Government 'must plan how to keep schools open in any future pandemic'

A report on the effect that Covid-19 has had on children's education stated that, despite best efforts, remote learning couldn't fully bridge the gap of the classroom experience.

The Government should already be planning its response to any future pandemic, including how best to keep schools open to avoid further education disadvantage, the country's Special Rapporteur on Child Protection has said.

In his latest report, published today, Prof Conor O'Mahony assesses the impact of "the perfect storm" of Covid-19 on children and finds that those with special educational needs and from disadvantaged backgrounds were the most severely affected.