What assessment has the Minister made of the long-term impact of COVID lockdowns on children and young people?
In October 2020, systematic assessment of the impact of lockdowns began with a survey of post-16 learners, followed in 2021 with in-depth evaluations of the school age and early years recovery programmes.
A long-term study is being established to monitor the ongoing and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the learning and well-being of children and young people. This study will include existing data collections e.g. school attendance data and the SHRN Health and Wellbeing Survey and bring in evidence from health and emergency services, as well as new research to respond to identified evidence gaps. Together these will be used to ensure that any impacts are tracked, and to inform appropriate mitigating actions to be put in place.
Regarding wider work, I have recently committed to providing six-monthly updates to the Children, Young People and Education Committee, which provide information on COVID-19 recovery, and set out how we are supporting our children and young people to recover from the ongoing impacts of the pandemic. My latest correspondence from August 2023 is published here: Letter from the Minister for Education and Welsh Language.pdf (senedd.wales). The next update to Committee will be provided in December 2023.