Nursery World - Coronavirus: Impact of school closures could 'lead to lower skills' and harm the economy for decades

Unless catch-up lessons work, British children could ‘lose 3 per cent of lifetime earnings’ due to school closures, according to a new report from the Royal Society.

The amount of school that children have already missed because of closures during the coronavirus pandemic could lead to a loss of earning potential of 3 per cent over a lifetime, the research says

The research group, which includes academics from Cambridge, Bristol and Sheffield Universities, was brought together to measure the longterm impact of Covid-19. The report, Balancing the risks of pupils returning to schools, highlights the potential impact on children who have been affected by the lockdown.

It calls for the safe return to schools for children to be a priority and clear plans to be put in place to minimise more disruption.

When infection rates rise in some locations, schools may need to close but such decisions should be determined by objective criteria and made on a school by school or local area basis.

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