DC are going to have to repeat a school year

[bigbananafeet12]

They finished school in March, there’s more chance teachers (and frightened parents) might be willing to get back into schools by next March. I know some dc are getting full school days on zoom, but for most their home learning is no substitute. Universities are planning on doing online learning for the first term too so loads will defer potentially causing problems for the current year 12.
You might say you’re dc are fine now but if things carry on like this in September, October, November and so on enthusiasm for home learning is going to decrease massively. It’s just unfair on dc. They need a chance to learn properly in the normal way. I honestly see no other satisfactory solution.

possibly NOT in normal classrooms - sorry.

My children have already delayed a year as entered school a year late.....
What would we do for all those children who are already a 'year behind' their peers (lots of summer borns who parents made that choice).

for most their home learning is no substitute

Such a broad generalization. My nephews and great-niece etc. seem to be doing fine. If they're going to University they'll need to get used to self-study. It isn't all spoon-feeding by lecturers you know!

'@papiermaches some are ready, my daughter turns 4 in August and cannot wait to start school, she loves learning, she would be bored doing another year at nursery. '

That's what I told myself too when I had to send my summer born 4 year old to school. It made me feel better.
The best school systems in the world don't send their kids to school until they're 7, but sure, your 4 year old is definitely up for learning to read before her brain has fully developed to do so.
Other countries don't let their children get 'bored' in their day care, the adapt the activities for older children.

What would we do for all those children who are already a 'year behind' their peers (lots of summer borns who parents made that choice).

We didn't have much of a choice - our summer born could either go from nursery with friends into reception or wait a year til he was 5 then go into Year 1, missing reception altogether and play catch up then. The local authority rules. There's a shortage of places and they don't allow held back kids to have a reception place, and you take your chances getting them one in Yr1 .

GCSE is more difficult but we'll just have to manage and do what we can
That's not particularly reassuring

true, but it's very rare for working parents to BOTH work 14 hours a day 7 days a week. You might have to step away from a regular school day to make it work.

How many hours can parents contracted to 40 hours work a week be reasonably expected to devote to home schooling?

Many of them are also having to put more hours in at work as everything is more difficult to deliver at the minute.

Then they’re having to cook, clean, shop, look after younger siblings, do errands for parents, basic admin, the list goes on and on. There are plenty of threads on here where people are seriously struggling to do everything required of them right now.

I've even given up on assuming an ability to use a textbook.

That's appalling that you should need to do that @SirTobyBelch

@ProfessorSillyStuff School's a waste of time anyway. I left school with 2 Cs, a D and I had no problem getting on whatever degree I wanted.

So what degree did you do then - one which reflects your user name perhaps?

@Biscuitsneeded The skills, however, are the crucial bit - learning how to read for understanding, how to analyse, how to present an argument etc.

Does that include how to use paragraphs?

The best school systems in the world don't send their kids to school until they're 7
could people please stop saying that! its not called school, but its pretty much identical to reception/year 1. These kids basically start calling it school in year 2, and something else before. there is abit more reading in the uk, but it isn’t a lot.
i went to school in one of these countries, so know that quite well

That's not particularly reassuring
Why?
GCSE is more difficult than KS3 because the curriculum is different and links to external exams which are graded on a national cohort level. There's less flexibility when rearranging a GCSE curriculum than KS3; that's common sense.

We don't know what we're going to be working with yet in terms of class sizes, days in school, rotas, staffing and so on. We'll manage and do what we can, just like we do every time the government throw half baked plans and reforms our way.

For GCSE it could be thatthere has to be some changes in homework setup to build in revision that may otherwise be done in class. It could be that, depending on how the school structures assessment, mock exams need changing. It could mean that course structure changes. It could mean the way intervention is arranged changes.

But obviously reworking GCSE being more difficult than KS3 is not reassuring.

*Ultimately, it might be a wake-up call that parents have a HUGE role in the education of their children, and trying to deny any responsibility and involvement by claiming "schools can do it" is wrong.

It never was up to the school to do everything. We might stop seeing so many threads asking schools to become in charge of basic life skills that should be taught at school.

Parents are having to step up right now. That's too bad. Take responsibility and do your job as a parent. You might not be able to teach your kid the level required in A level subject, but you are the one who can encourage them to study and find the right resources.

The younger they are, the easier it is.

Don't penalise the whole country because you are in favour of a lazy solution, it's not going to work your way*

So I'm lazy because I have to say I cannot teach my year 10 further maths, physics, history, haven't got a clue about Shakespeare let alone Computer Science?

Ultimately, it might be a wake-up call that parents have a HUGE role in the education of their children, and trying to deny any responsibility and involvement by claiming "schools can do it" is wrong.
It never was up to the school to do everything. We might stop seeing so many threads asking schools to become in charge of basic life skills that should be taught at school.
Parents are having to step up right now. That's too bad. Take responsibility and do your job as a parent. You might not be able to teach your kid the level required in A level subject, but you are the one who can encourage them to study and find the right resources.
The younger they are, the easier it is.
Don't penalise the whole country because you are in favour of a lazy solution, it's not going to work your way

So I'm lazy because I have to say I cannot teach my year 10 further maths, physics, history, haven't got a clue about Shakespeare let alone Computer Science?

