COVID-19 - Our Lives Five Years On: Interrupted Education

Respondents who are currently aged 18 years and over and who were in secondary or third level (including post-secondary) education when COVID-19 restrictions were first introduced were also asked what impact, if any, they believe the periodic closure of these facilities have had on their own education and learning, social development, and future career prospects.  Response options included “Positive impact”, “Negative impact”, “No impact” and “Can’t say/Don’t know”.

Secondary school students

Approximately three-quarters (76%) of respondents who were in secondary school when the COVID-19 restrictions were first introduced report that the closures of schools have negatively impacted their social development. The same proportion (76%) believe that these school closures have had a Negative impact on their education and learning. See figure 3.1 and tables 3.1, 3.2.

When we compare the proportion of parents who believe that secondary school closures have had a Negative impact on their child’s social development (75%) with the proportion of respondents who were in secondary school in March 2020 and report a Negative impact on their social development (76%), we see little difference. See figure 3.2 and tables 2.3, 3.3.

Students however are twice as likely to say the closures have positively impacted their social development (6% compared with 3% for parents), while parents were more likely to say that closures have had No impact (18% compared with 10% for students). A higher proportion of students than parents feel that periodic closures of secondary schools in 2020 and 2021 have negatively impacted their education and learning (76% compared with 70%). Students were also more likely to say the closures have had a Positive impact (9% compared with 4% for parents). One in five (21%) parents believe that secondary school closures have had No impact on education and learning compared with one in ten (9%) students. See figure 3.2 and tables 2.3, 2.7, 3.1, 3.3.

Female respondents who were attending secondary school in early 2020 were more likely to report that school closures have had a Negative impact on their education and learning compared with male respondents (79% versus 73%) while there was practically no difference between the proportions of the two sexes reporting a Negative impact on their social development (75% and 76% respectively). See tables 3.1, 3.2.

Post-secondary/third level students

Almost two in three (64%) respondents who were in post-secondary or third level education when COVID-19 restrictions were first introduced believe that the educational facility closures during the pandemic have had a Negative impact on their education and learning. However, a higher proportion, 71%, believe that they have had a Negative impact on their social development. See figure 3.3 and tables 3.2, 3.4.

Nearly one in five (19%) respondents who were undertaking a post-secondary or third level course in March 2020 believe that the closures of educational facilities have had a Positive impact on their education and learning while 5% of these respondents believe that they have had a Positive impact on their social development.

Less than one in ten (9%) respondents in this cohort believe that closures have had No impact on their education and learning. Double this proportion (18%) believe that they have had No impact on their social development.

Survey respondents who had a child in post-secondary or third level education in March 2020 and respondents who were in post-secondary or third level education at that time have a similar perception of the impact of educational facility closures on students’ social development, with 71% of students and 69% of parents reporting a negative impact. See figure 3.4 and tables 2.5, 3.2.

Students, however, were four times more likely to say that the closures have had a Positive impact on their education and learning (19% compared with 5% of parents). They were also more likely to report that the closures have had a Negative impact on their education (64% compared with 58% of parents). Parent respondents were three times more likely to report that the closures had No impact on education and learning (28% compared with 9% of students). See figure 3.4 and tables 2.9, 3.4.

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Analysis by sex shows that female respondents are more likely to report that the closure of post-secondary and tertiary education institutes have had a Negative impact on their education and learning compared with male respondents (69% versus 61%), while male respondents were more likely to report a Positive impact (21% compared with 16% for females) and almost twice as likely to report No impact on their education and learning (11% compared with 6% for females). See figure 3.5 and table 3.4.

Similar proportions of both male and female respondents believe that the periodic closures of third level institutes have negatively impacted their social development (72% and 71% respectively). Male respondents, however, are more likely to believe that the closures have had a Positive impact on their social development compared with females (7% versus 3% respectively). See figure 3.6 and table 3.2.

Career Prospects

More than a third (35%) of respondents who were in third level education in March 2020 believe that the closing of these institutes will have No impact on their career prospects. Less than three in ten (29%) believe that it will have a Negative impact while one in six (16%) believe that it will have a Positive impact. See figure 3.7 and table 3.5.

Parents’ and students’ perceptions differ considerably on the impact of third level closures on future career prospects. Respondents who were in post-secondary or third level education in March 2020 are five times more likely than parent respondents to believe their future career prospects will be positively impacted by facility closures (16% and 3% respectively). Parents are more likely to believe their child’s career will either be negatively impacted (38% compared with 29% of students) or not impacted at all (42% compared with 35%). See figure 3.8 and tables 2.10, 3.5. 

More than a third (36%) of female respondents believe that the closure of post-secondary and third level institutes will have a Negative impact on their future career prospects compared with one in four (24%) male respondents. Males are more likely to believe that the closures will have either a Positive impact (18% versus 12% for females) or No impact (37% versus 31% for females) on their future career prospects. See figure 3.9 and table 3.5.