Leisure-time centres and youth centres during meeting ban in Iceland spring 2020.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the schooling and lives of 1.6 billion children and young people in 190 nations on every continent. This article discusses the impact of the COVID-19 meeting ban on the activities and services of leisure-time centers and youth centers in Iceland. The aim of the study was to shed light on the attitudes and experiences of managers about the effects of the ban on daily activities. An electronic survey took place from 27 April to 26 May 2020. The survey was sent to e-mail addresses of managers in leisure activities in the capital area and to the e-mail addresses of all primary school staff in the country. This research explores only the responses from the 117 managers of leisure programs, the managers of leisure-time centers (i. frístundaheimili) (N=69) and the managers of youth centers (i. félagsmiðstöðvar) (N=48). Most participants worked in the capital area. Other articles in this special issue discuss findings relating to teachers in primary school and social pedagogues who work in schools.

The results show a significantly different working environment of leisure centers, on the one hand-time centers and youth centers, on the other. The activities of most youth centers came to a significant halt when the management was forced to close due to the lockdown in spring 2020. The attendance of children at leisure-time centers decreased significantly and great emphasis was placed on smaller groups and quarantine compartments. Almost all managers of youth centers, 87%, reported that the centers had been partially or completely closed during the lockdown. The situation was different when it came to leisure-time centers, as about 83% of managers answered that the leisure-time centers had been open during the lockdown. About 71% of youth center managers said they had organized online activities to reach and mobilize young people. The results clearly show that immigrant youth were least involved in electronic leisure activities and also that the participants believed young people with learning disabilities (e.g., ADHD, dyslexia) were less involved in online activities. It is noteworthy how many managers felt they had succeeded in adapting to changing circumstances. It is reasonable to estimate that since most youth centers were partially or completely closed, it was more challenging for the managers to mobilize the young people in these circumstances. It is noteworthy that only about half of the participants thought they had received advice or assistance in reorganizing their leisure activities. In open-ended questions participants were asked about the challenges and opportunities they had faced during the lockdown. It is interesting to note that some leisure center managers discussed in particular the positive effects of having smaller groups of children in their daily work. This created a calmer atmosphere and an opportunity to connect better with the children and the children also made new friends. The epidemiological authorities placed strong emphasis on the maintenance of quarantine cells by educational institutions, and leisure activities also had to comply with the same division into groups. The majority of the managers of leisure centers, about 66%, thought they knew that children broke out of quarantine cells during their free time; that is, played with children who were not from the same class or teaching group. They found this very hard to control and had to tell the children that they might even not be able to play with their best friends.

The managers made efforts to show flexibility and initiative to maintain activities for children and young people during the lockdown. Nevertheless, it is worrying that only about a quarter of the participants answered positively to reaching out specifically to socially isolated children. It is important to develop ways to better reach immigrant youth and young people who are socially isolated. The government must consider ways to ensure that children and young people have access to dynamic and well-organized leisure activities during pandemics. The managers and leisure-time staff need to be given increased professional and practical support.