Coronavirus homeschooling: 77 percent of parents agree teachers should be paid more after teaching own kids, study says
(Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - Good teachers change lives for the better – and nearly 80 percent of parents agree that educators deserve a major raise, after taking charge of their children’s schooling at home amid the coronavirus pandemic, a new study claims.
From preschool to college, learning has gone virtual amid the global COVID-19 outbreak and transformed parents of young children into part-time teachers practically overnight. And in a new study of 2,000 parents of school-aged children, seven out of 10 polled admitted that this new assignment is more challenging than their full-time job.
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In new research from OnePoll and educational gaming company Osmo, 77 percent of parents agreed that teachers should be paid more for all they do, news agency South West News Service (SWNS) reports. Four in five even said they have a newfound respect for educators after guiding their own child’s distance learning during quarantine.
About half of those adults polled are also working from home through the pandemic, another responsibility that can escalate the “family chaos.” Seven out of 10 parents who are continuing to work from home revealed that keeping their kiddos occupied in the house is hindering their performance at work, while three in four feel that balancing their career and new teaching duties is “overwhelming.”
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Amid an uncertain future, with many school districts permanently closed for this school year, three out of four parents polled are anxious that their child will be derailed from reaching important educational milestones after spending so much time out of the classroom, SWNS reported.
To keep kids on track and engaged with their studies, 82 percent of parents agreed that they would pay for additional educational programming to help them reach their goals.
"We’re happy to hear so many parents saying they appreciate teachers more, and have greater respect for them," Jan Richards, Osmo’s Head of Education, said in a statement.
Read on for the top subjects that parents want their children to focus on studying during distance learning, and for the top educational methods that the parents polled say are helping their youngsters learn.
Top subjects parents are prioritizing during distance learning
- Math: 67 percent
- Science: 64 percent
- Reading: 57 percent
- History: 46 percent
- Phonics: 36 percent
- Physical education: 36 percent
- Music: 35 percent
- Art: 28 percent
Top educational tools used while homeschooling
- Workbooks and worksheets: 66 percent
- Educational television shows: 61 percent
- Video conference calls with teacher: 56 percent
- Reading aloud: 49 percent
- Flashcards: 37 percent
- Games on a tablet or mobile device: 37 percent