A NEW study from Mary Immaculate College (MIC) has found that infants born during the pandemic, or who were very young during lockdown period, are having a harder time going into the world of school than their older cohorts.
Eight in 10 junior infant teachers surveyed by MIC researchers said they have more pupils now with emotional and behavioural issues compared to pre-pandemic times.
In relation to social and emotional issues, teachers described this academic year’s junior infants as having more separation anxiety from their parents, more anxiety in general, and less emotional regulation.
The research, ‘Infants of the Pandemic: Teacher Perspectives on the Early Development and School Readiness of Children Starting School in September 2024’, was conducted by MIC academics Dr Suzanne Egan and Dr Jennifer Pope.
The online survey was completed by 107 junior infant class teachers from around Ireland (teaching over 2,000 pupils overall) during December 2024.
The survey aimed to find out if experiencing the pandemic during infancy might have influenced later development when starting school.
The teachers were asked questions on how their current class of junior infants (aged 4-6 years) were faring, and how they compared with previous classes they taught before the pandemic.
Overall, teachers felt there may be differences in the skills and capabilities of children starting school in September 2024 compared with those who started school before the pandemic.
They also suggested the current cohort of junior infants were less “ready” to start school than previous years.
Around 42 per cent of teachers also highlighted issues relating to more children starting school without being able to manage personal care.
One teacher noted that “children are far less independent coming to school than before the pandemic”.
Teachers also described considerable speech, language, and communication difficulties with pandemic-era children, as well as some difficulties with fine motor control.
According to one teacher: “It has been the most challenging class I have had in 27 years of teaching.”
Results also highlighted some of the challenging classroom circumstances that many junior infant teachers are currently facing.
For example, over half of junior infant class teachers reported having three children or more in their class with an emotional or behavioural issue, a learning or intellectual disability, or a limited knowledge of the main language of instruction.
Many teachers reported having more than five children in their class with these difficulties, with a large percentage indicating an increase since before the pandemic.
The schools involved represented a mix of urban, suburban, and rural areas, with DEIS and non-DEIS schools included. Some teachers had as much as 35 years teaching experience.
Commenting on the findings, Dr Suzanne Egan of the Department of Psychology at MIC, said that “the issues the teachers have described are concerning, both in terms of child development, and the challenging classroom circumstances for the teachers”.
“It may be that the changes in social contacts or family life in the early months of children’s lives, and since the pandemic, have contributed to the situation. Potentially, missed or delayed developmental checks could also mean that issues weren’t picked up as early as they might have been.”
Report co-author, Dr Jennifer Pope, of the Department of Reflective Pedagogy and Early Childhood Studies, noted that “these findings highlight the potential long lasting and wide-ranging effects of the pandemic and restrictions on our youngest citizens”.
“We know that without early interventions and supports, gaps can widen and developmental delays can worsen over the course of childhood … Teachers have expressed significant concerns and challenges that require further investment and supports to ensure that schools are also ‘ready’ for young children.”
