Disadvantaged school children in England are falling behind their peers due to the lingering impact of COVID-19 lockdowns, a new report states.
The National Audit Office (NAO) found loss of learning for children from disadvantaged backgrounds was not only “consistently greater,” but could lead to “increased disadvantage and significant lost earnings,” if not addressed.
Despite government efforts to help children catch up with lost lockdown learning, the gap in attainment has grown in England since 2019, according to the NAO.
The findings (pdf), released on Wednesday, have led to calls for the government to take action on improving education recovery.
Molly Kingsley, co-founder of parent campaign group UsForThem, told The Epoch Times: “It’s disappointing, but not surprising….