Covid-19 slide in education increases inequities: insights into teachers' perceptions of students' academic development

International studies have found that students who were already at risk of educational disadvantage before the pandemic tended to fall even further behind compared to other learners. The current study aims to shed light on teachers’ awareness of prevailing discriminatory environments in schools and their suggestions for countermeasures. Results from four online quantitative cross-sectional studies (N = 6,659) indicate that each teacher sample is aware that overall academic achievement has declined, particularly among at-risk groups. Respondents to the most recent survey (November 2023) locate the factors contributing to educational inequity in the out-of-school setting. In terms of suggestions for countermeasures, participants shared a vision of fundamental and far-reaching changes in the education system. The paper includes a detailed discussion of the findings and an outlook on possible implications.