Is it ever ok to build barriers to learning

[MadgeMidgerson]

DCs’ school has this year been using an online platform for completing homework. All participation is logged, and work marked automatically.

I am a bit fecked off as the automatically disadvantaged children who do not have a computer at home, and there will be some who don’t.

I asked DCs what happens to those children, and they have reassured me that ‘it’s ok because they can do it in the ICT suite at breaktime’

AIBU or is this actually a bit shit?

I am not going to march in and complain to the head, but this is actually bothering me. I really do think state education needs to not impose barriers of this kind.

they miss their break! How shit is that?

I am a teacher and o hate this. Some kids have iPads but not all and we are encouraged to use them is lesson. I rarely do and only when I can book spares to everyone can have one.

If you dig a bit deeper, you might well find it's open before and after school too.

It's pretty common because even though the majority of kids will have access at home, internet connection can be troublesome.

YANBU!

We didn't have a printer at home and my son was getting so upset because he had to wait til we were at my m&d's to print anything. He swore blind that ''everybody else'' had a printer and so I spoke to the teacher. Now he gets to email links to the school! Ha ha! I bet they love that additional job. But they couldn't really tell me to get a printer.

Other options:
After school (discuss with teacher, there will be opportunities for this)
At a friend's or relative's
Public library
Phone anywhere with wifi

Always better to look for solutions than problems My son's school does the same thing, I think it is a fabulous resource. The school have to pay for it and they do so to give your child the best opportunity they can.

You are right, Worra, but before school and after school care costs money- again someone is being penalised. Either a kid loses a break, or parents have to pay for care they may not need and possibly can’t afford. After school club at our school is £9 per child, regardless of how long they are there. That is a good chunk of a weekly grocery budget

This annoys me too and I work in a secondary school running the Library/Learning resource centre. Due to funding cuts I had my lovely PCs taken away and given cheap and nasty hybrid tablet things that don't work. The wifi is unreliable. The kids can't print. School is pushing Google Classroom for everything, and online learning programs but they're not providing adequate IT facilities for the pupils to be able to actually do the work. Or even to print off if they DO have a computer at home but no printer.

If schools will insist that they want to go down the route of IT-based learning then they need to understand that not everyone as facilities at home so as much as you want to emphasis the "home" in "homework" this is just not possible for some kids. And they're not providing an alternative. The kids have lost skills too. They don't know how to research using books now.

It's wrong. Part of the reason I want out.

I'm not talking about after school care.

I'm talking about access to the IT equipment.

Most senior schools allow this, if the child has problems accessing the internet at home.

They generally do all they can to see the child is completing their homework.

Madge, are you talking primary? I think the rest of us might be talking about secondary schools.

Am shocked if it's a primary school that's insisting they use an online learning platform. Do they want to have kids leaving primary unable to write?!

it seems unfair. You are skint and have no computer. Don’t worry, you can still use this fabulous non-negotiable resource after you jump through a bunch of hoops that children from more affluent homes don’t have to.

Re:libraries we live relatively close to the town centre and it is still a half hour walk to the closest one.

It is nice to think of solutions, but some of these involve erecting different barriers.

I find it hard to believe that any resource is fabulous enough to justify making education even more difficult to access

I am talking about primary. Children are not allowed on site before or after school unless they are attending breakfast club or after school club. Both cost money.

A child cannot just hang around to use the computers.

And you know what, half the time the online resources are rubbish and not worth the thousands that they cost. They're sold to teachers as a way to save time and a lot of the time it just creates MORE admin.

Back to basics, I say. Pen and paper.

Oh right, sorry I assumed you meant senior school.

Still, I live in one of London's poorest borough where poverty is through the roof and I still don't know anyone without internet access.

So hopefully, there won't be too many children needing to ask the school for help.

DSD's primary homework is all accessed online and half of it has to be printed. Massive PITA as we don't have a printer!

Madge, that's awful. Can't believe this is a primary school. It's just not appropriate for their age group to set homework like that. Complain.

My DC's last primary school in England used online homework that required a pc to access, my DC have iPads but this was no use. They where unable to access the homework, if we had stayed in the UK we would have had to buy a PC and I think a printer solely for them to do their homework.

Just tell school that while you're quite willing to support the school with homework, you don't have access to a PC or printer so can they print out worksheets for your child to do instead.

See what the response is. Some of the teachers may well be on your side.

Thing is, most of these platforms can be accessed by phones and tablets as well. Word and excel are used regularly on all of hers devices. Whilst it’s not ideal for big pieces of work, kids can usually access this too.

I am doing some work developing online learning activities so this has been quite interesting to read and I will be looking at options around it. I just wish schools and teachers had a better idea of what can be done online and how to teach kids this use of applications.

It is unfair but certainly not the worst example of a barrier to education. My dc has ASD and is down on paper to have a FT TA. She only gets 10 hours per week due to funding. She needs a TA as she has issues staying on track, needs prompting, classwork photocopied as writing is painful. She gets 2 hours a day meaning that the other 3 hours she might as well not be in class as she doesn't get any work. In the run up to GCSE's this is going to be a massive disadvantage.

this will sound crazily naive but I think the gold standard that state education should be aiming for is that it does not permit any child to be disadvantaged by their background. The cards are stacked against some kids succeeding - the system should be trying to minimise these disadvantaged as much as possible

We do have a PC.

I am a teacher myself though, and I really want better than ‘well my kids are fine’

I think it's a good thing as long as schools do all they can to help those who have IT problems at home.

Otherwise where does it end?

Should schools stop teaching cookery because some families can't afford the ingredients for example?

Or should they do the very best they can to help them, so there is no barrier to them learning to cook with the rest of the class?

I think the equivalent Worra would be families who don’t have ingredients at home paying an extra penalty fee, or children having to do their cooking during their break.

Life is always going to be harder and involve barriers when you are poor. I think I find it hard to shrug my shoulders when it’s kids who are taking the hit.