How COVID-19 made inequalities visible : a chronicle of parental struggles in securing educational support and opportunities for children amid a pandemic

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the educational inequalities heightened by the pandemic, as experienced by children aged 0 – 11 years from their parents’ perspective within their homes. Two online questionnaires were held that addressed the shift to remote teaching during school closure in Malta. Findings show that the parents’ level of education, their financial ability, and the time they could dedicate to assisting their children, affected the children’s learning opportunities. The study recommends the need for policymakers to address the still-existing digital, social and economic inequities to continue working towards a socially just education system post-pandemic.