[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 112 (Monday, June 28, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3183-H3185]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GLOBAL LEARNING LOSS ASSESSMENT ACT OF 2021
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 1500) to direct the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development to submit to Congress a report on the impact
of the COVID-19 pandemic on global basic education programs, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1500
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Global Learning Loss
Assessment Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Before the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (commonly referred
to as ``COVID-19'') pandemic began, 258,000,000 children were
out of school globally, including 130,000,000 girls.
(2) Students already at a disadvantage before COVID-19 will
experience greater learning loss, thereby worsening inequity
and inequality.
(3) Approximately 90 percent of the world's student
population--over 1,600,000,000 children and youth--have had
their education disrupted by school closure due to COVID-19.
(4) School closures lead to interrupted learning, poor
nutrition, gaps in childcare, increased dropout rates,
exposure to violence, and social isolation.
(5) Up to 24,000,000 children are at risk of dropping out
of school permanently due to rising levels of child poverty
associated with the pandemic.
(6) School closure and remote learning is especially
burdensome on girls, who are frequently expected to shoulder
more household chores and responsibilities and are more
vulnerable to gender-based violence.
(7) During the Ebola epidemic, nationwide school closures
in Sierra Leone in 2014 led to increased instances of sexual-
and gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy, school dropout,
and child labor for girls.
(8) More than 60 percent of national distance learning
alternatives rely exclusively on online platforms but two-
thirds of the world's school aged children, or 1,300,000,000
children aged 3 through 17, do not have internet connection
in their homes, and schools and local learning centers also
frequently have inadequate internet connectivity. Eighty
percent of students in sub-Saharan Africa lack such access,
with an even higher rate for girls.
(9) Children and youth with disabilities are particularly
vulnerable to the health, education, and socioeconomic
consequences of the pandemic. As a further challenge,
distance learning tools are not always accessible to learners
with disabilities or those with complex learning needs,
especially in poorer and rural households.
(10) Before the COVID-19 pandemic, refugee children were
twice as likely to be out of school as other youth, and
school closures and a lack of access to distance learning
tools threaten to make the education gap among refugee
children even more severe.
(11) The economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
could lead to an education financing gap of $77,000,000,000
in low- and middle-income countries over the next 2 years.
(12) The economic cost of school closures could be up to
$1,337 per student, which on a global scale equates to
approximately $10,000,000,000,000 in lost economic output
over the coming generation.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States that United States-
funded basic education programs operating in low- and middle-
income countries should seek to--
(1) provide inclusive learning opportunities for students
and teachers, especially for the most marginalized, including
girls, children with disabilities, and previously out of
school children;
(2) build local capacity and help countries strengthen
their education systems, including opportunities for early
childhood development;
(3) improve the availability, delivery, and quality of
education services from early childhood through secondary
education;
(4) improve equity and safety in education services; and
(5) support the return of children to school who have
experienced interruptions in their education due to the
COVID-19 pandemic and work to enroll previously out-of-school
children and youth, particularly the most marginalized.
SEC. 4. REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development, acting through
the Senior Coordinator for International Basic Education
Assistance and in consultation with the Senior Coordinator
for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees a report on the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on United States Agency for
International Development basic education programs.
(b) Matters to Be Included.--The report required under
subsection (a) shall include, at a minimum, the following
elements:
(1) An assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on such basic
education programs, including the magnitude of learning loss
that will result from protracted school closures and the
specific effects of school and learning space closures on
marginalized children and youth, including girls, minority
populations, displaced children, and those with disabilities.
(2) An assessment comparing academic outcomes of
beneficiaries of United States Agency for International
Development basic education programs, as practical and
appropriate, between those that attend schools that remain
closed or continue to operate remotely since the start of the
COVID-19 pandemic and schools that have resumed in-person
instruction.
(3) A description of the effectiveness, cost,
accessibility, and reach of the most commonly used forms of
distance learning in low- and middle-income countries and
low-resource contexts.
(4) A description of efforts to pivot and adapt such basic
education programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, including an
overview of existing data on funding and programmatic focus
disaggregated by gender, country, education level, and
disability.
