Introduction to the Special Issue: Covid-19, Early Impact, Long-Consequences, and Strategic Lessons

COVID-19 has dramatically interrupted lives across the globe, and for young people, the closure of schools has been particularly disruptive. In Bangladesh, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to undermine many of the recent gains in education, particularly for girls, and to stunt further progress. This article examines the effects of COVID-19 and subsequent economic and educational disruptions on adolescent well-being in Bangladesh. The analysis uses data from 2,095 in-school adolescents (Grade 7 and 8) collected pre-COVID-19 (February–March 2020) through a field survey and a follow-up virtual survey and in-depth qualitative interviews undertaken early in the pandemic (May–June 2020). Findings show that households have suffered large economic shocks, putting a financial strain on households, and impacting the mental and physical health of young people. Moreover, school closures have decreased adolescents’ access to learning, increased time spent on household chores, and affected future job aspirations. The impacts are particularly large for girls and for adolescents from more vulnerable households. Policymakers need to consider policies that facilitate school return, targeting girls and the most vulnerable. They also need creative school-based programming to address the likely long-run health effects of COVID-19 on young people.