Social class, COVID-19 and care: Schools on the front line in Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Schools have a duty of care to children that extends beyond educational performance to include wellbeing and welfare. Yet, research has highlighted the tensions that arise when ‘care’ and ‘learning’ are treated as binaries, especially when schools operate within unequal socio-­economic conditions. Extended COVID-19 school closures brought these issues into sharp relief, highlighting the central role of schools as a front line service in the lives of poorer children. This paper provides qualitative insights into the classed experiences of extended school closure and the role and response of schools through the eyes of parents, teachers and principals in Ireland. We frame these responses in the context of the provision of a careful education, exploring the role of normative and affective relations in teaching and learning. Questions are posed in relation to schools as care regimes and the ‘mission creep’ between educational and welfare provision in schools serving poorer children.

Keywords:

• COVID-19 school closure
• lay normativity
• affective relations
• children’s rights
• socio-economic inequality
• social class

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 Children in the Irish school system start school in junior infant class and follow a transition journey to senior infant class, first and second class and then third, fourth, fifth and sixth class. Junior infant pupils are aged between 4 to 5 and third class children and aged between 7 to 8.

2 Nonetheless the sample has representation of all family types.

3 All names used are pseudonyms.

4 CS denotes case study in each of the interview participant descriptors.

5 The School Meals Scheme provides funding towards provision of food services for disadvantaged school children