Certainly, this virus has meant that children’s mental health were dramatically damaged due to the lockdown measures introduced on the 23rd March, meaning that teenagers had to stay at home. This leads to feelings of bereavement, depression and anxiety because they have not been able to socialise with their friends in real life.
This was supported in a survey which consisted of 2,036 young people with a history of mental health needs between Friday 6th June and Monday 5th July: 80% of respondents agreed that the coronavirus pandemic had made their mental health worse with 41% saying it had made their mental health “much worse”.
However, some students have used this time for their advantage, to work and revise the topics they struggled throughout the year so they can get back on track when the school term starts again in September. Dr Christine Greenhow, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology and Educational Technology said that “online learning can be even better than in-person classroom learning…if students go at their pace.”
Therefore, with independent, proactive learners benefitting from COVID-19 and less advantaged students being hindered, this will, unfortunately, lead to a large range in grades across the UK. Many have also been able to use their time to socialise with their family and peers, something they couldn't do regularly when they were at school.
What do you think? How have you coped with the pandemic? Place your views in the comments below.
