Children exposed to the 2014 Hazelwood mine fire are still reporting lower academic results four years after the environmental disaster ended, a study has found.
Researchers from the Hazelwood Health Study analysed national numeracy and literacy data for year 3, 5, 7, and 9 students from the town of Morwell and compared it to other students in the region.
They found a year after the fire the students were three to four months behind unaffected students.
Morwell was blanketed in toxic smoke for 45 days when a bushfire entered the mine and ignited the coal inside.
The Hazelwood Health Study was set up to monitor the long-term community health impacts of the fire, which was linked to 11 premature deaths.
Health Study co-principal investigator Matthew Carroll said it was difficult to identify a single cause for the students' results.
"We know that there were schools who were relocated during the event and that took them some time to get back after the event," Dr Carroll said.
"So all of those things, we think, would have combined together."
Study found lingering effects
The study looked at National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) data from 69 local primary and secondary schools.
They compared data from highly-affected schools in Morwell and schools in the broader Latrobe Valley which were mildly affected.
The results were also compared with those from schools in the neighbouring Wellington Shire where the mine fire had low or no impact.
But the spelling results did not recover as strongly and the researchers did not know why, he said.
COVID research potential
The researchers believe their approach of using NAPLAN data could be applied to measure the effect of last year's school closures during coronavirus lockdowns.
"Whereas this is existing data that can easily be accessed and be accessed over years over a wide range."
He said the approach could be used to track the effects of the lockdowns without having to be adapted at all.
