Which children, whose childhoods? How the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified epistemic power struggles in early childhood education

Global intersecting crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate emergency, and the shrinking of civic space, increasingly unveil and amplify deep systemic inequalities. A growing body of literature shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted the learning and development of young children, especially for those already experiencing inequalities. This article draws on a critical discourse analysis of a literature review commissioned by the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry. It operationalises a critical epistemic justice lens to consider the epistemic politics in research literature and wider social discourses about early childhood education, during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our analysis shows that young children, particularly from minoritised groups, are routinely excluded from knowledge production processes. We suggest reevaluating how ‘evidence gaps’ are framed and avoiding reductionist, individualistic approaches to generating knowledge about complex social issues. We discuss how emotional constructions of childhood as a site of social intervention and control, amplified by alarmist narratives about childhoods in decline, further undermine children’s epistemic agency.