Psychologists warn of ‘forgotten’ children learning at home due to the continuing concrete crisis

In the light of a Department for Education update which revealed that a number of schools are still closed to children and having to teach lessons remotely, the British Psychological Society's Division of Educational and Child Psychology (DECP) is concerned that children who are currently not learning within school risk being 'forgotten' and missing out on vital social interactions with friends and peers.

The report, which also detailed a further 43 schools which have been found to have RAAC concrete, reveals that 12 schools still have not returned fully to face-to-face lessons and are operating under a 'hybrid system'.

The Division of Educational and Child Psychology has called for urgency in ensuring all children can return to face-to-face lessons, citing the important bonds children make at school and the learning and socialisation which happens in the playground and also between children and teachers.

Expert educational and child psychologists from the DECP have stressed the importance of after-school socialising for children while they are in this 'hybrid' learning environment.

Dr Gavin Morgan, chair-elect of the DECP, said:

"School provides a secure, reliable base for children, and is more often than not the best place for them to learn. For some, the bond they form with a teacher is especially important, and may be a safe figure in their lives that they might not have at home. Children also learn so much through play, through interacting and engaging with one another, and even falling out and making friends again.

"During lockdown we were very concerned about the amount of time children weren't in school and the impact that had on them. This wasn't just about their learning - children can catch up with academic work and the pandemic showed that lessons can work remotely – but the social interactions they missed out on during Covid were even more crucial.

"It's impossible to replace the fact of physically being in school alongside other children, and for those schools still affected by RAAC we would urge a return to face-to face lessons as soon as possible.

"It's really important that now, unlike during Covid, learning from home doesn't have to be completely socially isolating. While children won't be engaging with their peers or teachers in a school setting if children can learn remotely at a friend's and ensure that socialising continues after the school day, this can mitigate some of the challenges faced during this time."