German Children Studying Less in Second Lockdown as Well

Schoolchildren spent more time each day watching TV, playing computer games, and using cell phones (4.6 hours) than studying for school. Roughly a quarter (26 percent) of the pupils had lessons for the whole class (for example, via video) every day, but 39 percent had this only once a week at most. Most parents (56 percent) think that their child learns less per hour at home than in regular classes at school, while 22 percent believe the opposite is true. Since the initial closures, 21 percent of pupils have participated in measures such as remedial instruction, tutoring, or vacation courses.

Studying at home by lower-performing students and children whose parents did not attend university was significantly less effective and concentrated. The vast majority of schoolchildren have access to computers and the internet at home. For half of the children, however, the situation during the recent closures was a major psychological burden – significantly more so than during the initial closures (38 percent). Nearly one-third (31 percent) of parents reported that their child gained weight during the pandemic due to lack of exercise. For 76 percent of the children, not being able to get together with friends as usual was a major burden. But there are positive aspects as well: the majority of parents say that the school closures have taught their child to work with subject matter independently (56 percent) and to handle digital technologies better (66 percent).

The sample of 2,122 parents was designed to represent parenthood in Germany as closely as possible according to age, gender, state, and school-leaving qualification.