Just as we thought things were returning to ‘normal’ in our schools, kura and early learning centres, teachers and learners are now facing the prospect of further school closures and periods of dependence on virtual learning.

In light of this it is timely to see a report just released by the Greater CHCH School’s Network (GCSN) based on survey responses from 3,105 Canterbury primary and secondary school-aged students, their parents and whānau, and school staff regarding how students found learning from home during the first lockdown period.

There is much we can learn from the experience of schools, students and families/whānau during the first period of emergency remote learning, and if virtual/online/distance learning is to become a more permanent feature of our education system moving forward, the insights we can gain from reflecting on that experience are invaluable to inform our planning and future system design.

The GCSN report addresses the key findings relating to accessibility, Internet usage, support for remote learning and positives and negatives of the online learning experience.

To read the full report, Closing the Digital Divide during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Student, Whānau and Staff Perspectives, click here.

[Disclosure – I am a member of the GCSN Trust]