Children have been left to languish in the pandemic

In March 2020, it was obvious to me that closing schools would harm the welfare of children more than if they were left open. Currently, about 20,000 children are missing from school, many of whom are at high risk of being drawn into drug dealing. These kids and their families will bear a huge psychological cost from lockdown, their life expectancies have been reduced, and they could impact greatly on exchequer costs through drug misuse, prison, unemployment and so on. And it’s not just vulnerable children who have been asked to pay too high a price. Even if we leave aside the educational effects, and ignore the widening inequalities in attainment, all children have been required to put on hold their social development, sporting activities, and play. When the public inquiry is held next year, for example, one of its first questions should be: where were those who really understood the impact of restrictive social distancing measures on the welfare of children and young adults?

Read Paul’s comment piece in The Times (paywall).