Women Spend More Time Home Schooling Kids As Compared To Men

Given that we’ve now a year into the Coronavirus pandemic, the world has slowly but surely adapted to the new way of living. That said, with research done on the immediate impact of the virus from last year to this, it’s been discovered that among other things, when it came to online schooling, women were more likely to supervise home schooling that men.

According to the data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), UK, April 2020 saw that both partners had equally divided the home schooling responsibilities. However, as compared to last year, the survey revealed that this time around (January and February 2021), 67 per cent of women and 52 per cent of men were supervising their children’s online education. Moreover, the study also revealed that the stress of managing their child’s education was having a negative impact on their wellbeing, with 53 per cent of the women surveyed saying they were struggling, as compared with 45 per cent of the men.

While last year’s survey revealed that educational responsibilities were equally divided, it was found that women spent more time feeding and dressing their kids, as compared to men. The data collected covered England, Scotland, and Wales and uncovered that this new lockdown has taken a toll on the mental health of an average of 50 per cent of parents, while last year, only 28 per cent of parents reported mental health issues.

However, being home schooled hasn’t take a toll on the parents alone. The study shed light on the negative impact online classes had on students, with 63 per cent of parents reporting that their children were struggling to keep up, as compared with 43 per cent in April 2020.

Hugh Stickland, an ONS spokesperson, said, “While home schooling seems to be delivered more effectively now than it was last year, with more resources available from schools, it appears to be taking a greater toll on parents and children.” The study also revealed that 53 per cent of parents claimed that home schooling had caused friction in their relationships, while 37 per cent reported a negative effect on their jobs.

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