Scottish inquiry finds pandemic school closures weakened pupils’ social skills and empathy
A Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry report says children who experienced school closures during the pandemic are entering secondary school with weaker social skills and less empathy. Teachers say successive year groups are showing increasing distress and difficulty, with knock-on effects for relationships, behaviour and learning.
The report draws on thousands of accounts gathered between May 2023 and November 2024. Around 70 per cent of participants said physical aggression between pupils rose after the second lockdown in January 2021; staff also reported more verbal abuse and aggression towards teachers. They said lost peer contact and gaps in learning can make it harder to distinguish learning difficulties from missed practice in reading and writing. The Scottish Government said it recognised the pandemic’s profound impact and would consider the evidence.
- Teachers report worsening social skills among pupils affected by lockdowns.
- 70 per cent said physical aggression between learners rose after the second lockdown.
- Staff say learning gaps can be hard to distinguish from learning difficulties.
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During the Covid-19 pandemic, schools in Scotland closed for extended periods to help control the spread of the virus. This happened at various points between 2020 and 2021, with pupils spending weeks or months learning at home rather than in classrooms. Many children lost face-to-face contact with both teachers and their classmates during these closures.
The Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry was set up to investigate the pandemic's effects across various parts of Scottish society, including education. Investigators gathered thousands of accounts from pupils, parents, teachers and school staff about what happened during and after the closures. These accounts were collected between May 2023 and November 2024 to build a comprehensive picture of the pandemic's impact.
Educators and researchers worldwide have been trying to understand how school closures shaped children's long-term development and learning. The evidence gathered by the Scottish inquiry forms part of that broader effort to understand what disruption to education meant for young people and what effects may still be visible in schools today.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Lockdown children ‘lack empathy and social skills’ thanks to pandemic”.