PROVO, Utah and SEATTLE, Aug. 12,
2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Parents are sending their kids
back to school for the second time during a global pandemic and the
majority (56%) say they are more worried this year than last about
the health and safety of their kids, according to a new study by
Qualtrics (Nasdaq: XM), the leading experience management (XM)
provider that serves nearly 9,000 education institutions worldwide.
Parents are so worried, they're even willing to deal with school
closures, despite beliefs that hybrid and remote learning has
caused their kids to fall behind in their education. (Study results
can be found here)
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With the COVID-19 Delta variant on the rise, 65% of parents
would be supportive of a school closure if cases continue to surge.
Getting kids back to in-person school — which most parents (65%)
agree is the best learning environment for kids — is still a
priority though. A third of parents say they are most looking
forward to their children returning to in-person school over any
other activity, including going to the movies, eating in
restaurants, travelling or celebrating holidays.
Most of the country's schools are preparing to reopen for fully
in-person instruction, if they haven't done so already. But as
parental behavior is a key element in keeping kids safe from COVID,
school administrators and government officials will have to
navigate parental concerns in addition to Delta variant numbers as
they decide on policies for the new school year.
"Nothing has been easy during the pandemic. Considering all the
difficulties with remote learning access and outcomes, the fact
that so many parents would support continued closures shows just
how seriously they are taking the Delta variant surge," said Dr.
Karla Fisher, chief advisor for
educational institutions, Qualtrics. "It's a frightening fact that
there's a tradeoff between the best possible education for kids and
their health. But school leaders are having to make those kinds of
tough decisions now. Understanding the parent and student
experience is essential for leaders who want to make the best
policy choices for communities they serve."
More key takeaways from the study include:
- Majority of parents give their school district an above
average grade: 67% of parents grade their school's
response to the global pandemic above average (A or B on the
grading scale).
- Experience makes people more comfortable with the remote
model: 56% of parents whose kids did fully in-person schooling
said they would be supportive of a school closure if Delta variant
cases continue to spike supportive, compared to 79% of those whose
children attended school were fully remotely last year.
- Students are falling behind and remote education is to
blame: 53% of parents say their kids fell behind on
schoolwork during the pandemic and the most common reason they gave
was hybrid or remote learning
- The political divide drives opinions on school closures:
Democrats (83%) are much more likely than Republicans (49%) to be
supportive of a school closure.
Methodology
This study was fielded between
July 28-30, 2021. Respondents were
considered eligible if they live in the
United States, are at least 18 years of age, and are parents
of children aged 5-18. The total number of respondents was 1,025.
Respondents who did not pass quality standards were removed.
Additional information:
- Full version of Qualtrics' 2021 Back to School study found
here: qualtrics.com/blog/back-to-school-study/
- To learn more about how Qualtrics is helping improve the
education experience, please visit: qualtrics.com/education/
About Qualtrics: Qualtrics, the world's No. 1 Experience
Management (XM) provider and creator of the XM category, is
changing the way organizations manage and improve the four core
experiences of business—customer, employee, product, and brand.
Over 13,500 organizations around the world are using Qualtrics to
listen, understand, and take action on experience data
(X-data™)—the beliefs, emotions, and intentions that tell you why
things are happening, and what to do about it. The Qualtrics XM
Platform™ is a system of action that helps businesses attract
customers who stay longer and buy more, engage employees who build
a positive culture, develop breakthrough products people love, and
build a brand people are passionate about. To learn more, please
visit qualtrics.com.
Contact:
press@qualtrics.com
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SOURCE Qualtrics