After 6 months after the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is difficult to say today that the form of life has not changed in many ways, and these effects can be monitored directly from the economic point of view that struck several countries, while experts monitor the consequences of the pandemic in psychological terms after the imposition of the closure in countries Several in response to the virus.
The epidemic and the surrounding circumstances represent a crisis for children today, and may be followed by repercussions for later stages in their lives, and the closure of schools is at the forefront of the reasons, according to UNESCO, 1.6 billion students in 190 countries have been affected by the closure of schools, or 90 percent of school-age children around the world, and so far School reopening plans remain unavailable or unclear to half of them.
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Much controversy revolves around the delicate role that school closings have played in the overall spread of the virus, given the lack of data on the virus itself.
But according to Richard Armitage of the Department of Public Health and Epidemiology at the University of Nottingham, these legitimate scientific questions about the effectiveness of school closings should not be seen as a justification for reopening them prematurely.
Although the risk to children may not be as high as that of adults who teach them, given that the virus provokes a severe reaction in a small number of children, children can transmit the virus to adult groups.
All this may make a full return to normal life unlikely for most children in the next few months, and when combined with other pressures to live in isolation under quarantine, they may have some serious consequences such as delayed cognitive, emotional and social development, and for those in more serious adolescence periods, The risk of mental illness may increase.
Since the poorest will be the most affected by all these impacts, closures are expected to widen existing inequalities around the world in terms of education, with repercussions for years to come, as Armitage says that the most disadvantaged children are paying the most, with resources Less available after the end of the epidemic.
Wem Van Lancer, a sociologist at Leuven University in Belgium, described it as a "social crisis in the making."
What can be done to alleviate these problems before it is too late?
Achievement gap
Some evidence of the consequences for a child’s intellectual development comes from studies that conducted a short period of school closures due to snow in 2007, and Dave Marcot, professor of public affairs at the American University of Washington, examined standardized test scores for third, fifth, and eighth graders in Maryland, and the effects of closing Schools are bigger for young children, with a 3% drop in overall success.
Marcot notes that children will lack intellectually nutritious activities such as music lessons and trips to the museum, library or summer camps.
Wide disparities
Not all children will be affected in the same way, leading some experts to fear that this will widen the gap in educational attainment between the richer and poorer families.
While governments try to encourage home schooling, which relies on a good computer and internet connection to access school resources, home schooling also assumes that parents themselves have received adequate education, and have time to help with lessons, and these ingredients are not available in all societies, which increases the breadth Achievement gap.
These disparities will not end once schools start reopening them, as research by the Institute of Financial Studies, a think tank in London, showed that poorer families are less willing to allow their children to return to education.
It is worth noting here that the economic impacts of the virus such as job losses are expected to increase poverty in general.
Psychological health
While the child's intellectual development may be the most visible victim of these closings, it is by no means the only thing at risk, and teachers are often the first to notice the deterioration of mental health among their students and provide assistance and inform parents.
Experts say the amount of child abuse and all types of domestic violence may have increased around the world under the epidemic.
Development stops
The broader consequences of the outbreak remain far from growing up during a global pandemic, namely the fear and anxiety that family members display to protect their children. Children will likely absorb part of this concern whether it is anxiety about the disease itself, or because of job losses.
It is also unclear how isolation and physical distance can affect the development of emotional social skills, such as emotional regulation, exercise of self-control, and conflict management with peers.
No easy answers
Experts agree that there are no easy solutions to prevent widening disparities in education, and teachers need to provide alternatives to work that requires a computer or internet connection.
Poor governments can also implement schemes such as portable libraries that ensure children get the reading materials they need.
The only way to improve matters is with the concerted effort of parents, teachers, social workers, psychiatrists, and politicians, so that all children of all classes can emerge from the crisis and are ready to acclimate and thrive in a post-Covid-19 world. Covid-19.