Home schooling hindered learning for two thirds of Australian school students, new survey says

Home schooling during the pandemic left two-thirds of primary school students behind in their learning and ramped up stress, a new survey shows.

Emma McKenzie with daughter Ruby, 7, at a park near their home. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Home schooling hindered learning for two-thirds of primary school students in the pandemic, with many glued to screens and suffering high anxiety.

Widespread worry about children’s physical and mental health as a result of school shutdowns is revealed in a survey of 3000 parents of six to 12-year-olds, conducted a month before kids went back to class in 2022.

Half the parents felt extra screen time, including hours spent learning online or gaming, watching TV or using social media, had a significant or severe impact on their children.

The cancellation of children’s sport was cited by a quarter of parents as having a significant or ­severe impact on children’s physical wellbeing.

One in five parents felt the pandemic significantly or severely impacted their children’s learning, leading to “emotional instability’’ and high anxiety.

Parents in Victoria – which endured the world’s longest lockdown – and in Sydney, where students were homeschooled for months last year, were the most likely to report problems.

Seven-year-old Ruby McKenzie spent her first two years of school outside the classroom, learning from home in suburban Melbourne.

Her mother, Emma McKenzie, said her daughter had “struggled a lot socially’’ when she couldn’t play with other children.

“Ruby didn’t really play with anyone for two years, off and on,’’ she said. “It was extremely hard.’’

Ms McKenzie, who operates a home cleaning business, was not allowed to work during lockdowns so she struggled financially as she stayed home to teach her daughter to read and write.

“She’s a lot happier being back at school with friends and being away from me,’’ she said.

More than 90 per cent of parents surveyed in Victoria and NSW said their children felt disconnected from friends and family because of lockdowns and remote learning.

Despite the challenges, three-quarters of parents felt their children had grown more resilient and independent throughout the pandemic.

Nearly half said their children were more enthusiastic about ­attending school.

Clinical psychologist and family therapist Andrew Fuller said Covid “took the fun away’’ for children. “We need to take these impacts like children feeling more disconnected very seriously,’’ he said. “In times of dislocation like now, we all need to work harder to recreate a sense of belonging and connection.’’

The survey was conducted by Camp Australia, the nation’s largest provider of outside school hours care, over the summer holidays. Camp Australia chief executive Warren Jacobson said children craved a “sense of normalcy … Two years into the pandemic, children have missed their friends,’’ he said.

“They have spent more time in front of screens and less time being active outdoors. As a result, they’re more anxious.’’

Primary School Principals Association president Malcolm ­Elliott said many households were experiencing “toxic stress’’ because of the pandemic, floods and financial strain.

“Parents feel at a loss about what to do to support their children, and principals feel at a loss because of the shortage of psychological support services in our country,’’ he said.

Screen time was nominated as having the most severe impact on students by 89 school principals surveyed in the Camp Australia survey.

Eighty per cent of principals and two-thirds of parents believed the pandemic had a negative impact on children’s learning.