While teachers have “done their darndest” to make it work under difficult circumstances, the COVID-19 pandemic will inevitably leave a “gap” in education, said Lauren Bialystok, an associate professor of educational ethics at the University of Toronto.
Filling the gap will be important, she said, but tacking onto the school year — even running through the summer break — would create a “domino effect.” But for some students, it could be beneficial. “Summer already constitutes a major disadvantage to the already disadvantaged students in our school system,” Bialystok said.
She explained poorer families often face increased challenges. While kids from middle-class and affluent backgrounds go to summer camps and take vacations, kids from poorer