The children who were in their early years of primary school when COVID-19 first hit the UK in March 2020 are now entering secondary education. While it has been argued that the government overlooked young children when the pandemic first hit, child psychologists predicted as early as 2021 that lockdowns would have devastating consequences for this age group. Research conducted in 2022 confirmed this prediction, with teachers reporting aggressive behaviour, low confidence, and poor language and numeracy skills. To learn more about the impact of COVID on young children, I interviewed a secondary school teacher who wished to remain anonymous. His is a bleak portrayal of the year sevens (11–12-year-olds) he teaches at his school in Nottinghamshire.
COVID affected this year group at a highly sensitive time in their development; unsurprisingly, they are still struggling academically. Children aged five and under were most affected by the lockdowns in relation to language and numeracy skills, and in 2022 a study revealed that the equivalent of three fewer children in every classroom were not reaching expected levels of academic development.
In our interview, the teacher emphasised the reduced attention spans of his year seven students, who were five to six years old in March 2020. He told me that his students “display low attention spans and struggle to […] work on a single activity for an extended period of time,” clarifying that “this means any time over two minutes.” To accommodate the reduced attention spans of the children, the school and teachers have had to change their teaching methods. For example, there is an “increase in students who are allowed to use concentration aids (fidget toys) during lessons, as well as those who have ‘step out’ passes in order to refocus.” Furthermore, he must provide faster paced lessons “to avoid students becoming disengaged and distracted.” The reduced attention span of these children is impacting their ability to focus and learn, leaving them with “less developed literacy skills.”
The disruption to their in-person learning is not the only reason for the academic abilities of this age group being so significantly affected by COVID; educational structures are also social structures, and the isolation of these children during such an integral time in their holistic development greatly impacted their social skills. In 2022, a teacher reported to the Guardian that “they are very behind socially, the empathy isn’t there.” Interestingly, “children with good social skills […] often have the best educational outcomes.” The teacher I spoke to has noticed “definite social limitations” within his youngest students, likely as a result of social isolation during formative years.
The disruption of lockdowns to this age group’s schooling and social lives unsurprisingly impacted their confidence. In the immediate years following COVID, primary school teachers reported that some children were reluctant in group settings, had “low self-esteem and confidence,” and felt “overwhelmed.” Unfortunately, the social, academic, and emotional progress of this year group is still being impacted by their lack of confidence today. The secondary school teacher said that “many students struggle with resilience, mostly displaying in students with special educational needs (SEN) or lower ability students, which can sometimes result in a lack of effort due to a ‘not wanting to fail’ mentality.”
Of course, COVID did not impact all children equally. More vulnerable groups such as children experiencing poverty, with SEN, or from minority ethnic backgrounds were most impacted. The teacher observed that “SEN children have been disproportionately affected due to delayed social and emotional development from missed primary schooling.” Furthermore, the isolation of lockdowns impacted children without siblings more than those with siblings: they “don’t know how to interact” with other children.
The impact of COVID on young children is beginning to be felt by secondary school teachers, who are having to adjust their teaching style to accommodate for classes of underdeveloped students. Over the next six years, first the toddlers, and then the babies of 2020 will enter secondary education; what further adjustments will have to be made for them?
The children who were born during COVID were not allowed as much physical contact with their mothers in the hospital, which is known to permanently damage the development of a secure attachment style. The babies’ ability to respond to facial expressions and relate to human faces was impaired by face masks. Their speech, language, and communication development were disrupted by their limited social interactions during lockdowns. Even their physical development, crawling and walking, was delayed due to increased time spent indoors and on screens.
If the current year sevens reveal the long-term consequences of COVID on five to six-year-olds, it seems unlikely that the next six years will become any easier for secondary school teachers.
Photo by Muneer ahmed ok on Unsplash.
