Children from more deprived areas hit hardest by self-isolation: How socio-economic class can affect education

It has been reported by The Telegraph that children from more deprived areas have been hit hardest by school self-isolation. Yesterday saw reports that as many as 385,500 children are off school due to Covid, of which the majority do not actually have the virus themselves. The analysis from The Telegraph shows that on average, 1.5% of kids in the most disadvantaged areas have been self-isolating each week, compared with 0.8% in wealthier areas. It has also been found these areas have the highest proportion of children who are on free school meals, raising concerns that self-isolation is impacting these children in more serious ways than their counterparts in more well-off areas.

Leading online tutoring platform MyTutor has asked the nation on their opinion and own experience of educational disparities and has found that almost a quarter of Brits agree that their class affected their performance in school, with 27% agreeing that the quality of education held them back professionally as well. There are undoubtedly ongoing issues within education with regards to disparities between those in lower socio-economic classes, and in fact, MyTutor’s research has also found that regionally disparities are prevalent, with students in Newcastle almost 4 times more likely to attribute the quality of education they received as a barrier to them reaching their full potential when compared to the cities in the south such as Oxford. Both this research and the recent report from The Telegraph highlight the deeper disparities within the education sector, which continually impact young people’s opportunity and future careers.

Key Stats:

24% of Britons agree their class affected their performance in school
20% of people agree their education prevented them from moving up the socio-economic ladder
27% agree that the quality of education held them back professionally
Bertie Hubbard, CEO and Co-Founder of MyTutor, comments on the continuing disparity in education and opportunity:

“Though the findings from our research into social class and region in relation to education are nothing necessarily new, they clearly show the inequalities which continue to exist within in the education system. This only serves to strengthen the clear and pressing need for balanced access to education, despite social class or geographical location, and the news regarding the dispute between increased performance of private and state education just confirms this further.

MyTutor addresses these issues around access to education which rest in social-class and region by making learning accessible to all. As an educational tool which is both cost-effective and remote based, students of all backgrounds are able to access further resources and assistance in their subjects of need. Helping to bridge the gap in education, factors outside of learning itself should no longer determine the quality or opportunity of students.”