COVID-19 and students from disadvantaged backgrounds

The UK education system was not designed to sustain extended periods of shutdown—a measure inevitably imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Educational institutions have worked tirelessly, often relying on technology and online platforms in an attempt to manage the disruption caused to undergraduate study. However, the resulting impact has disproportionately affected students from disadvantaged and underprivileged backgrounds.

When you imagine a university student, you most likely conjure the image of someone who has recently completed school, studying full-time and able to prioritise their studies over other demands. If so, you would not be alone in thinking this as these are the students that UK universities still principally cater to, and around whom their practices are typically organised.

Though universities have implemented and encouraged special measures to prevent potential setbacks, these largely benefit privileged and advantaged individuals. Universities have altered their practices by introducing various examinations and assessments that are now taking place during, what is for many, their long-awaited freedom from education—the summer holidays. However, introducing strict and weighted exams during this time is likely to disproportionally affect those in less privileged situations. Even more troubling in this context are the persistent achievement disparities that emerge across socioeconomic backgrounds and between white students and students of black and minority ethnic heritage. Summer examinations not only establish disproportioned learning losses for these students, but they also widen and contribute to existing gaps, potentially leading to a rise in drop-out and referral rates.