High school kids worried about study delays, loneliness due to Covid: Study

Over a third of high school students in their third year think that they've fallen behind in their school work during the coronavirus crisis. About 40 percent felt lonley during and after the lockdown, according to a new study by Maastricht University, the Telegraaf reports.

Kids in pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO) were affected most by the coronavirus crisis and the closure of schools, the researchers found. The percentage of VMBO pupils who think they will pass their final exams decreased from 85 percent last year to 75 percent this year. The number who think they will be able to obtain a higher professional education (HBO) diploma decreased from 37 percent to 27 percent.

The number of pupils in HAVO and VWO who expect to complete a university bachelor's degree also saw a significant decrease, dropping from 28 percent last year to 23 percent this year.

According to Trudie Schils, professor of educational economics at Maastricht University, action must be taken to help these pupils now, to prevent problems later in their lives.

The university has been surveying pupils in their third year of secondary school for a decade. Every year, about 2 thousand pupils take part in the study.