MIC study shows the worrying impact of the pandemic on young children

A NEW study of junior infant teachers by Mary Immaculate College (MIC) Academics offers stark insight into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on young children, five years on.

The study from MIC has found that current classes of junior infants may not be faring as well as children born before the pandemic, according to their teachers. 

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 about 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. 

These children spent the early months of their lives in the Covid-19 pandemic, with the resulting lockdowns and social restrictions.

Conducted by MIC academics, Dr Suzanne Egan and Dr Jennifer Pope, the research, ‘Infants of the Pandemic: Teacher Perspectives on the Early Development and School Readiness of Children Starting School in September 2024’, revealed that the 81% of teachers surveyed said they have more pupils now with emotional and behavioural issues compared to pre-pandemic times. 

The online survey was completed by 107 junior infant class teachers from around Ireland - teaching over 2,000 pupils overall - during December 2024. 

Overall, the findings suggest the 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. 

Where differences were noted, they tended to highlight more difficulties for the children now, suggesting that the current cohort of junior infants were less ‘ready’ to start school than previous cohorts. 

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.

Around 42% of teachers also highlighted issues relating to more children starting school without being able to manage personal care. 

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One teacher noted “Children are far less independent coming to school than before the pandemic”. Teachers also noted considerable speech, language and communication difficulties with the 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 with over half of junior infant class teachers reported having three children or more in their class with an emotional or behavioural issue (73%), a learning or intellectual disability (52%) or a limited knowledge of the main language of instruction (56%). 

Many teachers reported having more than five children in their class with these difficulties, with a large percentage of teachers indicating numbers have increased since before the pandemic. 

Commenting on the findings, Dr Suzanne Egan of the Department of Psychology at MIC said: “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.”

Report co-author, Dr Jennifer Pope of the Department of Reflective Pedagogy and Early Childhood Studies, noted that “Through this research, teachers have expressed significant concerns and challenges that require further investment and supports to ensure that schools are also ‘ready’ for young children”.