As we move towards the end of 2020, it will come as no surprise that the most googled word of this year was of course, Coronavirus[[1]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn1). This virulent predator has seen to drastic changes for institutions all over the world, as they have come to terms with the “new normal”. The education sector in particular, has had to majorly adapt to COVID-19 government guidelines. While we were clapping for our key workers and praying for the swift departure of the virus, schools and universities stood fast against their own viral front lines, as the unsung heroes of 2020.
For students and teachers, this year has been extremely difficult as they were forced to return to these infectious hubs, universities and schools, despite the National Education Union’s efforts to close them. This was due to ONS data that showed there was no evidence of differences between positivity rates in teachers, key workers or other professions (0.4% of health care workers tested positive, while 0.44% of workers in other professions tested positive)[[2]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn2). The NASUWT’s general secretary stated in June, that “stringent guidance has been issued for the NHS and employees across the UK. It is unacceptable that this has not been the case for schools”[[3]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn3). Yet schools remained open and we have subsequently seen a decline in mental health within the education sector.
As of December 17th, the total number of deaths due to Coronavirus was estimated at around 66,000 in the UK alone[[4]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn4). However, this number does not account for the significant trauma and hardship that has been suffered this year, nor does it highlight the nature of a “COVID death”. When reporting these deaths, Coronavirus can also contribute to a death without being the main or underlying cause[[5]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn5).
Student newspapers such as The Tab have consistently reported on the increasing distress within universities, as one article stated “at least one university student has died every week since the start of term”[[6]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn6). While sites such as TES, have highlighted concerns regarding teaching staff’s well-being and fears[[7]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn7). These articles call into question, why students and staff have been sent back to schools? What safety regulations and support networks have been put in place during the pandemic? And how support could be implemented with social distancing regulations in place?
***
Schools and universities faced criticism in the media when they closed during the first lockdown, for fear of student well-being and what an extended period of distanced learning would mean for pupils. However, a secondary school maths teacher stated that “the media criticism felt unjustified, as schools remained open to the children of key workers” while teachers were also “working at home on lessons to post to the Google classrooms and keeping in contact with students and parents via phone and email”[[8]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn8).
Government initiatives in education stated that face to face, blended learning should continue in lower tier areas, where possible, based on their own risk assessment. However, there should be emphasis on online learning, and this should be provided in most cases, to minimise the risk of infection for students and staff[[9]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn9). Mr Pollock implied that the entire teaching experience had changed overnight, as teachers could no longer provide textbooks or mark workbooks, while movement around the classroom is extremely prohibited to prevent the spread of COVID. “These three restrictions have made it more difficult to assess the work of students and keep abreast of their difficulties”[[10]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn10).
This transition to online learning is designed to be a healthy compromise, with Zoom lectures at universities and Zoom lessons for secondary students who are isolating. Although there have been strong feelings from students that “online learning is a difficult experience” with the resounding response that they felt as though they were teaching themselves the courses with very little help[[11]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn11). The distance that online learning has created between students and teaching staff has not only had an impact upon the quality of learning, but also the stability that a learned environment has previously provided. There is now a distinct rift between teacher and student as they both fear for their health but also want the most from their education, safely and satisfactorily.
***
The main issues faced with this new style of teaching, revolve around the IT requirements that teachers need to help and communicate with students. As well as the way in which teachers are taking on a much more supportive role, which adds significant strain, and how the lack of face-to-face contact with students is creating isolation for certain marginalised groups.
Research found by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), suggested that there was a high demand for IT training after the switch to online learning, with 60% of teachers receiving professional development in ICT[[12]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn12). However, the report also mentions that at the start of the pandemic, education systems covered by OECD’s 2018 programme (PISA), were not ready for the world of digital learning. Kara Stoltenberg, a teacher in Oklahoma reiterated this fact stating’ “I’m not an online teacher and I don’t want my students to be at a loss because I am in unchartered territory”. Where another teacher stated that “this whole situation is a reflection of all the things that were wrong with education before COVID hit”[[13]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn13). Not only does the lack of IT resources impact the quality of learning, it has also caused difficulties for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Who have limited to no access to computers and broadband, or supportive learning environments, when schools/ universities close[[14]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn14).
Pollock stated that he found himself working on the computer at all hours of the day to try and keep up with the extensive workload, but his own lack of suitable IT equipment made working from home in the first lockdown, more difficult[[15]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn15). Overall, he felt that the role of a teacher had evolved due to the amount of extra IT focus, as well as new expectations regarding mental health care.
Even before the COVID outbreak, teachers could be described as “parents” in the school, they may be both role model and support for a child outside of their home environment[[16]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn16). Speaking to Pollock, he mentioned the way in which students seem more unsettled and were finding it hard to adjust to the extended periods away from the classroom, but there was no specific advice given to teachers on how to support students. In comparison to mental health experts who spend years training to observe behaviours, teachers have been asked to recognise if a child is suffering at home through a phone call, or from a safe distance in a classroom through their own instincts and without training. Pollock noted that this “adds extra strain to an already demanding profession and it is hard to support students when you have to keep your distance”.
Dominic Thompson, student mental health specialist, said that “reducing student anxiety should be central to any pastoral social and academic activity”[[17]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn17). Although the increasing demands seem to upset the equilibrium between student and teacher mental health. Therefore, amidst the turmoil of this year, where a child may need the stability of a normally grounded leader, the levels of tension and stress that teachers are facing themselves, makes this new role difficult to implement and uphold.
