Almost All Parents (95%) Feel That Some Material Learned During The School Year Is Lost Over The Summer Months
The study found that the majority of parents of 8 to 15 year olds (64%) assume that up to 20 per cent of school material will be forgotten over the summer, and just under one-third (31 per cent) guess that over 20 per cent will be lost. However, almost one-third (28 per cent) of those with children behind grade level expect over 40 percent to be lost.
Although eight in ten (80%) of parents feel that children need a break from education in the summer, positioning the summer learning as 15 to 20 minutes per day reduces perceived barriers to structured learning over the summer - over half (56%) say their children would be open to such a program.
These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted between January 7th and January 16th , 2003. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 1,000 Canadian parents of children aged 8 to 15. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 2001 Census data.
Almost All Parents (95%) Feel That Some Material Learned During The School Year Is Lost Over The Summer Months
In terms of the percentage of learned material which may be lost over the summer months, almost all parents (95%) feel that some material will be lost before the fall. Two thirds (64%) feel that 1 to 20 per cent of learned material is lost, a quarter (24%) feel that 21 to 40 per cent is lost, 5% feel that 41 to 60 per cent is lost, and 2% feel that over 80 per cent is lost.
- Parents of children who are falling behind are most likely to guess that greater amounts are lost over the summer months. Just over one third (37%) feel that 1 to 20 percent of learned material is lost, and again, just over one third (36%) feel that 21 to 40 per cent is lost over the summer. Almost one third (28%) feel that their child loses more than 40 per cent during the summer months.
- Notably, as the child's scholastic achievement level increases, the amount perceived to be lost decreases. Almost two thirds (62%) of parents whose children are right at grade level, and almost three quarters (73%) of those whose children are ahead of grade level, feel that their child loses 1 to 20 per cent of learned material over the summer months.
- These estimates tend to vary on a regional basis. While three quarters of parents in B.C. (77%) and in Atlantic Canada (74%) feel that their children lose 1 to 20 per cent of learned material in the summer months, just over half (54%) of the parents in Quebec feel the same way. One third of parents in the Prairies (69%) and in Ontario (62%) feel similarly. In contrast, one third of Quebec parents (32%) feel that their children lose 21 to 40 per cent over the summer, while one quarter (23%) of Ontario parents, one fifth of parents in the Prairies (22%) and in Atlantic Canada (20%) and sixteen per cent of parents in B.C. feel the same way.
Attitudes Towards Structured Summer Education...
Most parents (80%) see a need for their child to have a break from structured education in the summer. However, parents with children below grade level are more likely to identify the need for year round learning (31%), compared with parents whose children are right at grade level (16%) and parents whose children are ahead of grade level (13%).
- Parents in Quebec and the Atlantic region are more likely to say that their children need a break from structured education in the summer (90% and 85% respectively). Parents in B.C. (70%), in the Prairies (79%) and in Ontario (75%) also agree that their children need a break, but to a lesser extent. These parents are more likely to identify with the need for year round learning (B.C.: 25%, Prairies: 17%, Ontario: 20%) than parents in Quebec (8%) and in the Atlantic region (14%).
Resistance of Children to Summer Learning...
Parents are divided over whether or not their child would be open to structured summer education. Half (50%) of parents feel that their child would be open to structured summer learning, while half (49%) feel that their child would be resistant. However, parents feel that children would be less resistant to the prospect of 15 to 20 minutes of structured learning per day. More parents (56%) feel that their child would be open to this amount of daily learning, and less (44%) feel that their child would be resistant.
- Regionally, those living in B.C. (66%), the Prairies (56%) and Ontario (50%) perceive their children as being more open to summer learning than those living in Quebec (40%) and the Atlantic (48%). When looking specifically at the prospect of 15 to 20 minutes of structured learning daily, there are not any significant regional differences (B.C.: 58%, Prairies: 56%, Ontario: 55%, Quebec: 54% and Atlantic region: 58%), however, resistance in B.C. actually increases given a set amount of daily work (from 31% to 42%).
- More than half (57%) of parents with children in grades 1 to 4 perceive their children as being open to summer learning, whereas parents with children in grades 5 to 7 (49%) and 8 to 11 (45%) are less likely to believe their children would be open to the idea. In fact, more than half (54%) of parents with children in grades 8 to 11 feel that their children would be resistant to summer learning. In terms of a 15 to 20 minute daily educational program, parents with children in grades 1 to 4 (62%) and grades 5 to 7 (59%) are more likely to feel that their children would be open to the idea of such a program, whereas only 47% of parents with children in grades 8 to 11 feel this way.
- Parents of girls (52%) are more likely to feel that their children are open to summer learning, while parents of boys feel much less so (43%). Although a 15 to 20 minute daily educational program increases parents' perception of their children's openness, parents with boys (56%) are as likely to feel their children would be open to the idea as parents of girls (55%).
Keeping Children Interested in Summer Learning
When asked what the most important thing is that parents can do to keep their child interested in learning over the summer, the most common response is to encourage reading (23%).
- Other responses included unstructured educational/learning activities (17%), interesting/fun activities (11%), encourage/motivate them (10%), providing a good home environment/atmosphere for learning (6%), and going on field trips/traveling with them (6%).
Parents Split On The Issue Of Relearning After Summer Vacation
Parents are equally divided in their views regarding what must be made up after summer vacation. While just over half (54%) agree that their child must relearn after summer, 46% disagree.
- Parents whose children are behind their grade level are more likely to agree (77%) that their kids must relearn school material. Again, as scholastic achievement increases, agreement that their child must relearn after summer decreases. Just over half (58%) of parents whose children are at grade level, and 41% of parents whose children are ahead of grade level, feel that their child must relearn in the fall.
- Generally, there is not much regional variance in terms of agreement that children must relearn after summer, except for parents in Quebec. While about six in ten parents in the other provinces (B.C.: 61%, Prairies: 56%, Ontario: 61% and Atlantic: 58%) feel that their child will have to relearn after summer vacation, parents in Quйbec are less likely to feel that their child will have to relearn material (37%).
To view the factum and detailed tables, please open the attached PDF file.
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For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2002
