Beyond the Closure: Autoethnographic Insights into the Lasting Impacts of COVID-19 on Education in Egypt and the UK

This study examines the long-term implications of COVID-19 school closures in two contrasting contexts: an Egyptian village school and a Muslim school in Manchester, UK. Using autoethnography, it weaves together teacher interviews, follow-up conversations, and the researcher’s own memories as both student and teacher. Six themes emerged: unfinished schooling and reliance on tutoring; cultural as well as technical digital divides; religion shaping the use of e-tools; the emotional labour of teachers; post-COVID continuities; and shifting cultural meanings of education. Findings show that COVID-19 acted not as a rupture but as an accelerant, magnifying inequalities and redrawing boundaries between school, family, and technology. In Egypt, closures entrenched shadow education; in Manchester, digital engagement blurred home–school boundaries and exposed hidden inequalities. The study highlights the need for policies that move beyond access and infrastructure to address the cultural, moral, and emotional dimensions of post-COVID education.