Class act Konnie’s vital lesson for all home schoolers

It is scarcely imaginable, but after all the controversy and confusion, children in Scotland are going back to school in two weeks’ time. How did that happen? Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. When lockdown first happened I, like many people, had visions of reconnecting with my child, spending quality time and building a deeper bond.

However, being stuck at home for months on end with the little one, our eyes locked, sweat rolling off my brow as I will him to use his crayons to fill in his homework jotter, has started to resemble a scene from The Shining.

So it was a relief to read our cover star Konnie Huq describing her experience of home schooling as “a complete nightmare”.When we caught up with her for the interview on Pages 6&7, she said: “It’s all been fine except for home schooling, which is quite a nightmare because obviously kids listen to teachers, but they don’t particularly listen to their parents.

“One of them had their birthday just before lockdown.The other one had to have their birthday party cancelled and he was not pleased with that at all. They’re a law unto themselves.We can only do so much as parents.”

Konnie herself blazed a trail for young Asian women when she joined Blue Peter as a presenter in 1997.

She had to put up with cruel accusations of being a “token Asian”, but she is proud she led the way. “I’d think, ‘I can present. I’m just like everybody else’ and in a way you do have to be a token before it can be the norm.”

Hear, hear, Konnie, we couldn’t agree more.And when schools do finally get back to normality, that is a lesson we should all learn from.