In a report to the government on the impact of the health crisis on existing inequalities faced by young people, the EHRC say “key concerns include more children being pushed into poverty, widening educational inequalities and worsening mental health”.
“Poverty is one of the main barriers to the full enjoyment of children’s rights – living in poverty can have a negative impact on children’s health, well-being, education and development,” the report states, predicting that by 2021/22, an extra 1.5m children are expected to be living in poverty due to the pandemic.
The report also warns that the closure of schools, which happened during the first national lockdown between March and September, and inequalities in home learning between those from poorer backgrounds and their more affluent peers “risks exacerbating growing attainment gaps for certain groups, including disabled pupils, some ethnic minorities, and those who are socio-economically disadvantaged.”
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