Children who began school this year may be encountering more difficulties and be less prepared compared to those born before the Covid-19 pandemic, the findings of a study from Mary Immaculate College suggest.
The study focused on the experience of just over 100 teachers of junior infant classes, 80% of whom stated a belief they have more pupils now with emotional and behavioural issues compared to pre-pandemic times.
Teachers' perceptions were gathered in an online survey which aimed to find out whether experiencing the pandemic during infancy might have influenced later development when starting school.
The teachers were asked questions about how their current class of junior infant children, aged 4-6 years, were faring and how they compared with previous classes they taught before the pandemic.
Read more on rte.ie