being carried out to continue learning during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 including data on funding and programmatic focus disaggregated by gender1 country1 education level1 and1 when practicable and appropriate1 disability4 7#d7 ,identification of any gaps in reaching marginalized populations1 such as girls1 children with disabilities1 or children affected by conflict and crisis4 7#e7 ,a description of the tools and resources needed for the ,agency to support continued distance learning interventions1 safe school reopening1 remedial and accelerated learning1 and reenrollment campaigns for out-of-school children and youth4 7c7 ,public availability ,the report required by subsection 7a7 shall be made available to the public4 7d7 ,appropriate congressional committees defined ,in this section1 the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate2 and 7#b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives4