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Experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic

Education during the pandemic Te mātauranga i te wā o te mate urutā

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Experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic

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What people said worked well | Ko ngā mea i kī te tangata i pai

  • Some teachers felt well-supported throughout the pandemic.
  • Some teachers and students enjoyed the shift to online teaching and learning.
  • Digital devices and learning materials were provided to schools and students who needed them.
  • School closures protected the vulnerable and reduced spread of COVID-19 in the community.
  • Vaccination and facemask policies helped keep teachers and students safe when schools reopened.

What people said didn’t work or could be improved | Ko ngā mea i kī te tangata kāore i pai, me pai ake rānei

  • Government communication and guidance to schools was at times inadequate or confusing.
  • Remote teaching and learning was difficult for many teachers and students, and schools were not prepared to switch to remote education.
  • School and university closures were disruptive for young people, both socially, and in terms of their learning.
  • Some households didn’t have access to adequate resources for online learning.
  • Teachers were at greater risk from COVID-19 due to the classroom teaching environment.
  • Returning to in-person learning was difficult for some.
  • Unvaccinated students could face delays or barriers to accessing education, and some experienced bullying and discrimination.
  • Vaccine mandates meant skilled and passionate teachers lost their jobs.

What people suggested for the future | Ngā mea i whakatakotoria mai mō muri ake

  • Schools should educate students on viruses, media literacy and public health measures.
  • Education needs greater investment and better support for education providers.
  • Schools need consistent and standardised response plans and protocols for future health emergencies.

Education was discussed in a variety of situations, with comments encompassing early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary education, and Māori medium schools.

Most people who discussed education didn’t specify which education stage they were talking about, but comments largely referenced ‘schools’ or came from people who identified themselves as ‘teachers’ and have therefore been interpreted as relating to primary or secondary education and, to a lesser extent based on the content of comments, early childhood education.

“On return to school, we had no protection from COVID-19. I have now had five COVID-19 infections and was very sick after the first one, requiring weeks off work. I believe all my infections were acquired at school. The only time I have had a six-month stretch without COVID-19 was when I took a term off school.”

45–54-year-old teacher, Canterbury

We heard from many teachers, who shared stories about what it was like for them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some educators and school staff told us that teachers and schools felt well-supported by the Government through the pandemic. A slightly greater number, though, felt that guidance and communication throughout the pandemic could have been better.

Remote teaching was challenging but rewarding for some, though more teachers emphasised the difficulties of online teaching.

Vaccination and facemask rules helped some teachers and students feel safer in schools and other educational institutions, but some people highlighted the increased risk of catching COVID-19 in education settings.

Others felt that vaccine mandates resulted in teachers losing their jobs, which they did not agree with.

“Due to the mandates I lost my job as a primary school teacher. It has been my lifelong occupation; teaching is my passion and it’s supported my love of travel and working overseas. I have an international Master of Education. None of this mattered when the mandates came in. I lost my job for not having a medical procedure. Did this provide any protection for the students and others working in schools?”

55–64-year-old female, Auckland

“My mental health through these times was not great. My passion and dedication for schoolwork and study went down dramatically and my grades declined.”

18–24-year-old male, Auckland

There was an overall perception among some people that lockdowns and school closures disrupted children’s education and resulted in loss of learning. People felt that students missed important learning time and opportunities, and believed that many young people have become disengaged from learning as a result.

“Making the kids wear masks at school was very pressured. It was really hard for their little kids and put a lot of anxiety on the kids.”

No demographic information provided

On returning to in-person learning, some people noted that facemasks, better ventilation in classrooms, and other health measures kept students and educators safe.

A greater number of people, however, felt that mask-wearing affected children’s physical health and social interactions.

“The part that was really hard was the limitations in schools and the social distancing rules. This made it incredibly hard to work in schools and meet the needs of the children that were struggling with the return to routines and leaving home.”

45–54-year-old Pākehā female, Canterbury

Some people highlighted that schools were ‘superspreader’ environments for COVID-19 once they reopened.

Another topic people discussed was the challenge of transitioning back to in-person learning after so much time away from school. Some students found their learning progress had been impacted, while others found the social aspect of returning to school difficult.

“I was worried about how my son would re-engage with school. He was Year 11 in 2022 – it was quite tentative – insecurity etc took its toll.”

No demographic information provided

“Going back to school, we had to be separate. The rules were different. Chairs were apart and we had to always wear masks in classes. That was really weird! I was Year 9. I had just started…I got lost. When we had COVID-19 again in Year 10, I wasn’t striving because I didn’t understand anything. The teachers did their best to understand that a lot of their students were having trouble because of COVID-19, so they did a lot of stuff differently to what they would have before, but I think people were still struggling. It’s gone back to normal now.”

