Home school computer chaos ‘could last for weeks’
HOME learning was mired in f resh chaos yesterday as it emerged computing glitches could take weeks to resolve.
Pupils are logging onto virtual lessons using Microsoft Teams, which has been hit by major problems.
It emerged yesterday that the firm is ‘a few weeks away’ from implementing a permanent fix.
A number of schools said the technology has been running slowly or not at all, creating turmoil as pupils returned to their lessons after the festive break.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish Government was continuing to liaise with Microsoft.
Microsoft Teams is one of the main platforms being used for remote learning.
Parents and teachers said problems accessing the technology, which began on Monday, had continued yesterday.
BBC Scotland reported that one primary school in Edinburgh sent parents a text saying: ‘Microsoft is still having some issues with Teams application. This is a national issue and will hopefully be resolved soon.’
Microsoft initially said engineers were working to resolve the problem and yesterday did not respond to queries.
Education Scotland said on its website: ‘We have continued to work with the Microsoft technical team to resolve the intermittent fault with the “join” button which has impacted a small number of users.
‘We can confirm Microsoft are a few weeks away from implementing a permanent fix for this. In the meantime please continue to use the manual workaround and where we can expedite any work we will do so.’
Miss Sturgeon reiterated during her Covid briefing yesterday that the issue was ‘ not just affecting education or j ust affecting Scotland’.
She said her Cabinet had received a brief report on the issue from the Education Secretary yesterday morning.
Miss Sturgeon added: ‘We continue to be in discussions with Microsoft.
‘Microsoft have given assurances that this is being resolved and hopefully will be resolved soon. It is not an issue with Glow [the schools intranet service], a Scottish Government resource.’
Glow gives its users access to Microsoft Office 365 software – which includes Teams – and G Suite apps such as Google Classroom.
Local authorities in Scotland decide which they use between Microsoft and G Suite.
Miss Sturgeon added the Microsoft issue was ‘clearly making things more difficult than they already are’ for parents, young people and teachers.
Scottish Tory education spokesman Jamie Greene said: ‘This week has shown up the disastrous preparations ahead of the move to online learning.
‘ Warnings were repeatedly ignored by SNP ministers and high-ranking education officials, and, as always, it is pupils and young people who will suffer from their misguided priorities.’
Earlier this week, Microsoft said: ‘Our engineers are working to resolve difficulties accessing Microsoft Teams.’
It comes as plans for remote learning during the latest lockdown reveal big disparities between Scotland’s 32 councils.
Not all pupils are being offered live lessons – instead the decision on the best approach has been left to individual schools and teachers.
Guidance on remote learning published by the Scottish Government on Friday recommends ‘a balance of live learning and independent activity’.
The Scottish Government said it had invested £25million to address ‘digital exclusion’ in schools, with funding allocations for digital devices and ‘connectivity solutions’ made to all 32 local authorities.
‘Disastrous preparations’