Global school closures in response to COVID-19 pandemic: Comparison of national initial estimates and actual lengths of school closures during 2019–2020 academic year

The global outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic necessitated widespread school closures, however little is known about the preparedness of countries’ educational system in adapting to the pandemic. This study aimed to report initial estimates of school closures by country in comparison to actual length of school closures during the 2019–20 academic year using World Bank and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization data. Among 169 countries analyzed, 63 (37.3%) countries estimated 1–2 weeks and 47 (27.8%) countries estimated 3–4 weeks of school closures, with statistically significant differences between World Bank regions (p = 0.001) but not income groups (p = 0.133). One hundred and four of 120 (86.7%) countries experienced longer school closures than estimated. With prolonged closures, countries may not have been adequately prepared to support alternative learning modalities for extended periods of time. Pandemic preparedness planning is needed to establish plans to deliver educational instructions during prolonged school closures and should be supported with adequate resources. Our findings provide evidence to inform future planning to minimize pandemic-related disruptions in education.