Who suffered the most educationally at the hands of the pandemic?

Covid-19 has undeniably had a huge impact on our education system. Whilst it’s widely agreed that the general wellbeing of students decreased significantly during the pandemic, we want to dig a little deeper into which groups of students were affected the most.

Freshers, Undergraduates and Postgrads 

First on the list: uni students. For many, university is an exciting experience not just for learning but growing a social network. Sadly, freshers and undergrads were faced with an unexpected challenge — learning online. 

A key part of effective learning is work-life balance. But without the rewards, studying became a gruelling process for undergraduates and postgraduates alike. Reports show that 29% of students said they felt dissatisfied with their academic experience overall.

Despite this, it’s important to remember that contact hours at university vary. At university level most studying  is independent and the average teaching time (in lectures and seminars) is around 10 hours per week, compared to an average 6-hour school day. 

In fact, a recent report shows that 1 in 3 students achieved a first-class degree in 2020 — the highest record in history. Therefore, it’s doubtful that university students were the most heavily impacted. Although it was an unexpected shock to the system, many continued their studies online and didn’t drop out, suggesting university students were quick to adapt to remote learning.  

Primary School Children

On the flip side, evidence shows that the worst cohort affected by the pandemic were school children aged 6 and 7. Scores in STEM subjects like maths and English — and specific skills in reading and writing — saw a 20% drop compared to pre-pandemic scores. 

Children aged 5 and 6 (year 1) also fell behind age-related expectations by 25% in both reading and writing. This is a prime time for kids to develop their cognitive skills, especially by learning from others through social interaction. But what about secondary school pupils?

GCSE and A Level Students

Secondary school pupils aged between 14-18 years old were also caught in the middle of the storm. When schools announced that all exams would be cancelled, many initially felt relieved.

However, this meant that the grading system for GCSE and A-Level exams was a bit messy. It was then announced that coursework would be internally graded and moderated, whilst exams were automatically set to achieve target grades. 

Pupils didn’t have the opportunity to prove themselves and revise for their subjects after years of preparation. For some, this was met with disappointment as their grades didn’t meet the entry requirements for many universities. 

Yet in other cases, there was a 25% increase of those achieving As and A*s in 2020 compared to 2019. For GCSEs, there was a 5% increase in students achieving an A (7 and above). This shows there was some leniency from exam boards to support both GCSE and A-Level students.

SEN Pupils and Disadvantaged Communities 

With all learning transferred online, this negatively impacted poorer communities and children with learning difficulties. According to Young Minds, the lack of access to materials and resources meant their academic attainment and general wellbeing suffered significantly. 

Not everyone has access to the same technology. In actuality, it’s a privilege to own iPads, computers and have decent internet connection. Also, combined with social distancing procedures, this meant that group learning and sharing technology resources was not an option.

Research now shows that disadvantaged pupils are over 18 months behind in their studies and learning, compared to other peers of similar ages. The lack of equity and government intervention to support these communities prior to school closures disrupted their ability to learn effectively. 

Long story short...

Suffice to say, all groups were somewhat affected negatively by the pandemic educationally. Especially primary school children who are very impressionable and might experience some set-backs in later years.

Yet if we hold for age, it’s clear that disadvantaged pupils suffered the most. Although they are the most vulnerable, there are several policies in action to help close the education gap and provide support.