HALIFAX -- Lorelei Burgess works with Oxford Learning, a company that provides tutoring services. When she read a study measuring the impact of COVID-19 on education, she wasn't surprised by the results.
According to the UNESCO study, the novel coronavirus will affect more than 800 million students.
There have been 79 countries that have been hit with full school closures or reduced schedules.
There have also been social impacts, learning set backs, and many students have walked away from their studies.
"There is still a lot of uncertainty around what we are going to find as a result of COVID-19," said Burgess.
According to Burgess, it's especially important to keep an eye on students in Grades Primary, 1, and 2.
"That is such an important time for kids," said Burgess. "So what we are seeing is kids are struggling even more so than they were before."
Lucas Wide has three children in school.
"Our kids are very resilient," Wide said.
His youngest started school in September.
Going back to pre-primary when schools closed last spring and continuing with class resumption in the fall of 2020, Wide says so far so good.
"I was very skeptical going into it, but we've had nothing but positive experience so far," Wide said.
Burgess is not surprised there have been success stories, but she's fearful many other early development students could fall behind.
"That's a huge concern, especially marginalized communities," Burgess said. "Especially where education might not be as high priority, or if they don't have the same access to resources that all the kids do."
She is also concerned about students with learning disabilities, or those who were struggling in school when classes were put on hold.
"The impacts of COVID impact on them even greater than it did most of the students," Burgess said.
Nova Scotia Education Minister Zach Churchill says he's looking at the big picture.
"We did send early learning products home with students," Churchill said. "We were the only province in Canada to have a non-digital option, and sending hardcopies home for the early years."
Churchill says the province's education COVID-19 strategy targets all levels, but they also have placed an added emphasis on the younger grades.
"We've been able to keep our kids in school," Churchill said. "Keep our COVID numbers low, and have a very safe learning environment."
As for the university level, Bryn de Chastelain says beyond the actual learning process COVID is having a broader impact on students as they look to the future.
"There is a tremendous amount of uncertainty and doubt about what the workflow force is going to look like, said de Chastelain, the president and CEO of the Saint Mary's University Students' Association. "We saw a tremendous number of challenges for students last spring."
The Saint Mary's University Students Association president says graduating students hoping to launch their careers will likely face short term set backs.
De Chastelain says COVID could also affect student placement in graduate schools, especially for those not thriving in an e-learning environment.
