Teachers gave parents only two hours of work for their home lessons

TWO-THIRDS of parents admit that their primary school child spent no more than two hours per day on learning activities provided by teachers during the school closures.

And two in three parents with a child doing their Leaving Certificate next year believe the school closure as a result of Covid-19 had a negative impact on their education.

However, teachers have rejected claims that the majority of children were not sufficiently engaged with their schoolwork when learning at home.

As some children returned to school this week for the first time since March, the latest research from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) looked into how the six-month absence from the classroom impacted their education, and how parents feel about their return.

The results show that the majority of parents believe the break has taken a toll on their schooling, with 40% of respondents with secondary school children claiming that their child spent no more than two hours per day on assigned schoolwork during the closure.

Regarding primary school children, 66% said their children spent two hours or less per day on learning activities provided by their teachers.

Meanwhile, more than 40% of parents of children in primary school, and 45% of those with children in secondary school, reported that enforced school closures had a major or moderate negative impact on their child’s learning.

Children’s Rights Alliance chief executive Tanya Ward said members have given a mixed reaction to the amount of work assigned by teachers.

‘On one hand, we were hearing that parents were being given too much work to do with children, and they were really struggling with that, particularly if they were lone parents, or they both had jobs. It was causing huge stress in the household for the parents and the children as well,’ she said.

‘Then, at the other side of it, we heard stories that parents weren’t being given enough work for their children and given very little and not enough guidance.’

She added that many said clearer direction could have been given to parents Guidance: Child advocate Tanya Ward regarding the curriculum. ‘Sometimes they [parents] weren’t sure why they were doing something and they needed a bit of guidance so they understood what they were trying to achieve,’ she said.

However, teachers have hit back at the findings, with the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) saying teachers and principals reacted ‘quickly and proactively during unprecedented and challenging times’. ‘Many schools provided online support and learning activities for pupils. Others, particularly in areas with limited broadband access, provided offline activities and work packs,’ an INTO spokeswoman said.

‘Many schools also continued to administer and organise vital schemes, such as the school meals programme, to support families in their communities.’

And the representative group for secondary teachers said that for a significant number of students, their ability to selforganise and remain motivated diminished as the closure of schools continued. The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) said technological difficulties contributed to the difficulties in learning from home. ‘We have also expressed our deep concern about the lack of access to IT resources and broadband in many households,’ an ASTI spokeswoman said. ‘Teachers have spoken of three and four siblings working from one device, and in some cases the device has been a mobile phone.’

A spokesman for the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) said its members reported satisfactory cooperation from students.

‘The consistent report from teachers, including principals, as well as from schools, centres and management authorities throughout the period of school closures was that student engagement with remote learning was generally very good, notwithstanding the various challenges that it posed for both learners and teachers,’ he said.

The social development of Junior Cycle secondary students was also impacted, with almost 40% of parents reporting that enforced school closures had a major or moderate negative impact on their child’s social development. A further 40% reported a mild negative impact.

The results also highlighted that many parents have fears around their child returning to the classroom and possibly exposing themselves to Covid-19, with 86% saying they have concerns about their children’s school providing a safe environment when they reopen.

More than one in six reported being extremely concerned with a further 14% saying they are very concerned. More than half reported being somewhat concerned, and just under 14% reported having no concerns at all.

The idea of their children using school transport appears to be a contributor to these fears. Nearly one in six (16%) respondents reported being more worried about their children catching Covid-19 when travelling to school, compared to 25.2% who reported being more worried about them contracting the disease while at school.

Some 7% have arranged an alternative to public transport and school buses due to Covid-19 concerns.

With the free flu vaccine being made available to children aged between two and 12 this year, almost half of parents with children in pre-school or primary schools said they will very likely avail of the jab. However, 13% said they will not allow their child to get the vaccine.

If a Covid-19 vaccine were to become available, two-thirds said they would be very likely or somewhat likely to avail of the jab, while one in five said it was somewhat unlikely or not at all unlikely that they would vaccinate their child.

‘Deep concern over lack of access to IT’