Report Shows Pandemic Hastened Disparity in Achievement for Underprivileged Students
The Education Policy Institute indicated that although grading and assessment have returned to normal, ‘the impact of the pandemic is not yet over.’
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers, according to a think tank.
A report released by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) on Tuesday revealed that progress in narrowing the gap had already started to stall in 2019, but “the pandemic accelerated this trend.”
The report highlighted that from 2019 to 2023, the disadvantage gap widened in early years, primary schools, and secondary schools, with only post-compulsory 16-19 education showing a return to pre-pandemic levels.
Despite examinations and grade distributions returning to normal in 2023, the EPI emphasized that “the impact of the pandemic is not yet over,” and “educational inequalities differ significantly from 2019.”
Furthermore, the report noted that the disadvantage gaps for 11 and 16-year-olds are at their highest levels in over a decade, remaining significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels for 5-year-old children.
The think tank attributed the widening gap to various factors, including the cost-of-living crisis, rising child poverty, and the pandemic’s differential impact.
By the end of primary school (Key Stage 2), the disadvantage gap had expanded to 10.3 months, surpassing the 2019 level and reaching its highest point since 2012.
At secondary school (Key Stage 4), disadvantaged pupils were 19.2 months behind their peers, a gap that had widened by 1.1 months compared to 2019 and had not been as wide since 2012.
Persistently disadvantaged pupils, defined as those eligible for free schools meals for at least 80% of their schooling, faced even wider attainment gaps. By the end of secondary school, persistently disadvantaged pupils were nearly two years behind their peers, and at the end of primary school, they were almost one year behind.
In response to the report, Education Minister Catherine McKinnell emphasized the government’s commitment to addressing barriers to opportunity and improving the life chances of all children.
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