By late March 2020, schools, nurseries and colleges in Britain were shut in response to the violent spread of Covid-19. Except for the children of key workers and those considered vulnerable, all teaching took place online.
Learning from home was deeply unsatisfactory. Attainment gaps widened with those from disadvantaged backgrounds more likely to suffer. But the pandemic also had another lingering impact — when the schools finally reopened, not everyone returned.
Pre-Covid, one in 10 children were classed as persistently absent, according to the Department for Education. Now, it is more than one in five. And so today, schools in the capital are being forced to take unprecedented and extraordinary measures to tackle what can only be described as a truancy crisis. They are right to take action.
We know from the pandemic itself the invidious impact of lost learning on the life chances of young people. Those who miss large swathes of schooling perform worse in exams, if they take them at all. This is a personal tragedy and on a national level, a threat to productivity.
Covid changed the norm that people, not least young ones, must show up in person. Without a reversal, the economic and social consequences will be incalculable.
Getting back on track
With a little over three weeks until the mayoral election, the Standard is continuing its audit into Sadiq Khan’s record. Today, it is the turn of transport, where the Mayor’s decisions affect the largest number of people.
This time three years ago, Transport for London was on life-support, as rolling lockdowns sent passenger numbers plummeting. Today, the picture is much rosier. TfL is even about to post a £126 million annual “operating surplus’. Meanwhile, passenger numbers have returned to near pre-pandemic levels, at roughly 90 per cent.
Of course, there remain plenty of legitimate gripes. The threat of industrial action has not subsided, with strikes today on national rail services. Issues with the Central line have led to near-permanent delays. And the Superloop - through a welcome addition to the network - is not quite Crossrail 2 or the Bakerloo line extension.
Nevertheless, amid a challenging financial environment, the Mayor can rightly be pleased with his record on transport.
Phones are final act
Is nowhere safe from the crushing yoke of the mobile phone? Audiences for the Sister Act musical at the Dominion Theatre in Tottenham Court Road are now being actively encouraged to deploy their cameras and film the performance’s final song - to post on Instagram and other social media, naturally. To which we lament: Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
