School closures during the covid-19 pandemic temporarily shifted schooling from the classroom to the home. This paper provides an insight into parents’ perspectives of this experience of home-based learning. The research shows parents have a wide range of views on how, how often, and how well schooling was carried out. Parents also differ on how they say their child progressed and their lasting impressions of the education system.
The CIS commissioned YouGov to survey Australian parents with school-aged children. The data from the 803 surveyed parents covers NSW, Queensland, and Victoria.
Results reveal that parents mostly felt well supported by schools and generally improved their opinions of the education system — especially the role played by teachers. Despite this, many parents say their children fell behind in their learning. Results from parents in regional and rural areas shows they are markedly less satisfied with the home-based learning experience.
While home-based learning due to the pandemic is a unique event, the findings present opportunities to reconsider broader priorities shaping the education system. This includes the effectiveness of ongoing interactions between parents and schools, as well as future opportunities to improve flexibility of schooling.
