Have you ever wondered if Covid has affected your child’s education? The pandemic has left a huge mark on society, every aspect of our lives have been changed in ways that may never be fixed. During the pandemic, people were forced to change many parts of their daily routines there was no more going to school without a mask or even coughing in public. The education of children was completely turned upside down due to these changes.
After Covid, there was an obvious decline in the test scores of children all over the world. A journalist named Sarah Fuller states, “As of 2021-22, the proficiency rate had fallen by 11 percentage points (to 43%).” Due to the virus, kids were left quarantined in their homes for two years and had to do online school. Before online school started, there was a period when children weren’t learning at all. When online school finally began, many kids didn’t take it seriously. They would log into class and then do whatever they wanted, resulting in a lack of real learning, which was reflected in their grades.
The majority of children during this time were failing, prompting Baltimore County Public Schools to decide it would be best to pass all children regardless of their grades. The “No Child Left Behind” program played a significant role in this decision. The program was designed to reform children’s education in order to improve student achievement.
With all these factors, children have not only gotten used to not having to do work and still passing but have also missed out on essential learning, leaving them behind in terms of what they should know at their age.
Shaude Gross, a 35-year-old mother of one, speaks about how Covid affected her sixth grader. She reflects on her own schooling experience and compares it to the education her son is currently receiving. When asked how she believed Covid affected children’s education, she replied, “I believe that it’s stunted it.” When asked if she sees a difference in her child’s reading, she responded, “Yes, there’s been a lack of wanting to read. Before Covid, my son was always ready to read and learn, but now he doesn’t want to.”
Ms. Gross has shown immense worry for her son and his education, as well as for the education of other children. She says, “There needs to be a change, or else these kids won’t ever succeed.” How can we ignore a worried mother?
In another interview, 15-year-old Brandon Bonds, a literary student at Carver Center, shared his thoughts on how Covid has affected education for his younger sister and himself. He explained, “Covid has made students a little lazy and has made procrastinating more widespread.” When asked if he sees a difference in children’s reading, he replied, “I personally don’t see a difference in my sister’s reading, but I do know that many of my peers when I was in middle school were struggling with reading, even now I’ve seen people read at the pace of like a snail.”
As someone connected to a child in middle school and a high school student himself, Brandon offers a fresh perspective on the issue.
In conclusion, Covid has changed the education of all children for the worse. Students, siblings, and parents are all worried about the future of children’s education. The effects of Covid are still far from over and need to be addressed with urgency.