***
We are all very aware of the troubling mental health crisis that has been faced in universities this first term, with several deaths and the National Union of Students calling for immediate extra funding for NHS mental health services[[18]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn18). Therefore, it is surprising that Boris Johnson remains steadfast in his ambition for schools and universities to return so quickly in January 2021[[19]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn19).
When speaking to students and teachers, there was an overriding feeling that their mental health had dropped. One student mentioned how the lack of routine in education now, had affected her sleeping pattern and ability to work[[20]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn20), while the teacher mentioned that there was a high level of exhaustion. Research has demonstrated that there is a relationship between teacher burnout (mental distress) and student academic outcomes, meaning that as a teacher’s stress levels increase, student learning becomes less effective[[21]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn21). A recent case study in Italy that analysed a group of female teachers using a mindfulness-orientated course (25% delivered in person and 75% delivered via internet) in order to help their mental health, assessed that there were significant improvements in both the resilient teachers and the less resilient, to improve the well-being of school-teachers during events such as COVID[[22]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn22). In these extremely stressful education environments, it seems unjust to overlook the way in which teachers are struggling to take care of their students and their own health.
According to researchers at the UCL institute of education in January, 5% of teaching staff suffered with a long-lasting mental health problem[[23]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn23). With the acknowledgement that teaching has always been a challenging and stressful career, the global pandemic will not be aiding the decline in this percentage. Mr Pollock stated that although “we were provided with mental health contacts there has been very little support given to teachers, and an expectation that we should carry on as normal with very little protection”[[24]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn24). The average age of a teacher in secondary schools is 43 years old[[25]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn25) (see also appendix A), who are in a category that are ten times more susceptible, than people up to 39 years, to death if they get COVID-19[[26]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn26).
***
Overall, the divide which Covid-19 has created between teacher and student is mostly highlighted by their needs for support during this difficult period, where both bodies are in need of our empathy. Students fear that their fees are unjustly high for the alternative teaching that they are receiving and the isolation that university accommodation provides this year. Whilst teachers are trying their best to produce quality content and taking on the role of proxy educator for their own children and the new higher pastoral demands that schools require.
In attempts to continue education as normally as possible, it is easy to forget the strain that has been placed upon the education sector this year. According to the OECD, the gross domestic product could be 15% lower on average for the remainder of the century due to the loss of learning and skills from the slow return to performance levels in schools[[27]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn27). This could in turn affect the economic well-being of countries[[28]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftn28), which would explain the hasty nature that governments have adopted in regard to education.
Only with the correct support for students and teachers, can we hope for their return to schools and universities in the new year, and with a new vaccine on the horizon, this may be possible.
If you or your family are in need of any help, please call any of these numbers:
[[1]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref1) https://news.sky.com/story/how-to-make-a-mask-and-the-other-top-google-searches-of-2020-12155879
[[2]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref2) https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ons-data-on-covid-infection-in-schools-what-you-need-to-know/
[[3]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref3) https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/may/14/teachers-can-legally-refuse-to-return-over-risk-to-health-union-warns
[[4]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref4) https://www.statista.com/statistics/1109595/coronavirus-mortality-in-the-uk/
[[5]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref5) https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2020/08/12/behind-the-headlines-counting-covid-19-deaths/
[[6]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref6) https://thetab.com/uk/2020/10/28/at-least-one-university-student-has-died-every-week-since-the-start-of-term-180334
[[7]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref7) https://www.tes.com/news/fears-over-school-safety-covid-surges
[[8]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref8) Interview with A Pollock (appendix)
[[9]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref9) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reopening-buildings-and-campuses/higher-education-reopening-buildings-and-campuses
[[10]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref10) A pollock
[[11]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref11) Good, B. and Martin, D., 2020. Student Reaction To Education In COVID-19.
[[12]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref12) https://www.oecd.org/education/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-education-insights-education-at-a-glance-2020.pdf
[[13]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref13) https://time.com/5883384/teachers-coronavirus/
[[14]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref14) https://www.oecd.org/education/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-education-insights-education-at-a-glance-2020.pdf
[[15]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref15) A Pollock interviews
[[16]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref16) https://www.henryharvin.com/blog/the-changing-role-of-a-teacher-post-covid/#Role_of_a_Teacher_Before_COVID19
[[17]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref17) https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/oct/28/i-was-just-sat-in-my-room-all-day-lonely-students-seek-mental-health-support
[[18]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref18) https://inews.co.uk/news/education/uk-universities-mental-health-covid-crisis-winter-father-student-734387
[[19]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref19) https://inews.co.uk/news/education/schools-close-january-uk-go-back-after-christmas-covid-closing-new-strain-latest-news-804484
[[20]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref20) Good, B. and Martin, D., 2020. Student Reaction To Education In COVID-19.
[[21]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref21) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3102/0013189X20978806
[[22]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref22) International journal of environmental research and public health. Positive impact of mindfulness meditation…… pdf
[[23]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref23) https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/one-in-20-teachers-struggling-with-mental-health/
[[24]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref24) Interview with A Pollock
[[25]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref25) https://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/our-research/data-bytes/the-average-age-of-teachers-in-secondary-schools/
[[26]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref26) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/older-adults.html
[[27]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref27) https://www.oecd.org/education/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-education-insights-education-at-a-glance-2020.pdf
[[28]](applewebdata://9FA743B0-6332-47FE-B9EA-66063B7DB484#_ftnref28) https://www.oecd.org/education/The-economic-impacts-of-coronavirus-covid-19-learning-losses.pdf