Schools are out : were parents ready?

AS THE Government responds to the rapidly spreading coronavirus, it has sensibly ordered the closure of schools, which means thousands of children are expected to continue their education at home. The concepts of distance teaching, remote learning and homeschooling will come in for great consideration as educators think of ways to deal with this disruption in the school year.

Even though preliminary epidemiology studies suggest that children who get the COVID-19 virus are not as sick as adults, we feel it was a wise move to prevent the introduction and likely spread of the disease in communities. The measures were necessary to give priority to our children’s health and safety and to protect the entire school community.

Not only has this pandemic upended the world economy, it has been a major disruption to the public education system. Pending examinations and other certification have been put on hold as the country, like others, has been pressed into extended closure.

Days into the school closure, however, social media is awash with parents expressing fatigue and suggesting that they are overwhelmed by the new role that has been thrust upon them. This has led us to think about what really happens to parents, teachers and the school community during an unexpected shutdown. For example, did the Ministry of Education develop COVID-19 specific guidelines for this period?

The learning process requires structure and time management, skills which many parents may not have. So, during the period children are home, it would be helpful for parents to be given certain protocols to follow, so that learning can continue seamlessly outside the classroom.

One area of support for parents is the Internet whereby smartphones and computers are used as tools for learning. To their credit, many parents have made use of online platforms, various apps, educational games and video chats, to ensure that children do not see this as time off and are engaged in learning. The reality, though, is that access to the Internet varies depending on which income level the student falls into.

What of those children who do not have Internet connectivity at home or who do not own computers or tablets? And in poor households, how will they pay for increased data usage? Indeed, we visualise that some children may not even have private space from which to do schoolwork. Some are hungry and depend on being given meals at school. How will they fare? And parents who are not computer savvy how will they help their children navigate in these times? Needless to say, the majority of parents who are not teachers will be hard pressed to take their children through the formal syllabus for various courses.

We are definitely treading through uncharted waters here. There are looming concerns over students with special needs, students living in poverty and students in rural areas who may be placed at a disadvantage in these challenging times. How do we ensure that these students keep pace with their better-resourced colleagues and are not left behind in their learning schedule?

It is imperative that the Ministry of Education, learning from other countries, continues to review the ‘learning from home’ protocols and communicate guidelines and updates to teachers, students and parents.

It is indeed a difficult adjustment for all. The virus is already having a negative impact on the economy, and we must take care that the nation’s academic achievements do not suffer irreparable harm when this is over.