(5) An identification and description of any gaps in, or
barriers to, reaching and educating marginalized populations,
such as girls, children with disabilities, displaced
children, or other children adversely affected by the COVID-
19 pandemic with distance learning interventions.
(6) A description of the United States Agency for
International Development's plan and needed authorities and
resources to prevent degradation of such basic education
programs and to support, as necessary and appropriate,
continued distance learning interventions, safe school
reopenings, assessments of student learning levels, remedial
and accelerated learning, re-enrollment campaigns for out-of-
school children and youth, and education system strengthening
and resilience-building efforts.
(7) An analysis of the coordination between the United
States Agency for International Development and other actors
in global basic education policy and programming to provide
education during the COVID-19 pandemic, including partner
organizations, faith based-organizations, donors, and
multilateral organizations.
(8) A description of opportunities to partner and support
efforts to expand access to digital infrastructure, internet
connectivity, and learning resources in areas that lack
access to digital and remote learning infrastructure and
resources, including rural and remote communities.
(c) Public Availability.--The report required by subsection
(a) shall be made available to the public.
(d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
[[Page H3184]]
New York (Mr. Meeks) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 1500, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1500, the Global
Learning Loss Assessment Act of 2021.
I thank Representative Houlahan for authoring this bipartisan bill
and for her leadership and strong advocacy for children and education
around the world.
Over the past year and a half, we have seen everyday lives disrupted
in unimaginable ways due to COVID-19. One of the biggest disruptions
has been in the realm of education. From primary school to graduate
school, students around the world have seen their education
interrupted, challenged, adapted, and forever changed by this pandemic.
The United States has long supported basic education efforts around
the world, with its most recent champion, former Congresswoman Nita
Lowey, being an invaluable advocate. It is therefore crucial that the
United States understand the effects of COVID-19 on international basic
education programs and use that data to respond to current crises and
better prepare for future pandemics.
Research has already shown that every day and every year in school
counts. Women earn up to 12 percent more for every additional year they
stay in school. However, UNESCO estimates that as many as 11 million--I
repeat, 11 million--girls won't return to school after COVID, which
increased their risk of forced labor, early marriage, and limiting
their professional and economic opportunities.
This bill requires the United States Agency for International
Development to submit a report to Congress on the impacts of COVID-19
on USAID's basic education programs and global learning loss, including
the magnitude of global learning loss that will result from protracted
school closures, descriptions of forms of distance learning in low
resource contexts, analysis of how school closures affected
marginalized children, data on Agency programs being carried out to
support continued learning during the pandemic, and a description of
what is needed to help mitigate learning loss and help students get
back on the right track.
Again, I thank Representative Houlahan for her work on this bill and
her commitment to ensuring that we are fully aware of how COVID-19 has
placed development gains at risk and to finding the best path forward
to prevent further backsliding.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Representatives Houlahan and
Fitzpatrick, for their work on the Global Learning Loss Assessment Act.
As of December 2020, the United Nations estimated that school
classrooms for one in five children, which is over 320 million
children, remained closed. Further reports indicate more than 880
million children worldwide faced disruptions to their education due to
full and partial school closures.
The continued closure of schools and classrooms is having a
devastating impact on the education and the development of the next
generation. This bill requires a report on COVID-19 impacts on the
United States to support education programs in developing countries.
Last year, the United States provided over $900 million to support
basic education programs, including support for teacher training,
curriculum development, and expanding access to education for refugees
and communities in conflict zones.
{time} 1630
In many countries, including here in the United States, schools were
forced to pivot to virtual learning or close entirely. This bill does
not provide any additional assistance. Instead, it requires USAID to
assess how previously appropriated funds have been impacted by school
closures and other COVID-19-related issues.
It also requires an assessment of how the administration and our
implementing partners are changing programs to avoid backsliding in
education outcomes as COVID-19 continues to prevent regular schooling.
