Ready for old-school face-to-face learning
A PARTIAL return to school after a six-week hiatus has come at the right time for students struggling to find focus in a homeschool classroom.
From Monday, Prep, Year 1, Year 11 and 12 students will return to their state schools to join children of essential workers and vulnerable children.
Director of South Cairns
Aldon Tutoring, Ray Godwin, employs a team of four tutors.
He said a return to school was welcome news to many parents whose children were “over” online learning.
“I do talk to parents who try to keep up with the work but the kids are over it; they have had enough of watching computer screens every day,” he said.
“But it’s a mixed bag.
“Some enjoy online learning but some have found it a bit confusing and a few of them are being left behind.
“You can’t beat face-toface tuition.”
He said Year 11 and 12 students navigating a largely untested new Australian Tertiary Admission Rank system in Queensland schools were facing increased pressure during an already anxious transition.
“It has put the pressure on (students) keeping up with those studies,” he said.
“There is a fair bit of anxiety about what is going to happen later … and not knowing what is coming around the corner causes a bit of anxiety.”
However, Mr Godwin didn’t expect any lasting implications to come from the Queensland school system shutdown.
“It’s not devastating. If it had been a year, maybe,” he said.
“Kids are pretty resilient and they do a pretty good job of making square pegs fit into round holes.
“(But) it may take a couple of months (to get back on track) once the kids get back at school.”
Mr Godwin hoped schools would continue to make online learning tools available to help students catch up and said short term face-to-face tutoring could be of benefit.
Students in Years 2–10 are due to return to school on Monday, May 25.