A study by the University of the Free State and the University of Fort Hare, in collaboration with numerous international universities, has found that Covid-19 regulations overlooked long-term needs of the poor and children.
The International and National Overviews of the impact of Covid-19 on Education, Food and Play/Leisure and Related Adaptations was published on PANEX – Youth Research – on Tuesday.
The study has been divided into two volumes, including the Long Report, which focuses on a broader impact of Covid-19 on children around the globe. The other one, the Short Report, narrows the findings down to South Africa, Brazil and the UK.
It emphasises that in South Africa, being one of the countries hardest-hit by the pandemic, education was stunted, and access to nutritious foods was reduced.
Children and youth, especially in disadvantaged backgrounds, struggled with social development, as they were restricted from leaving home to play with peers.
Researcher of this project and senior lecture in the department of geography at the University of the Free State, Abraham Matamanda, said the Covid-19 pandemic only made the poor poorer because of the regulations that did not better their livelihoods.
“The Covid-19 pandemic showed the lack of understanding of what children and young people need in their daily lives. During the pandemic, the rights of children and young people, especially play/leisure, accessing adequate food and education, seemed to be overlooked or least prioritised.
“This was evident from the slow and inconsistent Covid-19 government policies and strategies that failed to acknowledge the networks and value chains through which children and young people are supported.
“In this way, our research shows the gaps and inequalities created and widened among children and young people in South Africa, especially those from disadvantaged households, who have now been left behind and are grappling to adapt in the post-pandemic period,” said Matamanda.
The research team suggested children needed to be considered when preparing for a pandemic. Disadvantaged households should be given enough attention, and the government should offer greater recognition of play and leisure as rights that are fundamental to children and young people’s development.
Lead author and Professor of Planning and Urban Transformation at the University College London, Lauren Andres, said Covid-19 only highlighted the social imbalances that already existed before the pandemic – and made them worse.
“Covid-19 exposed and exacerbated inequalities that already existed prior to the pandemic. Children and young people’s voices and needs were not heard and accounted for.
“Our research shows that because of policy gaps and slow government action during the pandemic, disadvantaged children and young people are now facing serious consequences that could be with them for a long time,” said Andres.
Universities involved also include the University of Birmingham and Nottingham Trent University, both in England.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa.
