At the debate organized by the journal Respekt and researchers from The National Institute for Research on Socioeconomic Impacts of Diseases and Systemic Risks (SYRI) at the end of February 2025, our team member Tomáš Lintner highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education. He pointed out that the crisis significantly deepened inequalities among students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Children from less privileged families had limited access to technology during lockdowns, faced higher psychological distress, and often could not afford professional support. Lintner described the pandemic as an accelerator of mental health issues, emphasizing how school closures and the sudden shift to remote learning significantly changed education conditions.