The recent announcement that schools will reopen in stages from October 3rd -- is the right time to begin counting the cost of over a year of school shutdowns. UNESCO’s Global Monitoring of School Closures estimate that schools in Malaysia have been closed for approximately 50 weeks. But beyond reopening schools, is there a plan to address education recovery holistically -- addressing the learning loss, the impact on learners’ physical and mental health; and opportunities lost or taken to reform the publicly-funded education system? Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Chan Soon Seng, CEO of Teach For Malaysia.