Educational progress slows due to COVID

In 2022, the national Post-School Destination (GENERATION) survey asked Year 10 students to report on the disruption to their education as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A majority of young people felt that the pandemic hampered their progress, with a significant proportion reporting that they had fallen behind their peers in 2022. Students from states and territories with the most days of school closures (Victoria, NSW, and the ACT) were more likely to report falling behind their peers than students in states that did not experience as many days of school closures (Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia). These effects were exacerbated among students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds and students with a disability. Analysis of GENERATION data provides clear directions to policymakers in efforts to curb educational disadvantages induced by the pandemic, especially among students from equity backgrounds.