The impact of Covid-19 on the small schoolchildren and the rural family

Abstract

In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic that also affected Romania, the population faced a series of economic and social problems caused by the reduction of the activity of economic agents and public institutions, the reorganization of the activity of health services, social assistance and of education. Rural life for children in Romania has worsened considerably during the pandemic, according to research conducted by World Vision Romania between May 10 and June 27, 2020. Most rural parents did not work during this period, and almost half of them, failed to provide at all or partially provided access to education, food, medicine and hygiene products. The closure of schools caused by COVID-19 not only affected learning, but also other social issues such as mental health, violence or pronounced social inequalities. One category affected by the COVID-19 pandemic is children in rural areas, where access to the Internet and, in particular, access to broadband is more limited than in urban areas.