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By Alexandra Gallucci
The pandemic has impacted everyone in different ways, and we have likely all felt the impacts of lockdown or the pain of losing a loved one. However, some of the most impacted people in society have been those in education. School doors have closed around the globe. Videos have replaced face-to-face lessons, and exams have been cancelled. In the midst of these changes, many have been forgotten. Students of all ages have felt the strain for different reasons, and the extent of this strain has yet to be fully appreciated.
What has happened in the UK?
Last summer, an algorithm created to replace exam results disproportionately hurt working-class A-Level students. The algorithm used teachers’ predicted grades as a starting point, before factoring in an increase or decrease based on the exam performance of the school in previous years. Schools from deprived areas had their grades reduced by the algorithm. High-achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds had their effort ignored because they went to a low-achieving school. Despite years of dedication, many lost jobs or university places due to the judgement of an algorithm.
Unwilling to be silenced, students spoke out. An A-level student from my own school described her experience, in an open letter, of feeling that her future had been “stolen”. Although the government took a U-turn on their policy just days later, choosing to favour teacher predictions, the experience left some without a university place.
The experience of education during this pandemic has further highlighted existing inequalities. An MP was left running around her constituency giving out SIM cards to parents with no other way of accessing their children’s online lessons. How can we expect those children who do not live in environments conducive for work to attain the same educational development? In a society, such as ours, that prides itself on education being the forefront of social mobility, surely this difference should be of immense concern. Efforts have been made to fight these inherent inequalities among students: indeed, as of January 2021, 800,000 laptops out of a goal of 1,000,000 have been distributed to students by the government. But one cannot help feeling how sad it is that it took a pandemic for us to open our eyes to this country’s inequalities.
Looking beyond the UK.
Educational inequality is not an issue confined to the UK. There are 750 million people worldwide who are illiterate and there are sharp differences between countries. This is particularly evident in the cases of Niger and Libya. Despite the two countries sharing a border, in 2015 Niger had a literacy rate of only 19% compared to Libya’s 91%.
These global inequalities are only going to deepen as schools close due to the pandemic. UNESCO has estimated that 1.5 billion students across 165 countries have been out of school due to Covid-19.
But this only tells half the story. For many, school is the only way to access educational resources.
In Uganda, Jane was left months without education because the pandemic forced the closure of her school, Ggangu Heritage Primary. Although she is from a country with a relatively high literacy rate (74% in 2015), with schools closed, Jane and other children from her local community had no access to books.
This is a reflection of the reality for so many communities throughout the world. While literacy rates might be relatively high, many are reliant on the resources of schools, which pandemic lockdowns have jeopardized.
What is being done?
But throughout the world, the UN has worked to combat these inequalities ensuring that all children have access to education despite the pandemic.
In Rwanda, the UN has supported the broadcasting of radio lessons. Reaching almost 99% of the population, the lessons are based on the national curriculum and encourage family members to help their children with their learning.
In Kenya, the Ministry of Education and the UN High Commission for Refugees have collaborated to create radio lessons. Amina and other teachers have used these lessons to reach over 100,000 students.
Beyond international bodies, many charities have risen to the challenge. Indeed, upon hearing of Jane’s community wanting to build a library to get books to the children, The Literate Earth Project raised the remaining 68% of funds needed in a two-day Facebook fundraiser.
This pandemic has put global inequalities on display. Whilst these inequalities were not created by the pandemic, It has made them more visible. However, thanks to dedicated individuals and organisations, educational inequality is being addressed. We must continue this work long after the pandemic subsides.
How you can get involved.
To support people in education during lockdown:
Volunteer with Young Minds (a British charity for young people’s mental health)
Signing national petitions
Within your University:
You can volunteer as a tutor to give free support to students within your local community, to fight against the negative impacts of schools being closed. (Durham Students: Durham University Student Volunteering and Outreach.)
Start your own campaign by creating a petition and speak to existing bodies within your university to work together to get more students involved (Amnesty International or Political Groups).
If you need support
Mental health has been in crisis among all age groups throughout this pandemic. But what has the impact been on school children? According to a Young Minds survey, among teaching staff, 74% of respondents felt school closures have had a negative impact on mental health of young people.
During this difficult time, you can feel overwhelmed. It’s completely understandable. I wanted to direct you to some places where you can get support.
External mental health support. There are many services that shall give you support.
Urgent help: Get urgent help (youngminds.org.uk)
Need to talk to someone? (It doesn’t have to be on the phone) Contact Us | Samaritans
Durham University Students only:
Your College Welfare Team. They usually send out weekly emails and offer drop-in sessions but follow them on social media too! They are always happy to talk and give support where possible.
Your College’s pastoral support. This might vary between colleges, but this should include members of staff and you should be able to find their contact details online.
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