VIRTUAL EVENT: Closing schools, colleges and universities during the pandemic

Considerable disruption to children’s and young people’s education was caused when UK schools, colleges and universities were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

From mental health to educational attainment, this has been an unprecedented time with potentially long-lasting effects demanding exceptional responses. 

Commissioned by the UK Department for Education, IPPO has produced with the EPPI-Centre and UCL Institute of Education colleagues four rapid evidence reviews which synthesise the research evidence on the harms in:

• primary and secondary schools (reception to Year 11) (separate reviews for children and parents/carers)
• further education colleges and sixth form
• universities.

Harms include:

• effects on mental and physical health and wellbeing
• increased risk of violence in the home
• interruption to vocational courses in both further and higher education
• disruption to initiatives aimed at widening participation in universities
• effects of existing inequalities, such as to access to technology for online learning and lack of access to childcare for parents.

We focus on what existing research shows us about how these harms can best be mitigated. What are the implementation challenges and how should they be met? How should education adapt in the longer term?

This event will be particularly useful for those interested in the impact of COVID-19 in education.

Speakers

Speakers will be confirmed shortly.

Links

• Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre)
• The International Public Policy Observatory

Image: M. Monk via Unsplash