But it was only temporary!
Has students’ Intelligence increased or decreased following the events of Covid?
Nearing the end of the Covid-19 Virus students’ intelligence increased dramatically as we can see from the statistics from A levels. Before 2019, 25.5% of students achieved an A grade or higher, but after, near the end of Covid, 35.9% of entries were awarded A or A* (source: BBC). Obviously just looking at the statistics it would show that the lockdowns could have a positive effect on the intelligence of the students. As we can see from the graph below, results have increased maybe even skyrocketed over the years.
Children from all backgrounds have been affected by the Pandemic
37% of school leaders say children from disadvantaged backgrounds give them the most cause for concern. However, a larger proportion feel pandemic learning gaps are having an impact across the board. We can see this from a teacher at the Beacon school, “To add to the complex picture, there has been a change in the pattern of needs” says local teacher, Nikki Olhausen.
Gaps in learning for students in all secondary school year groups
While the effects of Covid-19 are evident in every secondary year group, from low levels of literacy to lack of preparation for external exams, Year 10 children are considered the most severely affected by pandemic-related learning loss.
In a similar way to the current Year 4, these children, who were in Year 6 at the start of the pandemic, had an important transition period disrupted by a series of lockdowns. Moving up to secondary school is a crucial time for pupils from a social, mental and academic perspective, so it’s little wonder that the effects are still being felt today. Learning gaps amongst Year 10 students were particularly concerning for school leaders, as these pupils are preparing to sit GCSEs while still trying to catch up on missed learning opportunities and content.
Conclusion
COVID-19 caused significant changes in schools, particularly in how education was delivered. Schools moved to remote learning, these changes have had mixed impacts, with some areas seeing improvements and others experiencing challenges. While some schools embraced digital learning, others struggled with access and the impact on student learning.
Reported by Cameron R and Aiden C