Eva Osborne A new study from Mary Immaculate College (MIC) has found that current classes of junior infants may not be faring as well as children born before the pandemic, according to their teachers. The research, ‘Infants of the Pandemic: Teacher Perspectives on the Early Development and School Readiness of Children Starting School in September 2024’, revealed that 81 per cent of teachers have more pupils now with emotional and behavioural issues compared to pre-pandemic times. The online survey was completed by 107 junior infant class teachers from around Ireland (teaching over 2,000 pupils overall) during December 2024. The survey aimed to find out if experiencing the pandemic during infancy might have influenced later development when starting school. The teachers were asked questions about how their current class of junior infants (aged between four to six) were faring, and how they compared with previous classes they taught before the pandemic. These children spent the early months of their lives in the Covid-19 pandemic, with the resulting lockdowns and social restrictions. Overall, the findings suggest the teachers felt there may be differences in the skills and capabilities of children starting school in September 2024 compared with those who started school before the pandemic. Where differences were noted, they tended to highlight more difficulties for the children now, suggesting that the current cohort of junior infants were less ‘ready’ to start school than previous cohorts. In relation to social and emotional issues, teachers described this academic year’s junior infants as having more separation anxiety from their parents, more anxiety in general and less emotional regulation. Around 42 per cent of teachers also highlighted issues relating to more children starting school without being able to manage personal care. One teacher noted “Children are far less independent coming to school than before the pandemic”. Teachers also noted considerable speech, language and communication difficulties with the children, as well as some difficulties with fine motor control. According to one teacher: “It has been the most challenging class I have had in 27 years of teaching.”

Classroom challenges

Results also highlighted some of the challenging classroom circumstances that many junior infant teachers are currently facing. For example, over half of junior infant class teachers reported having three children or more in their class with an emotional or behavioural issue (73 per cent), a learning or intellectual disability (52 per cent) or a limited knowledge of the main language of instruction (56 per cent). Many teachers reported having more than five children in their class with these difficulties, with a large percentage of teachers indicating numbers have increased since before the pandemic. The schools involved represented a mix of urban, suburban and rural areas, with DEIS and non DEIS schools included. Some teachers had as much as 35 years teaching experience. Commenting on the findings, Dr Suzanne Egan of the Department of Psychology at MIC said: “The issues the teachers have described are concerning, both in terms of child development, and the challenging classroom circumstances for the teachers. "It may be that the changes in social contacts or family life in the early months of children’s lives, and since the pandemic, have contributed to the situation. Potentially, missed or delayed developmental checks could also mean that issues weren’t picked up as early as they might have been. More research is needed to fully understand the nature and extent of the issues, and to determine the causes.” Report co-author, Dr Jennifer Pope of the Department of Reflective Pedagogy and Early Childhood Studies, noted that “these findings highlight the potential long lasting and wide-ranging effects of the pandemic and restrictions on our youngest citizens. "We know that without early interventions and supports, that gaps can widen and developmental delays can worsen over the course of childhood. Through this research, teachers have expressed significant concerns and challenges that require further investment and supports to ensure that schools are also ‘ready’ for young children." For the latest Waterford News and Sport, tune into WLR News on the hour and download the WLR App for news on demand.