A quick gender critical overview

the impact of covid-19 on early year educators

General Climate Introduction

UN Report:

The COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems in history. It has affected nearly 94 per cent of learners worldwide, representing 1.58 billion children and youth, from pre-primary to higher education, in 200 countries.

The crisis is exacerbating pre-existing education disparities by reducing the opportunities for many of the most vulnerable children, youth, and adults. It is especially difficult for those living in poor or rural areas, girls, refugees, persons with disabilities and forcibly displaced persons to continue their learning.

When education systems collapse, peaceful, prosperous and productive societies cannot be sustained.

https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2020/08/sg_policy_brief_covid-19_and_education_august_2020.pdf

General Climate Pre-Covid

General Climate pre covid

In a pre-Covid world, early years educators, teachers and child care workers alike had reported feeling undervalued as a sector. The field is overwhelmingly female dominated – at 96% female – and it is one of the lowest paid professions.

‘Social infrastructure … doesn’t tend to include the public services that similarly underpin the functioning of modern society like child and elder care. The Women’s Budget Group argues that it should … [yield] returns to the economy and society well into the future in the form of a better educated, healthier, and better cared for population’.

(Invisible Women, Caroline Criado Perez)

Reports show that access to Early Years Education has a huge impact on the life of the individual. For example, those who received Early Childhood Education were 26% more likely to have a savings account as an adult than those who did not attend.

Criado Perez goes on to conclude that investment in Early Childhood Education as a sector can ‘actually reduce overall education spend because it lowers the level of investment required in remedial education’. The long term effect on economic growth would lead to an extra 3.5% by 2080.

So, why is the sector as a whole undervalued and underfunded globally?

General Climate Covid

According to the UN:

The disruption caused by COVID-19 to everyday life meant that as many as 40 million children worldwide have missed out on early childhood education in their critical pre-school year. They thus missed a stimulating and enriching environment, learning opportunities, social interaction and in some cases adequate nutrition. This is likely to compromise long-term development, especially those children from poor and disadvantaged families.

https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2020/08/sg_policy_brief_covid-19_and_education_august_2020.pdf

There is an overwhelming amount of pressure on teachers, early years educators and workers who, with very little notice, have been forced to adapt to the pandemic. Often teachers are running lessons simultaneously online whilst also teaching and caring for a live group of children who need to attend school and nursery as their parents are health care workers and key workers. Educators are also more heavily relied on for pastoral care.

Let’s take a closer look at the effects of these workers …

Teachers Perceptions

Many reported working 60% or up to three times more hours than they were contracted and paid to do.

https://theconversation.com/exhausted-beyond-measure-what-teachers-are-saying-about-covid-19-and-the-disruption-to-education-143601

More specific to early childhood education, this international health crisis has precipitated dramatic changes in the lives of children and their families, pre-service and in-service teachers of young children, and early childhood teacher educators. Worldwide, Covid-19 has also pushed the early childhood education system to the verge of collapse and mobilized leading early childhood organizations to advocate for Covid-19 financial packages to protect early education programs (NAEYC 2020; Zero to Three 2020).

Covid-19 has not only disrupted educational and academic development, it has disrupted the socio-emotional benefits that accrue from normal childhood activities of attending school, interacting with extended family and friends, playing outdoors, and exploring nature.

The lack of confidence in communication with primary students is an area for deeper study as younger students’ ability to communicate through technology is limited by family supervision. As primary teachers are also more worried about the available support from parents/guardians, younger students should be considered a high-needs population in terms of interventions.

Economic impact on establishments

Spotlight by ZerotoThree:

Despite the key supporting role that child carers provide of other essential industries during the COVID-19 crisis, the child care system as a whole is at risk of collapse due to the economic impact.

Many providers are closing their programs, unable to sustain operations with diminishing enrollment. Others are staying open despite the physical risk, to support the needs of working families in their community. Providers and families of infants and toddlers speak to the issues :

“We need financial support. We have lost income from families that have disenrolled. With the reduction of income it has meant reducing team hours and losing some teachers. We fear those taking unemployment will find a supplementary income and will not come back to the child care after this is done because of the low wages.” – Renee, child care provider

“I’m a childcare/preschool/child development center. I have gone from 81 kids a day to 2. I can’t stay open with 2. We are considered essential but how can I stay open without the help needed. I love my kids, staff and families but to ask me to go under because all of a sudden I’m essential? Really?” – Teri, child care provider

Status of Early Years Settings

Approximately 43% of early years settings were open in some capacity on 13 August. This is down from 46% on 30 July in the UK.

There is increased pressure on the facilities that are open. Those who are unable to run are in considerable financial distress.

Table: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/2020-week-33

Health Risk To Education Providers

Many early years educators have voiced concern over access to essential safety supplies. The childcare and early years industries have not been of government priority for countries where there have been shortages of PPE and sanitizing products. In some indigenous communities, such as in Australia, access to sanitary products is exacerbated by the remoteness of communities.

“Supplies are very limited and I am getting close to running out of daily essentials for cleaning and keeping my home safe and sanitized. I absolutely know that hospitals need the supplies,but I also feel that people working with small children need to have access to a part of the supply demand. like toilet paper, paper towels, lysol spray and wipes, sanitizer and more.” – Angela, child care provider

The Australian Education Union (AEU) said it had ‘concerns about how remote schools would be managed amid the coronavirus pandemic … there were also concerns about the provision of cleaners and sanitary products at remote schools.’

Further Health Risk To Education Providers

Early Years Educators and child carers have provided a key service during the pandemic. Supporting health workers and other key workers by looking after their offspring. However the lack of support and protection in terms of supplies and funding has left many feeling unsafe. Workers are not only under a huge amount of pressure to keep children safe but also many have expressed concern for their own health and safety where small children require so much hands on care. This has been exacerbated by financial implications leading to staff cuts and the remaining workers spreading themselves more thinly.

‘The government has largely ignored the realities of EC [early childhood] environments, the impossibility of social distancing with children under five, and the fact we have high exposure to bodily fluids.’

Mental Health

UN

In addition to a fear of being exposed to the virus was a fear of losing salaries and benefits, all while coping with increased workloads and family responsibilities. This is especially true of female teachers who had to continue teaching and bore a disproportionate share of family responsibilities.

Another factor impeding many EY educators is where they are having to combine caring for their own children at the same time as managing the care of other children. This includes extending physical resources. Parents are having to ration some supplies between their own families and the children they care for.

“If the children I serve are still hungry after the recommended portion for their age, there is no second serving now. Stores have limited supplies and limits on amounts purchased in our area, and they are raising prices. My own children will not be getting a second serving of food or more milk, because child care children also need these items. I had to witness my daughter cry this week, because I had to tell her she can’t have more food or milk.” – Justine, child care provider