Commenting on new research from the Education Endowment
Foundation (EEF), as reported by the BBC this morning, examining
the impact the past year of lockdowns had had on young children’s
language skills, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school
leaders' union NAHT, said:
“The findings of this report are concerning but unsurprising. A
reduction in social interaction with both peers and other adults
during lockdown will inevitably had an impact on some children’s
speech and language development.
“Schools know only too well the importance of supporting young
children with their speech and language development, and they are
expert in creating language-rich environments. However, the scale
of the challenge must not be underestimated and the government
must commit to fully supporting this work and to a multi-year
funding boost for schools to enable them to help all pupils
recover from the effects of lockdown. Equally, the government
must properly invest in nurseries and pre-school provision so
that all children get the support they need as early as possible.
"Schools also need access to specialist services such as speech
and language therapists to provide timely support to those
children with the most significant needs. Ongoing cuts to those
services has meant that too many young children are left without
the vital specialist support they need.”
