Covid school closures in the United Kingdom have damaged “childhood fabric” | Covid investigation

The cocovated pandemic disrupted the “very fabric of childhood”, heard the British investigation, the first day of a four -week session devoted to its impact on children and young people.

Clear Dobbin KC, lawyer for the investigation, said in her opening submission on Monday that some of the evidence drawn from the 18,000 floors and 400 targeted interviews would be “difficult to listen to”.

Some children have lost parents, grandparents and other relatives in Covid. Some children died from Covid, while others continue to live with the “severe and, lasting” consequences of the pandemic.

Dobbin has described the reduction of the game and the loss of all normal passage rites – birthdays, balls, exams – as well as damage to the mental health of young people and their ability to build and maintain friendships.

She also talked about children who have suffered “serious” damage to the people who were supposed to take care of them, when they were told to stay at home and lose the protection that schools usually offer.

Some young people were exposed to violent pornography and other damages, because their life quickly moved online, while many had trouble accessing online courses and ended up spending most of the day instead of learning.

One describes “sitting there without school, playing [the video game] Animal crossing during, like six months ”. Another said they played Roblox online until 19 hours a day.

Dobbin quoted a child saying: “People would answer the call at a distance in bed, people would be in the third scientific lesson, and literally have the camera and would publish on their Instagram stories or their Snapchat stories, literally that they watch the only path is Essex.”

She said, “[Covid] Children deprived of a large part of the pleasure that has a childhood: birthday parties, sport, balls, school trips, holidays; all the daily aspects of what it means to be a child but who includes The very fabric of childhood.

The investigation heard the decision to close schools “had difficult to overestimate” ramifications. The Ministry of Education (DFE) had undertaken the planning of zero contingency for school closings before the locking declaration in March 2020.

“In England, proof that the [DfE] I only started to plan the school closure after March 16, 2020, it is a cause of alarm, “Dobbin told the investigation.

Said Jonathan Slater, then permanent DFE secretary, had provided evidence that between January and March 16, 2020, the ministry’s emergency plans were “based on the hypothesis that schools and other educational circles would remain open. And according to him, which was in accordance with the global approach of the government of pandemic preparation at the time. ”

Evidence of Gavin Williamson, the Secretary of Education at the time, accepted, but on March 17, there seems to have been a sudden change of direction. Dobbin said: “[Williamson] Explains in his words that there is a sea change divided on the 24 -hour sea, from the maintenance of the schools open on March 16, to the discussions on the closure of the schools on March 17. »»

On March 18, schools were ordered to close. Dobbin added: “[Williamson] Did not ask the DFE officials to prepare an assessment of the impact of school closings because the school closures had not been recommended and no official did not ordered this advice to the DFE. »»

The investigation was informed that the Prime Minister of the time, Boris Johnson, challenged the version of Williamson’s events in his declaration to the investigation, and said that the DFE was aware of the possibility of closing schools.

“”[Johnson’s] The evidence suggests – but this is a question to explore with him – that he thought that the planning of school closures was underway, “said Dobbin. It added:” It is my respectful submission that there is significant that there should be a dispute as to whether planning for such a seismic event has existed … and perhaps the alarm is the suggestion that school closures but to wait for it to be committed. “”

In its opening comments to the Reconvisible Investigation, the chair, Heather Hallett, said that the impact of the pandemic on children and young people was “serious and, for many, sustainable”, because they lacked educational opportunities, a social interaction and for the most at risk, they lost protection against abuse.

An impact film shown at the start of the procedure detailed some of the children’s stories, expressed by adults to protect their identity. A contributor said her friend died, another lost 12 kilos while she was suffering from Covid, while a third was to be put on a fan.

A single parent described the challenge of trying to educate and take care of three children at different stages of their education. “In the end, I just said that we don’t do it,” she said, adding: “Being confined, just us in this house, was hell.”

Another mother said that her son has been out of school since February 2022. “Our family life has stopped completely. This is a huge concern for us how his life will happen. How he will manage to take care of himself. We should not sacrifice children. Children are the future.”

The investigation continues on Tuesday.