You might not be able to teach your kid the level required in A level subject, but you are the one who can encourage them to study and find the right resources.

And where’s the teachers role in all this?

What are the children supposed to do between September and March if they repeat a year? They've already done that work once, why do they need to do it again? Be a total waste of time for this years 11 and 13 who will already have their exam grades.
Just do as much as you can at home. The children are all going to be in the same boat so not really anyone at a,disadvantage (any child that is would have been at a disadvantage anyway unfortunately).

That's all very well but what if it's knowledge that is needed/assumed for a university or college course that the year 13s are moving on to?

Also second that most university courses have some expectation that students will be entering their first year with varying levels of knowledge. Hence during the first year a majority of it is introducing basic concepts and knowledge, but largely correcting incorrect information that is taught at a level and gcse. Otherwise it would be impossible for mature students to do undergraduate degrees without either a levels or equivalent or years after completing these qualifications. I started my undergrad with no a levels and finished with a 1st, likewise the majority of the friends I made were mature students with little or no school immediate education background (even in 10 years gcse and a level content has changed hugely), and have completed undergraduate degrees with 1sts and 2:1s. I find people forget that at university you get out of it what you put in, if your willing to work hard, read around subjects, do additional work to ensure you understand, then a levels are less necessary in a majority of subjects (obvious there are some that previous knowledge and ability is more important, but they are the minority were it wont/cant be covered during level 4 (first year)).

No one knows what's going to happen. We have no idea how this virus is going to behave going forward. are we going to have a second wave? If so will it be soft or hard causing further closures and lockdowns. I accepted a long time ago that we may end up restarting this academic year in early 2021 was a possibility. (But because I don't like things sprung upon me I tend to look at the worst case scenario and hope for something in between)

Both of my DC are in the year groups being recalled, we've not decided yet whether to send them back on the 1st (if the R stays down)we'll see how the school presents it next week. I would like them to go back. DS it Yr6, not many of his friends are going to the same secondary school, he's going to want to say good bye to them. DD is YrR, she's chomping at the bit to see her friends and teacher (I know she may not be with them that's why we're waiting to see what he school say before fully deciding).

They shouldn't have to repeat the work they did up to when the schools closed but more likely start from where they left off.

They’ll just carry on where they left off. If that means Y7 classes cover Y6 maths... so what? That happens anyway. In any given Y6 class you’ve got kids able to work from Y5-Y7, and a few either side of that too.
My Y6 would be bored out of his mind repeating Y6.

They’ll catch up, or adjustments will be made. No reason that we can’t have several years of kids taking 5 GCSEs instead of 8, if they need to concentrate on core subjects. It would be a shame, but it’s do-able. Obviously it’s not simple - if you want to teach double the periods of maths, you have to staff that.

But there are more inventive ways to handle this than making everyone repeat a year.

They need to assess every child's ability and look at who needs to be staying in the same year and who is ready to move up a year and go from there. It's not fair that children are forced into harder work when they are not ready. it's not child centred in anyway.

Changing the status quo is bonkers. Expecting the world to revolve around your non-progressing child is bonkers. Nurseries can't be filled with 5 year olds.

flower
No they don't.
Within year groups there is a range of work completed. I've had year 7 and 8 students capable of doing some GCSE material and Y9 students that I have to teach KS2 SPaG to.
You don't seriously think every child in a year group does the same regardless of ability do you?
Our system isn't designed for going up and down years. It is designed to have appropriate differentiation within age year groups.

At this point, nothing would surprise me.

How in the world can vocational training courses happen in the 2020/21 training year with social distancing in operation: things like PGCEs, social work, NVQs, trade apprenticeships, nursing, midwives, doctors... we are stuffed if those people don't get on their training courses on time to get qualified in a timely manner, but reducing deaths seems to be the only priority anyone thinks matters now.

So nothing would surprise me now. It's like Brexit all over. Most people like Lockdown & wish it was harsher. Folk will insist they knew what they insisted on getting.

I’m intrigued by what people think school leavers will do if they defer university for a year. There are no jobs. They can’t travel. In a major recession, higher education uptake usually increases for this very reason. Fine if those school leavers can stay at home with their parents and not need to work, but that’s only those privileged enough to do so.

Exactly.... applications to postgraduate courses increase for the same reason. Graduates delay their entry into the labour market by continuing to study.

LaurieMarlow
And where’s the teachers role in all this?

presumably the teachers are not in your house and motivating your own children to get up, switch on their computer and open their books?

Why do you expect the teachers to do the work of the parent? Do you also expect the teachers to get your kids ready in the morning and sat on time in the classroom? Aren't you confusing the roles?

If you expect a private tutor, we are not talking about the same thing.

They need to assess every child's ability and look at who needs to be staying in the same year and who is ready to move up a year and go from there. It's not fair that children are forced into harder work when they are not ready. it's not child centred in anyway.

For some reasons, that has always been the choice of the schools here, I am sure they have some reasons, I am not sure I understand them. Other countries manage just fine...