Concerns that students would go backwards during the pandemic have proven to be unfounded, according to University of Newcastle research.
The research found student achievement in NSW was similar in 2020 to the previous year, despite the disruption of lockdowns and home-schooling.
The research examined the impact of COVID-19 on NSW schools, specifically the effects on student achievement in mathematics and reading, wellbeing and attitudes toward schooling.
Laureate Professor Jenny Gore said the evidence offered a "striking counter-narrative to widespread speculation about alarming levels of 'learning loss' for all students."
The study compared 2019 and 2020 data of Year 3 and Year 4 students.
It found no significant differences in achievement growth between the contrasting years. Professor Gore said this finding was "somewhat surprising".
"However, we know how hard teachers worked through the learning-from-home period and on the return to face-to-face schooling, and these findings are a testament to that dedication," she said.
"We hope these findings bring reassurance to both parents and teachers who have rightly been concerned about the impacts of the disruption to normal schooling last year," the professor said.
She added that families had done "an outstanding job in helping students".
The study did find that student wellbeing was negatively affected, even after the return to ordinary schooling.
This highlighted the need for "critical attention to student and teacher wellbeing".
"The cancellation of non-classroom activities such as sport, assemblies and excursions might have been a factor in teachers reporting high levels of fatigue and a rise in unacceptable behaviour," Professor Gore said.
"Teachers openly reported increased workload and emotional exhaustion, conditions that can lead to a stronger desire to leave the profession."
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