The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the world we live in. Most schools in Northern Ireland have been closed since March, with the vast majority of children learning at home, isolated from teachers, friends and a life they knew. With the new term on the horizon, schools are preparing to continue their learning in a changed environment and there is an opportunity to put children’s mental health at the heart of education.
We wanted to understand the challenges that schools are facing and what help schools will need to support the mental health and wellbeing of pupils as they return for the new school year. Over the course of two weeks in June 2020, we surveyed 167 education professionals in our partner schools across Northern Ireland to find out more about their experiences so far, and their thoughts and concerns about the return to the classroom.
In this briefing we highlight what we have learnt from school professionals about the impact of Covid-19 on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.