The lockdowns during the pandemic have proved to be more devastating for education than many realize
Since the beginning of the week, I am finally spending time in classrooms again. I missed it. Until now, I have mostly been filling holes at my school. The year is ending soon, after all.
One of the subjects I teach is maths. And I am doing tutoring on the side. This week made me realize something. The pandemic and the lockdowns have had serious consequences for the students.
Especially for their educational competencies.
At First, I Thought My Tutoring Students Were the Exception
I had a bit of a hunch, that this was the case. Many of my tutoring students struggled with very elementary maths competencies. Most of them reported that it has gotten worse during the pandemic. The parents for the most part confirm this.
What I met in the classroom surprised me. Almost all students seemed to struggle with basic stuff. Tenth-graders, that failed to do basic arithmetics and algebra. That sort of stuff.
Speaking with my colleagues confirms that many have fallen behind during the pandemic.
