Private school pupils were TWICE as likely to receive full days of online lessons during lockdown than those at state schools
- Private schools were twice as likely to receive full day of teaching in lockdown
- 2.5million children across UK received no schooling or tutoring in same period
- Four in 10 pupils aren’t receiving the same amount of teaching time as pre-Covid
Private school pupils were twice as likely to receive a full day of online lessons during lockdown than children attending state schools.
Figures shared by the London School of Economics show a disparity between the privileged and state-funded schools, while also revealing 2.5million children across the country received no teaching whatsoever for the first six months of lockdown.
The research suggested nearly three quarters (74 per cent) of private school pupils were benefitting from full days of teaching during lockdown, compared with just 38 per cent of pupils from state schools.
While lockdown forced many classrooms to switch to Zoom and other platforms, figures from the London School of Economics show a disparity between the privileged and state-funded schools. File photo
Private school pupils were also five times more likely than state school pupils to have had at least four online lessons a day.
They were also four times more likely to have spent more than five hours a day on schoolwork.
According to the study, four in 10 pupils across the country are still not receiving the same number of teaching hours as they did before the pandemic hit, while about 2.5 million children across the UK received no schooling or tutoring at all during lockdown.
Roberta, 16, from Harris Westminster Sixth Form told the BBC’s Panorama programme, which airs tonight: ‘During those six months it was just no education at all. I didn’t really get any support from my old school regarding my education.
‘It’s been a little bit stressful so far.
‘I always had a dream of going to A levels prepared, focused and ready. That break of six months did so much damage.
Most pupils are back in the classroom, but figures from the London School of Economics reveal many are still not receiving the same amount of teaching as before the pandemic struck. File photo
‘I think coming into this school, I didn’t realise the disparity would be this big in the classroom. There are people that don’t know anything and people that know almost the whole content.’
The Department for Education reportedly told Panorama it is giving every school more money, with £58million already provided to help schools with the extra costs of the Covid-19 pandemic.
BBC Panorama: Has Covid Stolen My Future? airs on Monday at 7.30pm on BBC One.