The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Fife pupils happy with return to the classroom
It’s been more than 100 days since the corridors of Bell Baxter High School were last filled with the chatter and laughter of pupils.
Until yesterday, the vast majority of those who attend the Cupar school have swapped the classroom for the kitchen table or the desks in their bedroom, after rising concerns of emerging Covid-19 variants in December prompted the Scottish Government to announce schools would move to remote learning after the Christmas break.
Although initially poised to last until January 18, it has proven to be another three months before secondary pupils could be back full time. As pupils marked the full-time return to secondary schools in Fife, The Courier spoke to those at Bell Baxter to hear how they felt to be back.
After almost four months away, the return to the classroom is bound to throw up mixed emotions.
But for sixth year pupils Grace Turnbull and Charlotte Wood, being back at Bell Baxter marks the slow return to normality.
Charlotte said: “It relieves a bit of anxiety. Just being able to speak to people, it’s a lot more normal.” Grace added: “I’m excited to be back, it’s really nice to see everyone’s face in person again.”
Youngsters Emma Miller, in S1 and Logan Reynolds, in S2, are glad to see their teachers again and agree that face-to-face learning is much better than online.
Emma said: “It’s easier because if your laptop wasn’t working or the teacher was having connection problems, you couldn’t do much about that.” Logan added: “You get to see people and actually feel like you are having a proper lesson.
“It would be great if that was the last time we had to stay off school and be on laptops all day.”
However, rector CarolAnn Penrose said some pupils preferred learning from home, and teachers will “capitalise” on what they have learned to engage with young people who are “hardest to reach”.
In normal times, the return from the Easter break would mean senior pupils gearing up to sit exams. But with these being cancelled for the second successive year in favour of teacher estimates, pupils are having to prepare for an alternative way of achieving national qualifications.
This brings with it its own anxieties, and for Kate Mountain in sixth year, it has taken a while to get to grips with the new normal. She said: “It’s definitely been disruptive because my grades were not what I needed (last year).
“Through August to December last year, that was pretty bad just getting to grips with it all.
“My world kind of got flipped upside down and I’m just getting back on my feet now.” Charlotte added: “You’re not sure if what you’re doing at home is going to be enough or necessarily the right thing. Last year a lot of people were caught out because they maybe don’t always try as hard until the end of the year and that actually didn’t do them much good.
“Hopefully that confidence will build over the next few weeks.”
Senior pupils have missed out on the social engagements they would normally take for granted.
Pupil Calum Cook said: “We came out of the first lockdown and everyone was hopeful we could get a fun end to S6 and then it all went back under which hit everyone the hardest. We’ve had to learn to take every opportunity to have fun. It’s been so hard to see people, holidays and parties have been cancelled.”
But the sixth years still hope they can mark their school farewell with something special.
Grace said: “Everyone wants it so hopefully it will happen.”
Although all pupils – including junior years – are now required to wear face coverings in the school buildings, Bell Baxter’s teachers are relieved to have social distancing measures more relaxed.
Ms Penrose said: “Logistically you can’t have the whole school back with two metre distancing; we don’t have the capacity.”
The return of pupils to schools in Fife after an enforced absence of more than 100 days is a major moment. Education chiefs in the kingdom – and those in other local authority areas in Scotland whose young people have still to rejoin their classmates – will be watching with baited breath to see whether there is a spike in Covid cases as pupils start to mix once more.
Given the impact of this pandemic, an abundance of caution is natural.
But Scotland needs more positive days and, wherever it is possible, must strive to ensure at least a sense of normality is returned.
The education of our young people has been disrupted hugely and getting those pupils back into class and focusing once more on their learning is a positive first step.
The long-term impacts of the unprecedented Covid lockdown on wellbeing, mental health and the economy are already self-evident.
A third wave of Covid would be hugely damaging and the authorities are right to be cautious in opening society back up again.
That is a tough ask, but by taking regular steps forward – such as opening up the schools estate – the brighter days get closer.
That is a goal worth striving for.