20 May New research shows East of England residents hugely appreciate the work of teachers during COVID-19
A new survey with parents of primary and secondary school age children, released today1 and commissioned by the Get Into Teaching campaign in support of national Thank A Teacher Day2, reveals the scale of newfound appreciation for teachers up and down the country.
More than eight in 10 (85%) parents in the East of England who responded to the survey agree that over the course of the coronavirus restrictions they have developed a greater appreciation for the job teachers do, and eight in ten (80%) agree teachers nationwide have gone “above and beyond” over this period.
Based on their experience supporting home education, almost all parents in the East of England agreed that being a teacher requires a lot of patience (98%), and keeping young people engaged in learning takes a lot of creativity (96%).
The Thank A Teacher campaign, run by The Teaching Awards Trust, is calling on children and their families to join forces today to thank the teachers and school staff who go above and beyond and profoundly impact their lives.
Some of the biggest challenges parents in the East of England identify when supporting their child with home learning include:
53% find it hard to keep their child motivated to complete work set;
56% find it hard to keep their child engaged in the work they are doing;
34% find it hard to help their child with work they don’t understand; and
24% find it hard to come up with creative ways to make subjects interesting.
Nearly all (95%) parents surveyed in the East of England are grateful to the teachers who positively influence their child, day in day out. Children themselves also seem appreciative, as more than eight in ten (81%) parents say their child is missing their schoolteacher and being in lessons while schools are closed to the majority of pupils.
Steve Munby, Chair of the Teaching Awards Trust, said: “We have always known the incredible lengths that teachers and other school staff go to for their students, and these results show how much parents have grown to appreciate this work.
“This annual campaign is our opportunity to thank the incredible teachers, lecturers and other staff who keep our schools running, who inspire wonder on a daily basis, and who do everything in their power to give our young people the best possible education, whatever the circumstances.”
