Coronavirus (COVID-19): closure and re-opening of schools - children's rights and wellbeing impact assessment

This impact assessment considers the impacts to children’s rights and wellbeing (CRWIA) as a result of the closure of schools due to COVID-19, the plan to reopen schools full-time from August 2020, and the associated contingency of a blended learning model. 


Footnotes

1 The term children is used within this document to refer to children and young people who usually attend a local authority, grant-aided or independent school, up to the age of 18. It is acknowledged that some young people attend Scotland’s local authority schools and are 19 years of age. The scope of this assessment includes those who are aged 18, but the impacts are likely to be the same. In education law the term child applies to a child who is up to the age of 15 years. From the age of 16+ the person is considered to be a young person.

2 The impact assessment focusses on the impacts to children and young people, it is recognised that children and young people’s families are also impacted by school closures and reopening, and that the impact to them may also impact on children and young people. This assessment recognises where possible, those impacts also.

3 The relevant UNCRC rights are signposted by hyperlinks throughout the text of the document

4 Things We Do Not Like About Learning in Lockdown, Children’s Parliament, Corona Times Journal Edition 3 https://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/corona-times-journal-edition-3/

5 Positive Things About Learning During Lockdown, Children’s Parliament, Corona Times Journal Edition 3 https://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/corona-times-journal-edition-3/

6 Things We Do Not Like About Learning in Lockdown, Children’s Parliament, Corona Times Journal Edition 3 https://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/corona-times-journal-edition-3/

7 “Over two fifths (42%) stated that they were Extremely or Moderately concerned about school, college and university closures. Respondents expressed more concern regarding exams and coursework, with around half (49%) stating that they were Moderately or Extremely concerned.” LockdownLowdown - what young people in Scotland are thinking about COVID-19 https://www.youthlinkscotland.org/media/4486/lockdown-lowdown-final-report.pdf

8 What the Evidence Tells Us, Section 3, Strategic Framework for the Reopening of Schools

https://www.gov.scot/publications/excellent-equity-during-covid-19-pandemic-strategic-framework-reopening-schools-early-learning-childcare-provision-scotland/pages/5/

9 “The most positive learning experiences are based on being able to schedule or structure one’s own learning, to have choice about what topics to learn about, that one-to-one support from someone at home means that it is possible to improve in some areas that might have been difficult at school, there is a strong sense for some journalists that learning at home is less stressful.” Positive Things About Learning During Lockdown, Children’s Parliament, Corona Times Journal Edition 3 https://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/corona-times-journal-edition-3/

10 Feelings and practical suggestions about the return to school, Children’s Parliament, Corona Times Journal Edition 3 https://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/corona-times-journal-edition-3/

11 As we come out of lockdown, would you like your community to be different?, Children’s Parliament, Corona Times Journal Edition 4:

https://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/childrens-journal-4/

12 https://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/our-work/children-and-coronavirus/

13 https://www.tiecampaign.co.uk/reports

14 https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/93920.html

15 https://wakelet.com/wake/e4a002f2-b9a2-475c-90af-46e887a74d4d

16 https://wakelet.com/wake/63c35e34-d2bd-484f-b294-a95a6ede5b55

17 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Scientific evidence on schools and ELC settings , Annex A https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/research-and-analysis/2020/05/coronavirus-covid-19-schools-early-learning-and-childcare-settings---scientific-evidence/documents/coronavirus-covid-19-scientific-evidence-on-schools-early-learning-and-childcare-settings-26-may-2020/coronavirus-covid-19-scientific-evidence-on-schools-early-learning-and-childcare-settings-26-may-2020/govscot%3Adocument/Scientific%2BEvidence%2BSchools%2Band%2BELC.pdf

18 Coronavirus (COVID-19): Scientific evidence on schools and ELC settings , Annex A https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/research-and-analysis/2020/05/coronavirus-covid-19-schools-early-learning-and-childcare-settings---scientific-evidence/documents/coronavirus-covid-19-scientific-evidence-on-schools-early-learning-and-childcare-settings-26-may-2020/coronavirus-covid-19-scientific-evidence-on-schools-early-learning-and-childcare-settings-26-may-2020/govscot%3Adocument/Scientific%2BEvidence%2BSchools%2Band%2BELC.pdf

19 Physical Distancing and Impacts Upon Capacity, Implementation in Schools, Section 4, Coronavirus (COVID-19): strategic framework for reopening schools, early learning and childcare provision https://www.gov.scot/publications/excellent-equity-during-covid-19-pandemic-strategic-framework-reopening-schools-early-learning-childcare-provision-scotland/pages/6/

20 https://www.gov.scot/publications/excellent-equity-during-covid-19-pandemic-strategic-framework-reopening-schools-early-learning-childcare-provision-scotland/pages/6/

21 Reopening Schools Guide https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-re-opening-schools-guide/

22 https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-re-opening-schools-guide/pages/people-who-are-clinically-vulnerable-or-shielding/

23 https://education.gov.scot/improvement/scotland-learns/

24 https://education.gov.scot/improvement/scotland-learns/resources-for-practitioners/

25 https://education.gov.scot/improvement/learning-resources/supporting-online-learning-links-for-practitioners/

26 https://www.gov.scot/news/getting-people-online/

27 Children and young people may be vulnerable for a range of reasons including: being on the child protection register; looked after; on the edge of care; being eligible for Free School Meals; having complex additional support needs; being affected by poverty and deprivation.

This is not an exhaustive list of reasons and other groups of children and young people may have increased vulnerability due to closures of early learning centres and schools.

28 Children’s Parliament How Are You Doing wellbeing survey
Findings from a survey of children aged 8-14 years in Scotland, published on 1 May 2020. The findings show that show being indoors more and learning at home impacts on the physical and mental health of children. There are indications that children do not feel enough control over what they are learning or that they are not enjoying and worrying about learning at home, this is especially true for 12 to 14 year olds. 36% of children in the survey worry about doing their school work, 32% worry about future exams and 28% are worried about learning at home.

Contact

Email: CERG@gov.scot

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