Victorian parents urged not to hold kids back a year because of remote learning
Stalled academic progress due to extensive periods of remote learning is causing some parents to consider holding their kids back a year, but experts are urging them to let kids transition.
Early Years
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Parents anxious about their children’s stalled academic progress due to remote learning are being told their children should not repeat a year of school.
The Herald Sun can reveal the Department of Education is not expecting to see more children repeating in 2021 despite extensive periods of home schooling.
“We also anticipate that in most cases, children will make a successful transition to school after their four-year-old kindergarten year,” the spokesman said.
“Families can be confident that the best option for almost every child is to stay with their peer group, whether that is moving from kindergarten into prep, or moving from grade 6 into year 7 at secondary school, or students moving up any year level in between.”
It comes as parents with kinder kids starting school next year have been attending transition webinars and inquiring about an extra year of preschool. Other parents with concerns include those with children in year six starting high school in 2021.
Gail McHardy, president of Parents Victoria, said some parents were worried about how their children were going to cope with their transition back to school. But she urged parents “not to allow your anxiety to determine the outcome – the educators will determine what’s best for your child”.
“Remote learning may have had an impact on some children but it is premature to make a judgment now,” she said.
Michael Gray, president of the Victorian Association of Catholic Primary Schools, said he had “every confidence that students will be progressing through schools”.
“Schools are gearing up to get kids back and we are feeling very optimistic,” he said.
Mr Gray, principal at St Joseph’s Warrnambool, said schools will review each student’s progress when they return. “They will consolidate essential core curriculum areas of literacy and numeracy,” he said.
“They also understand the importance of wellbeing and connection to peers,” he said.
Julie Podbury, president of the Australian Principal’s Association, said remote learning “would have left some kids behind, especially those from families where English is not spoken at home”.
Australian Education Union branch president Meredith Peace said that while some students found it challenging to adapt to remote learning, others had thrived.
“While there may need to be some further evaluation and support provided to students over the next six months, we wouldn’t expect any more students than normal to be repeating year levels,” she said.
“Teachers and students need the Andrews Government to make extra funding available so we can employ more teachers and ensure that students who need extra help can get more small group and one-on-one support,” she said.
The Education Department said it was working with schools to provide learning, literacy and numeracy specialists to help individual students who need help.