Some students years behind learning level 2 years into pandemic: Winnipeg tutor

A Winnipeg tutor says some students have fallen drastically behind their learning level, two years into the pandemic.

“(The) pandemic was a disaster,” said Naman Dhaliwal, who manages the Math4Me tutoring services locations in Winnipeg, tutoring grades 1 to 12 in math, English and science.

“After the pandemic what I have seen (is) the parents are really concerned for the kids; they’re way behind their level. And our mentors here at Math4Me, they’re working really hard to build that gap and then to proceed further.”

Dhaliwal says some students are functioning years behind where they should be.

“The kids that are in Grade 3 now, so we have to adjust to those kids in Grade 3, but we have to start with the basics,” Dhaliwal told Global News. “We have to start with the counting, the alphabets, upper case, lower case.”

She says demand for their tutoring services this fall has gone through the roof and they’ve ramped up their services in response.

“You won’t believe the kids that are on the waiting list,” she said. “When we say we don’t have any slots available, the parents are very upset with that. We’ve had to start extra groups because there’s so much demand for it. Because parents are worried, they know kids are way behind the level so we have to (create) extra groups and demand is like three times now.”

Brian O’Leary, the superintendent at Seven Oaks School Division, says teachers in the division are seeing a mixed bag for how students are doing, and are trying to adjust their lessons accordingly.

“The line we use is we were all in the same storm, we weren’t in the same boat,” O’Leary told Global News.

“Some kids really did pick up remote learning quite well, others didn’t. So I think teachers are now in a process of getting a fix on where their kids are at and adjusting their teaching to meet where kids are at.”