The head of the Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Boris Jokic, said on Wednesday that schools had to remain open, as indicated by findings of a research showing that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on most students, their motivation and mental health.

“The key message is that it is essential to keep schools open,” the researcher said presenting the findings of the survey which the institute conducted among 27,000 students and 4,796 teachers in May and June to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 devastating earthquakes in Croatia.

The project, worth HRK 280,000, was funded by the Education and Science Ministry.

As many as 59.1% of secondary school seniors and 37% of elementary school sixth graders said that the pandemic had had a negative or extremely negative impact on the lives of most students.

The pandemic has had the most negative impact on students’ sport activities, extracurricular activities and mental well-being.

Findings indicate a marked increase in depression and anxiety, while peer violence has stagnated, Jokic said.

The researcher underscored that mental problems could have worse long-term consequences than the pandemic.

One of the positive effects of the pandemic seems to be the strengthening of family bonds, as stated by 33.3% of the secondary school seniors covered by the poll.

Considering the anti-epidemic rules, students are particularly opposed to mandatory mask wearing inside schools and restrictions preventing them from socialising with students from other classrooms.

Two thirds of primary school teachers against wearing masks in schools

Also, 67.6% of teachers in elementary schools expressed their disapproval of the mandatory mask rule.

Changes in the education system, triggered by the pandemic, have produced a negative effect on students’ motivation and working habits.

Students of all age cohorts prefer face-to-face classroom education to distance learning, Jokic said.

Teachers were mainly satisfied with the material support during the pandemic, but they find their job more demanding in the current situation.

Education Minister Radovan Fuchs commended the research and said that the authorities would take into account its findings when making decisions on the new school year.

He declined to reveal possible anti-epidemic rules for the education sector in the 2021-2022 school year, noting that more information would be provided after the government’s meeting on Thursday.