To think a lot of children won't be going back to school?

[DearLiza]

Most people I know, with some exceptions, have been saying how much their primary-school aged children are enjoying being off. I gather they're doing a limited amount of academic work though. It got me thinking, if there is at least one SAHP in the household, maybe some people won't send their children back in when the time comes. What do you think?

Education wise my dc has come on loads in terms of maths since we (dh) has been homeschooling. I think she would do better at home academically, at least for primary, however I'm more worried about the social side, she loves her friends. Obvs we'd have to do more planning if we homeschool (which we never would) as school have been providing learning. I'm still working ft from home whereas dh was made redundant but when this all goes back to normal dh will be working too. What it has taught me is that my dh needs to support more with HW - he's actually quite good at it. I say this as someone who was a teacher but still works in education.

I don't see schooling changing too much. The push will come from businesses having less premises and cutting costs and moving online.

So addiitonal classes (music, painting etc) may become more of a two tiered option - where you can get a lot more options online as well as some still being in person. I don't think they will be able to do this with education in schools as a whole - but maybe rotate the kids and they all have a day schooling from home??

Same for working from home- it's a lot more acceptable and proven now for areas which hadn't moved yet - so businesses will want to cash in on it by consolidating and shutting some premises.

My son is 13, luckily his school have given them a timetable to follow for English, Maths and Science and then additional work on there homework page plus some extra "just for fun" stuff, its really helping him stay in school mode so to speak.

He struggled initially as used to see it as homework (they rarely get homework as do so much at school) now he's got his head round it as daily work it's ok (ish because some days like today it has been like pulling teeth to get on and I'm exhausted).

On the flip side my step daughter's school (she is also 13) are giving them hardly anything to do and what there is, is really simple stuff/quick stuff to do so she spends all day gaming.

Now I feel she will struggle when they go back as they will be so far behind and by being out of routine will struggle back with the school structure.

I think it's a tough one really but I hope they dont rush them back too quick either way as my anxiety won't cope very well

Loving WFH and homeschooling but it’s not sustainable in the long term and my kids miss school and their friends.

I think it depends on the kids, my edlest is missing his friends but my youngest suspected autism is coping alot better and happy not to be going to school and getting on with his work fine. I am ery tempted to take him out permanently at least till can get him into a school more suited to his needs.

My DD really enjoyed it and is adamant she doesn't want to go back to normal school. We are thinking about whether we would consider a really good private online academy (if that exists? Would now be the time to start it up?) rather than her current private school once things go back to normal at least for primary. She liked to have more time for 'learning' as no time was 'wasted' (in her mind) on breaks, discussions, waiting for kids to be quiet (the teacher now can just mute those who are always chatting :-) ). She is a very serious child, so doesn't really enjoy playtime and hates what most kids would consider the 'fun' bits at primary school, like dressing up day. Music would be the big drawback as there really is no online orchestra or choir, and of course games. So if anyone hears of a full time online academy that prepares for 11plus and 13plus please let me know!

Most parents are not homeschooling, the majority of schools are sending work to be supervised by parents or for older ones to be done on their own. I’m teaching literacy and numeracy via zoom for my class and then sending them topic work to cover all the rest to do in their own time. They then send me their work and I give feedback and progression points. It’s a far cry from homeschooling when you still have the resources and lessons from the school. I work in an independent school so I’m hoping none of our parents decide homeschooling is the easier option.

My Dd (age 4) is usually in preschool full time and due to start school in September. She is thriving at home. She has disliked preschool since she went up from the toddler room when she turned 3. I also have long disliked the preschool also (the head is over strict for such small children). There are number of reasons we didn’t move her which I won’t go into. I also felt they didn’t do enough/ anything with her academically. I am having to work from home during lockdown and also have younger Dd (age 2) so I am not having much time to spend on things. While Dd (age 2) is having a nap I have spent half an hour most days either doing some phonics, writing practice or maths. She has come on so much in such a short time. She has gone from virtually nothing to recognising the alphabet (in phonics), her writing of letters has come on amazingly. She has been able to write her name for a long time, but is now doing correct letter formation and knows how to write a much greater number of letters. She is also able to read short words that she can sound out. She has also learned to add and take up to 10. It will be interesting to see if she progresses as quickly when she starts school. I can see the attraction in some way of home schooling. I think the main issue I have is the lack of social development which they can only get by mixing with other kids and is as important if not more so than academic development.

@Teachtrinity home schooling is distance learning from a school - there are online schools

That is great @RoseLillian, it sounds like she is doing really well.

I always thought that teaching 20+ children together in a classroom , is completely the wrong way to teach children.

Homeschool the child at home, then let them go to a class of what actually interests them in the evening, for the social element. Eg dance classes, art classes, karate classes

Completing work at home that has been set by a qualified teacher is NOT homeschooling. There's not enough money on the world to make me want to teach my kids any longer than I have to!

