The students accumulate gaps in study during the pandemic, while those from socially deprived families continue to remain outside education. The results achieved by students have declined, the young people being overwhelmed by the volume of homework and content that they have to assimilate individually and have a negative attitude to education. The mental and physical health of students is affected by the dependence on screens, by reduced physical activity and stress, shows a study of the effects of the online education system imposed by the pandemic that was carried out by the National Youth Council.

In a news conference at IPN, Roman Banari, secretary general of the Council, said 65% of the students say that due to the teaching system and the instruments used inefficiently online, they feel they lag behind. They have lower grades and it is harder for them to understand the content. 50% of the parents of seventh-twelfth graders said that since the pandemic started, the children more often complain that the content is difficult. Consequently, students’ results have worsened. 89% of the teachers said they noticed the students during the pandemic study worse.

Some 32% of the interviewed young people said it took them more than three hours to do the homework. “As the duration of a lesson was shortened, I have questions about the studied content,” said a student, who complained that they have to do a lot of additional work. “The students who until now were used to play only in the online environment now cannot primarily adjust to online learning,” said a teacher.

The analysis of the study data shows the solution provided by the authorities fails. 49% of the teachers said the Government didn’t offer assistance in engaging vulnerable students in education in the conditions of the new reality. 46% of the young people who do not have a personal computer said they didn’t ask for a device for connecting online to the education process from the authorities as they didn’t know that this is possible. 19% of the students who do not have a personal computer said they asked for a connection device, but didn’t get one.

The study was based on online questioning. It involved 1,125 persons: 557 students of the seventh-twelfth grades, 347 parents and 221 teachers from 30 districts. The study was conducted with support from the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, through the re-granting scheme of the Form, and is financed by the European Union.