Section 6: Inequalities and COVID-19
Children and families
The closure of our schools will potentially increase educational inequality, as it is most likely to impact the most disadvantaged young people through their time in education and into the workplace.
In Early Years education, even in normal circumstances, the poorest children are already 11 months behind their better-off peers before they even start at school. There are significant risks of both short term and long-term impacts on the most disadvantaged children, who may not have a suitable home learning environment. Extra support will be needed for many children when returning to school. (The Edge Foundation (June 2020) The Impact of Covid-19 on Education.)
Ensuring access to technology and online resources is a challenge. Previous research (Cullinane C & Montacute R (2018) Pay as you go? Sutton Trust. A) found that 34% of parents with children aged 5 to16 reported their child does not have access to their own computer, laptop or tablet that they can use to access the internet on at home. There are also concerns regarding online learning in higher education, where exams and courses have largely been replaced with online lectures and tuition. This mode of learning may put students who do not have access to technology or a suitable workspace at a disadvantage.
Childcare support is critical during this time for single, working mothers, however, many informal networks of support have been restricted during this time. (OSF Changes in income, time use and well-being before and during the UK COVID-19 lockdown. 2020. (opens new window))
Adverse outcomes may occur amongst young people in terms of educational and social outcomes among families that lack study space, access to home computing and parental support and lack of food provision from schools. Some may be at risk of online abuse or exploitation.
Early research (Child and Adolescent Mental Health During Covid-19) suggests that the pandemic and subsequent measures are having significant impacts on the mental health of children and young people. This group are already at higher risk of developing mental health issues compared with adults. Children may be experiencing increased anxiety and stress about the virus, and school closures and social distancing measures have led to a loss of structure and social contact. Such circumstances, coupled with reductions in support services, could lead to a range of poor mental health outcomes.
Children and young people from certain groups (such as those from poorer households, young carers and those with disabilities) are already disproportionately affected by higher levels of mental health issues. For example, one study found that children from the poorest 20% of UK households are four times as likely to have serious mental health difficulties by the age of 11 as those from the wealthiest 20%. Experts express concern that the COVID-19 outbreak may widen these mental health inequalities, as well as increasing the overall prevalence of mental health issues in children.
Women make up almost 80% of the health and social care workforce and as such they are most exposed to COVID-19. This has impacted on women's mental well-being and inequalities, particularly amongst women who are single mothers. Single mothers are less likely to own houses, cars, and the most at risk for depression.
The complexity of these many stresses on family life and the impact of these inequalities, will become apparent in the future.