I'm just really worried about what's going to happen next to be honest. DD misses school terribly and her school is near her GP (one over 70 & other in vulnerable group). I'm desperately looking for a new job as mine has gone. I can't afford to do 40 miles per day in school run and when (if) I get another job it's not going to be feasible either. She doesn't want to change school, and my parents probably wouldn't speak to me for doing it, but do I just apply for a place in our LA. There's so much uncertainty and so much emotion that will surround my decision. I just don't know what to do 😥. The home schooling thing is easy compared to this and I am having to design and find work as very little has been coming from school.

You don’t have to follow a curriculum if you’re homeschooling permanently, not that I agree.

The thing is in the current situation, no-one is being schooled the way their parents want them to be. If you usually attend school, you are being sent work home where you are working in isolation. If you usually home Ed, then all of your groups, meet ups, classes and outside the home resources aren’t currently accessible. What we are currently experiencing is isolation schooling. It will be interesting to see how many then choose to move into home education as they have more of an understanding of whether their child benefits from attending a school.

When we are all allowed to be out and about again then we’ll see how big the home Ed social groups grow to, how big the home Ed GCSE study groups grow to and how many more enquiries the independent exam centres have. That will be interesting.

@Tessabelle1 I am really confused about your remark.

Home schooling is very big in the states. I have talked to my friends there about what it involves.

Every one of them said that they attend an online school from grade 1 up, they follow the national curriculum, and they submit work to teachers online.

What do you think homeschooling is?

Nelly I've never used it but I've seen Interhigh recommended on here before for online schooling. My DD is using seneca but not sure if you could use just that.

Home schooling and remite learning are very different. To home school you need to have a reasonable knowledge if the curriculum and plan teaching/learning activities for this. Remote learning means everything is (or should be) provided by the school and parents just have to support.

There may be some changes but I think it'll depend on the child, some children work better with 1:1 help or a higher concentration of work (HS would have less discussion or practical starters etc). Some children thrive on peer work so school suits them better.

I can see some choosing it over attending school, however it is quite life changing so couldn't really be done on a whim.

I think that education is always developing, and that remote learning will be the new development that we will make..

I think and hope that we may see some children return to school early June, after the next half term

Not sure how they’ll manage it, maybe some children one week and some another do social distancing can be maintained

Summer holiday should be reduced to last two weeks of August as well to give kids chance to catch up as the ones I’ve seen about appear to think this is one big holiday

Nothing would surprise me but I doubt they will be back before Sept.

I think the lockdown has been a positive event all around for my family, I almost dread normality.

I feel that pollution has massively improved, we're all spending more time with family, we've all realised what's really important, we're shopping differently thereby improving local business and because I do nothing but work now with nowhere to go, I've more money to spend on sorting my finances out. When I am at home I spend more time relaxing instead of constant chores (no one to see my untidy house.) My kids are thrilled to be home schooling as they are less stressed in their home environment... my teenager doesn't want to go back at all!

Looking back and talking to friends and colleagues it feels like everyone was on a constant treadmill heading towards a certain meltdown and this situation has been a timely relief for many that we didn't know we needed.

Some have had it harder I know but for me I would be happy for another 2 months of lockdown.

It's been mentioned that schools could switch to teaching this way all the time (not by anyone official, but I think it was mentioned on here). It sounds good I'm theory but what about the social side? The independence of being away from your parents? Children who s parents work won't be able to support them. Some parents can't support their children for other reasons.
My children enjoy being schooled this way, my youngest would be happy to never return to school but think my eldest would miss her friends.

I’m in France where schools are due to reopen in May. My teens insist that they will go back and I can’t fight that. I will keep the younger ones home until September, though. Not worth the infection risk, and they are learning more at home currently because we have time to coach them.

YABU. Life needs to return to normal and people need to work. The virus isn’t going away. In the Netherlands, crèches and primary schools are returning on May 11 and secondary schools on June 2. If you don’t return until September then that’s 5 months out of formal schooling. That works for very few children. As a teacher and a parent of a crèche age child I can’t wait for us both to get back.

As for switching to teaching this way all the time @Rosebel it doesn’t work. Two main reasons:

1. learning just isn’t as effective this way (for so many reasons)
2. many teachers have small kids themselves. We can’t work properly if our kids aren’t in creche/school. Which sort of defeats the point of the theory.

Summer holiday should be reduced to last two weeks of August as well to give kids chance to catch up as the ones I’ve seen about appear to think this is one big holiday

Considering teachers have already given up the Easter holidays and will be giving up half term too in order to keep providing to the children still in school, as well as remote teaching the children at home via online classrooms, I don't think they will be too happy to give up the six weeks holiday too.

My DC are out in the garden most of the day at the moment as the weather is nice, just because they're out doesn't mean they aren't working. They're up at around 6am, work from 7am-9am then they have free time where they go outside, we go for a walk, they play, and so on then they do another block from around 3pm-5pm to complete their work for the day. School work done at home doesn't require a 8.45-3.30pm, 3-4 hours is enough to get everything done.