Secondary school student, Northland

“If you are parent, you were also expected to be a teacher. Lots of families are struggling with the guilt because they are just trying to cope.”

No demographic information provided

“Trying to work an 8-hour day, while assisting kids with homeschool was nearly impossible.

Essential workers working outside the home could access childcare but parents working from home could not. Finding a way to better support all types of households in the future would be advisable.”

55–64-year-old female, Otago

For some students, learning from home was a welcome change that enabled more independent and flexible learning styles and reduced distractions. More people, however, highlighted issues they saw with learning from home.

Some people felt that because the risk to children from COVID-19 was low, schools should have remained open. People told us that not being able to send children to school was hard on parents and caregivers who suddenly had to manage their children’s education, often while also working from home.

Others felt that some online learning resources were sub-standard, or that they varied a lot between different schools and institutions.

Some young people simply told us that they didn’t like learning from home, or that the style of teaching and learning from home did not suit them.

Another significant topic that people discussed was how being isolated from peers during lockdowns impacted students’ mental health and their engagement in learning.

“My husband and I were both essential workers and we continued to work throughout the pandemic. The closure of schools had a significant impact on our children who had also experienced disrupted schooling due to the Christchurch earthquakes.

Both children have challenges meaning that independent learning was difficult, one child struggled with online learning due to shyness. The schools did provide some schooling for essential workers during the later lockdowns, but these were not classes. The kids were able to take laptops to school and be supervised, but with little educational support.”

45–54-year-old essential worker, Canterbury

“I didn’t like the online school because I couldn’t have one-on-one time with my teacher. I need my teacher’s help as I got diagnosed with ADHD. They just gave us too much work. Less work, and more time with my teacher would have been better. I just pretended I understood.”

Student

“As a high school student, the lockdowns really disrupted the most important years of my schooling.

It was very difficult to stay motivated to learn from home, only communicating with the teacher through a screen.

The whole country was in it together, so we all managed to get by, but the impact the lockdown has had on myself and my generation cannot be understated. The isolation took a huge toll on my mental health.”

18–24-year-old Pākehā male, Hawke’s Bay

“At the time I was working at the Kura, and we needed significant change to provide distance learning in record time. We were blessed with our teacher’s capability and attitude towards being adaptive. But many of our whānau were on the other side of the digital divide – there was no point having a device if there was no power or internet.”

No demographic information provided

People told us they felt schools were unprepared and underequipped to change to remote teaching and learning. The supplying of digital devices and learning materials to schools and students who did not already have access was appreciated by submitters, though others told us they found devices and internet connection unaffordable or difficult to access. In particular, rural or financially disadvantaged students seemed to be impacted by this.

We also received accounts of the challenges faced by disabled students due to not having adequate technology at home to meet their learning support needs.

“As a teacher at a low decile school at the time, I feel we didn’t receive resources fast enough. Students at lower decile schools were disadvantaged, as many found it difficult to work online and lacked parental knowledge or support compared to students in higher decile schools. Many of our students' parents were essential workers and therefore not home, so our students were left either supervising their younger siblings or unsupervised (and less likely to do schoolwork).”

35–44-year-old teacher, Wellington

“I work in mental health with children and teens… The disruption to schooling has had an irreversible impact on our children and teens. Referrals to the Children’s and Adolescents Mental Health Services remains high, with a significant proportion of patients still out of school. Anxiety and Obsessive-compulsive Disorder referrals increased. Parents of children with serious disabilities struggled to cope.”

45–54-year-old Pākehā female, Canterbury

People told us about the increased anxiety they saw in children because of isolation during lockdown and school closures.

Some people considered that the reduced social interactions over the pandemic period had affected young people’s communication and social skills.

Others said they feel that disruptions to schooling have resulted in lowered academic outcomes, and increases in truancy and behavioural issues.

We were also told about unvaccinated students facing delays and barriers to accessing education, including not being allowed to participate in certain activities or attend classes, and experiencing bullying or discrimination because of their vaccine status.

“Because of our experience, we didn’t get our two children vaccinated. They were outcast from sports and arts and social activities. This, along with the lockdowns, affected their morale.”

No demographic information provided

“I stood my ground and don’t regret not getting vaccinated, but I will live with this feeling of unworthiness for a long time. My children will remember the bullying they experienced at school for not getting vaccinated, being able to participate in school productions and sport, as well as the bullying for not wearing masks that affected them in different ways.”

35–44-year-old Pākehā female, Otago
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