More help needed for our struggling pupils

Expert calls for better online support during class closures

PARENTS and pupils must be given far greater support for home schooling, education experts have warned, amid fears children are falling behind.

Nicola Sturgeon has been urged to introduced a national online resource to help youngsters – ensuring the same level of lessons and advice for them through the school closures.

Pupils will begin logging in for remote classes from next week, with classrooms closed until February 1 at the earliest. But experts say resources in Scotland are ‘thin’ compared to elsewhere in the UK.

Professor Lindsay Paterson said that without a national framework, particularly for pupils in S4 to S6, youngsters face being left behind because of a ‘postcode lottery’.

He said: ‘The national resources available to pupils and parents in Scotland are thin, especially compared to what is available in England.’

He added: ‘The evidence from last year’s closures is that there will be a lot of variation, a postcode lottery that is a source of great unfairness.’

All examinations in Scotland – including Higher and Advanced Higher – have been cancelled f or the second year in a row.

Instead, grades will be awarded to pupils based on teacher assessment, with standards to be set by t he Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

But Professor Paterson said that the Scottish Government should be working to ensure all teenagers have access to the same material as well as additional online tutoring for all.

‘The needs of pupils who would normally be preparing for the SQA exams at this time of year are even greater than for younger ages,’ he said. ‘The resources available to them have to be closely tied to the exam syllabus and pupils have to be taught how to meet the specific criteria of assessment which the SQA sets out.

‘Although some schools will be doing this very well, not all will be able to achieve that. In the interests of setting out a level playing field, all pupils sitting these SQA assessments ought to be provided with the same advice, with the same online lessons, and with the same chance to have extra online tutoring.’

Scottish schools had initially been set to return from the Christmas break this week. This was delayed, with remote learning followed by a return to the classroom on January 18.

However, online classes will now remain in place until February at the earliest after a surge in coronavirus cases.

A new mutant strain has led to f ears i t could easily transfer between children.

Scottish Lib Dem education spokesman Beatrice Wishart said: ‘The Government must ensure that a plentiful supply of laptops and other devices reach children who are struggling to access learning materials online.

‘If they don’t make swift moves on this, the attainment gap will only worsen.

‘Parents are doing a stellar job balancing work and teaching but there must be plenty of resources on hand for any parents who need a refresher when helping out with their child’s studies.’

The Scottish Conservatives have warned that without a nationally co-ordinated approach to remote l earning, children risk falling behind. There are concerns some may not be able to access basic digital tools.

Tory education spokesman Jamie Greene said: ‘Throughout this pandemic, a chronic lack of leadership from the SNP has left parents worried, teachers overworked and pupils facing more uncertainty, made worse by further loss of face-to-face teaching.

‘John Swinney oversaw a complete fiasco last summer over exam results and given the complete lack of clarity and guidance over this year’s assessments, he now runs a real risk of presiding over another mess this year.’

‘The resources available are thin’