The effects of school suspension during the pandemic on children go beyond mere boredom or lack of socialization. The one already defined as? The generation of coronavirus can suffer serious cognitive, academic and emotional consequences and, more seriously, this impact opens up an even more obvious gap between the most favored and those with fewer resources.
The coronavirus and the current pandemic scenario have changed all the foundations on which we have built our society, in addition to the lockdown, a frozen economic scenario, closed borders, a sky without planes that bring tourists, there is a drama in the air.
- On the one hand.
- We have the drama of the disease itself and its devastating effects on us.
- There are also the personal stories of each family.
- With the anguish for the future.
- The uncertainty of what will happen tomorrow.
However, there is a more sensitive sphere, and it is made up of our children, who live this reality in silence, treat it in their own way and suffer one of the most striking consequences of this moment: the fact that they have no class. .
More than 300 million students around the world have seen their college years truncated. In countries like Italy, all students have passed their courses.
Most try to solve the problem through online courses, but the digital divide is real; not all families have the means to do so. Even more obviously, many schools are not yet prepared for distance education.
Children and adolescents will remember these days for a long time, each will face what is happening in their own way, based on their experiences.
Some will lose a family member to the coronavirus, others will remember for years the anguish they felt at home and that was transmitted through the faces and conversations of their parents, many, perhaps, have fond memories. We cannot predict what tomorrow will be like the youngest generation in our society.
However, we can say that their world will change, just like that of adults, without a doubt. One of our biggest concerns is the effects of the suspension of classes during the pandemic on children, which organizations such as UNESCO are updating through reports and estimates.
Lack of regular schooling can be more serious among young children, especially those who are still literate.
Between the age of 4 and 7, children make a big qualitative leap in which cognitive, motor, executive and attentional processes need this ongoing support to acquire writing and reading skills.
Of course, they can continue this process at home, if family support is adequate, they will not be affected, but if there is no such support, they may experience a delay in integrating these skills.
Another effect of not having a course during the pandemic mainly affects tweens and adolescents.
During this time, it is very common for them to be ingested quite easily. Choosing to stay in your rooms and spend hours connected to the Internet, but without completing your academic tasks, is another danger.
Are families forced to monitor their routine, to check whether they continue to study, to do their homework?All of this can be exhausting and conflict-generating.
Containment forces parents to fulfill (more than ever) the role of teachers, which in some cases is not a problem. However, not everyone is prepared, not everyone has patience, or at least the ability to set aside their own concerns to be a skilled tool to help their children continue to progress academically.
The digital divide is a fact. We know that distance education is an option and that if courses cannot be taught in person, there is another alternative: virtual education.
However, it is important to remember that not all families have the same resources, there are millions of children around the world who do not have access to a computer at home to monitor school activities.
Another effect on children who do not attend school during the pandemic is nutritionally, in addition to the economic aspect, there is food.
We cannot forget that many children depend on the meals they receive in school canteens, so if social organizations do not provide assistance to families, many children will begin to suffer from severe nutritional deficiencies.
The loss of the last quarter or semester will take effect. Content will not be learned, topics will remain open, and unique classroom-only experiences will never be experienced. For many students, not attending classes can mean vacations.
However, something is missing: socialization, the routine of classes, friends, the hustle and bustle of day to day, sometimes complicated and sometimes exciting, which also improves the social and emotional development of children. They lose all that, too.
We know that the effect of the pandemic will last some time, but when classrooms reopen, academia and education knows it has a challenge: adapting education to emergencies and putting in place mechanisms to ensure that distance education is of the same quality. like the classroom.
Let’s hope this breakthrough can reach everyone.