A big chunk of that decline has to be caused by the masks!! I have been saying from the very beginning. Depriving young children's developing brains of the feedback of watching human faces is catastrophic. Being able to read and understand the expressions of other humans is foundational to our survival as a species.
the masks also deprive children's brains of oxygen, which lowers IQ. Even in the decade prior to covid, a lot of research papers were published showing that schools in high-oxygen areas (such as a mountain valley with lots of trees) earned higher test scores than schools in low-oxygen areas (like smog-filled cities). Some educators even floated the idea of having kids use oxygen masks in between class to 'super-charge' their brains.
A big chunk of that decline has to be caused by the masks!! I have been saying from the very beginning. Depriving young children's developing brains of the feedback of watching human faces is catastrophic. Being able to read and understand the expressions of other humans is foundational to our survival as a species.
the masks also deprive children's brains of oxygen, which lowers IQ. Even in the decade prior to covid, a lot of research papers were published showing that schools in high-oxygen areas (such as a mountain valley with lots of trees) earned higher test scores than schools in low-oxygen areas (like smog-filled cities). Some educators even floated the idea of having kids use oxygen masks in between class to 'super-charge' their brains.