It is critical that we understand the impacts of COVID-19 on our
programs to ensure our foreign aid is used efficiently and effectively.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important measure,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan), a valued member of the House Foreign
Affairs Committee.
Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Meeks and Ranking
Member McCaul for their leadership on this critical issue and for
working with me on this bill to get it not only passed out of
committee, but here on the floor for consideration on a suspension
basis.
I have had a really eclectic background before joining Congress, but
most recently, I was a high school chemistry teacher in north
Philadelphia, and I also ran a nonprofit focused on early childhood
literacy for pre-K through fourth-grade kids. So I am particularly
passionate about the issue that we are talking about today.
Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to rise today to ask my colleagues for
their support of H.R. 1500, the Global Learning Loss Assessment Act.
My bill will direct the U.S. Agency for International Development to
submit a report to Congress on the impacts of COVID-19 on the Agency's
basic education programs and global learning.
Investing in global education is not a humanitarian issue. It is an
economic and national security issue. A more educated global population
paves the way for a more stable global economy, and what is clear is
that COVID-19 has caused a dramatic loss in global learning.
Our first step must be to clearly identify the scope of this loss so
that we can begin the work of bridging that gap. The estimates are
alarming. Ninety percent of students worldwide, meaning 1.6 billion
youth, have had severe interruptions in their education due to COVID-
19. This gap has the potential to hinder global efforts on economic
justice, lasting peace, poverty eradication, ending world hunger,
gender equity, and so much more.
As a steadfast advocate for women and girls around the world, I am
also particularly concerned about the harrowing consequences that
school-aged girls face in light of school closures, including an
increased likelihood of gender-based violence.
To shore up the increasing gaps in learning and to preserve massive
gains the United States has made in global education rates, we have to
understand the extent of damage this pandemic has caused. This bill
will arm us with the data that we need to move quickly, invest
effectively across our USAID programs, and make our international basic
education programs more resilient to crises such as these.
We cannot afford to ignore the devastating effects that COVID-19 has
had on students around our globe. Education loss will continue without
intentional steps on our behalf, and so that is why I am so grateful to
Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Meeks, and Mr. McCaul for placing my
bipartisan Global Learning Loss Assessment Act here before the Congress
for a vote today.
In particular, I want to thank and express my deep appreciation to
Representative Fitzpatrick and Representative Quigley for working so
closely with my office in introducing this legislation with me.
Their steadfast education to learning and students around the world
is to be commended. This is an important bill, and I urge all of my
colleagues to join me in this crucial effort to mitigate the drastic
effects of such an educational gap and the effects it is already
having.
[[Page H3185]]
Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Houlahan for this important legislation that
she is introducing. Education lays the foundation for future prosperity
and stability. I am deeply concerned by the impact this pandemic is
having on school children, particularly amongst the vulnerable
communities facing conflict and refugees who are already experiencing
barriers to educational access.
We must understand the full scope of these challenges in order to
address programs accordingly and ensure effective use of our funds. So
I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Education is recognized as the surest path to economic mobility.
However, over the past year and a half, the COVID-19 pandemic has
rattled educational systems across the world, presented challenges
unlike anything we have seen in the last 100 years since we had the
last global pandemic, and it jeopardizes access to education for
students around the world.
While some students and educators quickly adapted and overcame these
challenges, the widespread disruptions caused by the pandemic will
invariably have lasting impacts on communities at home and abroad. The
Global Learning Loss Assessment Act of 2021 will allow us to better
understand the effect the pandemic has had on global learning, and also
find ways to help get students back on the path to continued learning
and future success.
I know from my home city that the lack of availability of educational
school buildings and lack of dialogue and conversations with other
students in the classroom has hurt them. We need to evaluate and make
sure what needs to be done so they can make up that time and continue
the path to success because our Nation here in the United States and in
the countries around the world are dependent upon it so that we can
have a better tomorrow.
That is why I thank Ms. Houlahan for her bill, along with Mr.
Fitzpatrick, working with the minority, Ranking Member McCaul, coming
together because we understand the significance and importance of
education. I hope all of my colleagues will join in supporting this
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1500, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mrs. GREENE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
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