A new study found that years after the COVID-19 pandemic, the poorest children are missing more school and lagging even further behind their colleagues.
It was observed that children from the lowest-income families in the United Kingdom are up to 19 months behind their peers by the time they are 16 years old. In a statement, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson expressed her concern about the situation.
Poor Children Lagging in School
Phillipson said that the coronavirus pandemic resulted in a "serious and profound shift" in attitudes to attendance in schools. She argued that the health lockdowns cast a "long shadow" over the life changes of the youngest children in the region.
The latest numbers for persistent absence in schools showed that 15% of primary children in England missed at least one in 10 days of school this school year. The statistics represent an increase of about 8% from before the coronavirus pandemic.
The situation comes as the gap between the poorest students and their colleagues had narrowed before the COVID-19 pandemic. A report now suggests that it is getting worse, saying that the gap would reduce from 19 months to 15 months of learning if school attendance was the same throughout the students, according to BBC.
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Natalie Peera of the Education Policy Institute (EPI), which conducted the study, said that it is believed to be the first time that a "very clear link" was made between how much children from the poorest families attend school and how far behind they are compared to other students.
The researchers focused their attention on children who received free school meals in the last six years, who are part of families who have incomes less than about $9,500 a year after tax, not including benefits.
Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Similarly, the United States is observing a growing gap between some students and their peers when it comes to academic performance following the coronavirus pandemic. Research showed that over the past two school years, test score gaps between today's students and pre-pandemic counterparts are becoming wider, The Washington Post reported.
The data, which was taken from three large testing companies, paints a much more pessimistic and concerning picture compared to previous reports. It also raises questions about how school districts across the nation can help students who are lagging.
There is an estimated 26% of public school students across the United States were considered chronically absent last school year. This was an increase from the 15% that was observed before the COVID-19 pandemic. The data involved 40 states and Washington, D.C., as per the New York Times.
