Nearly 80 percent of parents say they became more interested in kids' education during virtual learning: study
Seventy-nine percent of parents say they became more interested in how their child was being educated during the pandemic, when the process went largely virtual, according to a new survey.
The survey, conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, similarly found that 84 percent of parents agreed they learned more about how their child was educated during pandemic at-home education, and 78 percent said they became more involved in their child’s education because of what they saw.
“Things were moving along as usual, and then within a few weeks of being at home all day with their children, parents were able to see first-hand what their students were learning, or not learning,” the National Alliance wrote in its report.
“Some students were receiving only a few hours of remote-learning instruction per week,” the report continued. “Parents began to talk among themselves, sharing tips with each other.”
Seventy-one percent of parents worried about learning loss during the pandemic, and concerns heightened about safety and the overall wellbeing of students while they are learning, according to the survey.
The survey also found that more parents appeared to switch their child’s category of school since the pandemic.
Seventeen percent said they switched their child’s school type since March 2020 — a span of roughly two years — compared to 15 percent who said they switched their child’s school type at any time prior to the pandemic. Three-quarters of parents who made a switch since the pandemic said they made the decision due to COVID-19–related factors.
“For many parents, this new interest and involvement may have made them highly motivated to make changes to their child’s education,” the report states.
More than 4 in 5 parents agreed that education has become a more important political issue to them than in the past. Eighty-two percent said they were willing to cross party lines to vote for a candidate aligned with their education views, the survey found.
The survey was conducted online and included interviews with 5,002 parents with school-aged children between May 19 and May 31. The data was weighted on demographic factors like race, region and household income.
Source: TEST FEED1
