Differential effects and success stories of distance education in Covid-19 lockdowns on the development of reading comprehension in primary schools.

In the current study, the development in reading comprehension performance of students in lower-SES versus higher-SES schools during and after school closures due to Covid-19 lockdowns was examined, and compared to a normed reference group. Furthermore, we explored protective factors against negative effects at the time of school closures, by pinpointing successful practices in a sub sample of resilient lower-SES schools. The total sample consisted of 2202 students followed from grade 2-4. Overall, we found that students in lower-SES schools made less progress over time than students in higher-SES schools. On average, students made less progress during the lockdowns, but here, the interaction with SES was not significant. Students' reading comprehension levels partially recovered after the lockdowns. Questionnaire-data revealed that schools were better prepared during the second lockdown, with teachers making more use of digital means, and providing more online reading instruction. In addition, collaboration with the parents seemed to have improved. The in depth interviews with resilient lower-SES schools revealed that the introduction of online education and investing in educational partnerships with parents may have helped to minimize the negative impact of lockdowns. We conclude that lockdowns have a negative effect on the development of reading education, but that students are resilient. Digital means and partnership with parents may be seen as protective factors to attenuate the negative effects of emergency remote teaching.

[Relatively limited utilization of transportation facilities for handicapped by allochthonous handicapped subjects in The Netherlands]. / Verhoudingsgewijs gering gebruik door allochtone inwoners van verplaatsingsvoorzieningen voor gehandicapten in Nederland.

In order to check whether immigrants and nationals in the Netherlands behave differently in connection with the application for mobile facilities for handicapped people, a retrospective, comparative study was carried out in The Hague and Rotterdam, where more than 20% of the immigrants reside. A total of 600 applicants for mobile facilities in 1986 were selected at random, 300 from Rotterdam and 300 from The Hague; based on the surname of the applicant, the latter was considered to be either an immigrant or a national. Mobile facilities are the most frequently provided facilities. The division between the different nationalities involving the applications was derived from the demographic figures of both cities. Moreover various characteristics of a minor group of immigrant and national applicants for mobile facilities were analysed. In both cities fewer immigrants had applied for a mobile facility than might have been expected on the basis of the demographic figures. To substantiate this, a similar study was made of a file on 1477 clients, who had a mobile facility on loan from the Community Health Service in The Hague. Fewer immigrants than might have been expected on the basis of the demographic figures, had a mobile facility on loan. Immigrants, compared to nationals, are lagging considerably behind with respect to using mobile facilities from the facility package of the General Disablement Act (p less than 0.05). It was noticeable from the characteristics of the applicants and users of mobile facilities, that applications from immigrants for a mobile facility were mostly submitted by an official of a convalescence institute. Applications from immigrants mostly involved young people suffering from neurological disorders. National applicants and users of a mobile facility mostly submitted the application themselves; they had a higher average age and often suffered from neurological disorders or diseases of joints and muscles.