A Department for Education adviser on behaviour policy says that the pandemic era lockdowns “broke the spell” of children and parents building their lives and habits around going to school (School leaders in England feel lockdown ‘broke spell’ of bond with parents, 23 November). I argue that, for many, this was a spell that needed breaking.
Lockdown was notoriously unequal in its effects. Some vulnerable children were more exposed to harm in the home, and for others, removing the school routine opened a window on a different kind of learning, driven by curiosity and self-direction. This window has slammed shut. Most have reverted to the view that school attendance should be mandatory and that education can only take place inside school.
