Page 60 - EducationWorld September 2020

International News

UNITED STATES extra mental health support to students who struggle with
Alarming pandemic depression remote instruction.

Igor Chirikov, senior researcher and director of the
SERU Consortium, says the impact of the pandemic on stu-
dents mental health is “alarming”, with the prevalence of
disorders among marginalised sub-populations “especially
worrisome”.
Chirikov recommends that universities allocate more
resources for a potential increase in students’ requests
for mental health services and proactively publicise these
services, while academics could embed mental health re-
sources in their classes, for instance by including mental
health modules in their learning management software
programmes.

UNITED KINGDOM
A levels U-turn problems
US postgrad varsity students: more pronounced disorders
UNIVERSITIES IN THE UK HAVE WARNED
THE SHARE OF US POSTGRADUATE students that they might not be able to find a place for every
suffering depression has more than doubled dur- eligible student this autumn despite the lifting of
ing the coronavirus pandemic, according to a ma- caps on numbers to accommodate a major U-turn on A-level
jor survey of students at nine public research universities. grading. Institutions were already facing major uncertainty
A survey of 30,725 undergraduates and 15,346 postgradu- about their student numbers after last-minute changes to
ates by the Student Experience in the Research University the handling of school exam results led to the prospect of
(SERU) Consortium, based at the University of California, thousands of grades being overturned on appeal.
Berkeley, found 35 percent of undergrads and 32 percent The publication of A-level results in England on August
postgraduates screened positive for major depressive order, 13 brought confirmation that more than a quarter of a mil-
while 39 percent of both cohorts screened positive for gen- lion results have been downgraded from teacher estimates
eralised anxiety disorder. as part of a standardisation process brought in to calculate
Both disorder rates are more pronounced among low-in- grades after exams were cancelled because of the Corona-
come students, students of colour, women and non-binary, virus pandemic.
LGBTQ students and students who are caregivers, accord- But after mounting pressure, Ofqual, England’s exam
ing to the study, which was conducted between May-July regulator, announced on August 17 that original teacher
2020. The rates are also higher among students who adapt- estimates would be accepted, a U-turn similar to that made
ed poorly to remote instruction. in Scotland the week before. The Welsh government and
When comparing the results with an equivalent survey the Northern Ireland executive also announced that teacher
carried out by the SERU Consortium in spring 2019, the estimates will be accepted.
data reveals that the share of postgraduates suffering men- These U-turns have plunged the university admissions
tal health disorders has increased as a result of the pandem- process into chaos. As of the morning of August 17, more
ic. The prevalence of depression among postgraduate and than 190,000 18-year-olds had been accepted into their
professional students is two times higher in 2020 compared first-choice courses. But a further 85,000 had either ac-
with 2019, while the prevalence of anxiety is one and a half cepted other places or were still deciding on their next
times higher this year. move. These students might want to change their decision
The research also found that students in arts, humani- if the scrapping of standardisation leaves them with better
ties, communication and design fields are particularly vul- grades.
nerable to mental health problems. Almost two-thirds (63 Shortly after announcing the U-turn on grading, educa-
per cent) of postgrads studying English language and litera- tion secretary, Gavin Williamson, said a cap on university
ture tested positive for anxiety, while 51 percent tested posi- places introduced for English students this year would be
tive for depression. Social and behavioural science students scrapped as well. Mary Curnock Cook, the former chief of
are also more likely to suffer from mental health disorders. admissions body UCAS, had said that lifting the cap had
The study recommends that academics and staff in these to be priority “number one” after the U-turn, given that so
departments receive additional training on how to identify many more students would now be eligible for a place in
mental health risks and refer students to appropriate re- universities. But she added that the government also needs
sources on campus. It also suggests that universities provide to understand that there is now a “massive heavy lifting”

60 EDUCATIONWORLD SEPTEMBER 2020