May 14 (UPI) -- The United Nations said its latest audit of the wellbeing of children around the world found that the COVID-19 crisis had severe negative impacts on the classroom performance and mental and physical health of many children in wealthy countries.
Comparing 2018 data with 2022 data, the UNICEF Global Office of Research and Foresight report issued Tuesday looking at 43 OECD countries revealed the pandemic and shutdowns had exacerbated existing trends with children under-performing at school, more likely to be overweight and obese and less happy overall in the post-COVID-19 era.
Steep declines in academic ability were widespread, especially the basics such as reading and math, due to 3-12 month shutdowns that forced many children to learn remotely, resulting in children falling an estimated 7-12 months behind where they should be, UNICEF said in a news release.
Children from disadvantaged families fell furthest behind together with a 4% rise to around 8 million in the number of 15-year-olds functionally illiterate and innumerate, meaning they cannot understand a basic text, prompting fears for their future prospects.
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