Relevant terms from the Child and youth voice research findings index:
COVID-19, Culture, Education, Families/whānau, Mental health, School attendance.
AUTHOR: Education Review Office
This 2022 report looks at the impact of Covid-19 on Pacific learners. It highlights findings of surveys undertaken in April-May 2020, August-September 2020, and June-July 2021 survey findings (the number of responses from Pacific learners (years 4-13) were 612, 457, and 316 respectively). The report also gathers perspectives from teachers and principals.
The report looks at how Pacific learners were impacted, compared to the general population, in the following areas:
- learning, including schoolwork, progress, and keeping up with learning
- wellbeing, including anxiety about Covid-19, feelings about the year ahead, and sense of happiness. The Delta phase included grief and time spent with families
- engagement, including enjoyment of learning and attendance. The Delta phase included challenges such as online learning, additional responsibilities and language barriers
- support, including support from adults, families, teachers, and friends. The Delta phase included families and communities.
This report is divided into four parts: impact of the first year of Covid-19 on Pacific learners; the impact of the Delta outbreak on Pacific learners; the school responses that helped; and concerns and next steps going forward.