

No school, hard knocks: developing-world students hit hard
Jul 16, 2020
Susanna Savage, an Economist correspondent in Bangladesh, shares insights on how school closures impact developing-world children, driving many into labor and threatening their futures. She highlights stories of kids facing alarming risks like child marriage. Vijay Vaitheeswaran, U.S. business editor, discusses the growing scrutiny of excessive CEO pay and the disconnect from actual company performance. Together, they paint a stark picture of educational and economic challenges during the pandemic, urging the need for urgent intervention.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Suhani's Story
- Suhani, a nine-year-old girl in Dhaka, weaves flowers into necklaces to support her family.
- Her mother lost her job during the pandemic, making Suhani the primary breadwinner.
COVID's Reversal
- COVID-19 is reversing progress in child education and labor.
- An estimated 10 million children may never return to school.
Child Labor's Dark Side
- Child labor includes mining and farm work, not just flower selling.
- Lockdowns correlate with child marriage, teen pregnancies, and recruitment into armed groups.