BBC being forced to remove BBC Daily Online Lessons on 27th July

[Worriedmum999]

I’ve just found out that the BBC are removing their Daily Online Lessons on 27th July. I am absolutely shocked. Apparently BESA who represents online providers have kicked up a fuss and threatened them with legal action. You would have thought that, in the middle of a pandemic, they could have let it go until at least September. Lots of children haven’t managed to access this during term time due to parents working all the hours god sends on the front line and were going to catch up over the summer but now what opportunity will be gone. Another way the children of keyworkers have had their education fucked over for 3 months. There is already an article about this online, saying who it will disproportionately affect the children from poorer families.

Not sure if the collective power of Mumsnet can do anything about this to keep the content available until September? The BBC have offered to put something there for the children to do over the summer but it will be shit compared to what is there now. Alternative is Oak Academy but I find the children struggle to get on with that themselves and I still haven’t worked out how to print off the linked resources!

I have tweeted by disgust to BESA. Not sure what else I can do

Do you mean Bitesize?

Why angry it’s the summer holidays?

Will all the abck issues of bitesize online though?

But won't children of keyworkers have been in school all along anyway?

We aren't in the middle of a pandemic. It's time to rejoin the world.

It’s all the Bitesize Daily Online Lessons that are going. Here’s the link to the news article and a photo of BBC Bitesize confirmed it.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/schoolsweek.co.uk/calls-to-end-bbcs-lockdown-lessons-will-hit-poor-hardest/amp/

I know it’s the summer holidays but a lot of people have had crap support from schools and have been working for the last 3 months with no time to homeschool. This hinders them being able to catch up over the summer.

If parents haven't been able to homeschool, what makes you think they'll be able to do so over the summer?

Some keyworker children have been in school. Some didn’t even have places. Even a lot of those in school haven’t been covering as much academic work as they should. This was an easy resource for parents and children to access.

Can you get workbooks? My DN did sod all during lockdown. My DM is looking after him all summer so has gotten loads of cheap workbooks from The Works for him to do.

Sorry, I'm assuming primary

Lots of keyworkers haven’t been allowed to take holidays over the last few months. Many can now take them over the summer. Shouldn’t they have the option to access this then? Shouldn’t anybody? It’s a huge resource that has had a lot of money put into it for it to disappear on July 27th.

Because keyworker generally have made plans for the summer holidays. A lot are taking unpaid leave or using up annual leave that's accumulated to cover summer childcare as schools are closed. Kids weren't being taught in school, for the vast majority it was childcare. We were having to cram in homeschooling at the weekends. My children and I are exhausted and hoping for a gentler pace with some catch up over summer.

I'm a key worker. We were told that school during lockdown would be no more than childcare provision - no structured learning from the curriculum. We decided against sending ds as we were able to cope without it.

I would have expected Bitesize to end over the summer anyway though tbh.

Agree it's been a lifeline for us though as we've continued to work ft. That and Newsround, with a few David Attenborough/ Steve Backshalls thrown in.

There are tonnes of free online learning resources you could use instead. We watched a handful of the bitesize things and to be honest they weren’t especially great. Lack of access to them won’t be any great detriment to your DC, you can find plenty of other (and better) stuff to use instead.

If it’s still available on iPlayer then I’m not sure what the issue is?

@Hotcuppatea

We aren't in the middle of a pandemic. It's time to rejoin the world.

Erm. Do you read the news?

The online daily lessons aren’t on IPlayer. They are completely different to the 20 minute daily TV shows. The online lessons had 3 lessons a day for each year group with links to interactive resources and worksheets.

This is unfair, some long term home educators have been using the lessons too.

I completely see where you are coming from OP. Such disappointing news coming out of the blue for parents like yourself.

Tbh I thought bitesize was pretty crap. Oak academy if much more structured and actually teaches them.

But it does seem crazy to pull the resources.

The Oak Academy lessons will still be available, won't they? I think they're much better than the bbc ones.

@Worriedmum999

Lots of keyworkers haven’t been allowed to take holidays over the last few months. Many can now take them over the summer. Shouldn’t they have the option to access this then? Shouldn’t anybody? It’s a huge resource that has had a lot of money put into it for it to disappear on July 27th.

Yes, it's annoying - my DCs have been at home on their own whilst I have been at work since after February half term (no Easter holidays here) and have had to manage their own education, it'd be useful to have access to the Bitesize stuff for some support if needed but at the end of the day they need their summer holiday.

I’ve read the article now. To be honest, I’m not sure whether this is a terrible move - it’s the summer holidays, the active lesson programming was only for 14 weeks. To expect new content daily over summer seems not right - but if you want to catch up then I agree they should be hosted somewhere. We didn’t use the Bitesize website at all so I’m but sure about differences in provision to iPlayer.

In terms of hitting poorer children worse, the article specifically references the TV provision not the website:

James Turner, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said the BBC’s service was “especially important” for teaching the poorest pupils, particularly the lessons on TV for those without their own phone, laptop or internet connection.

This is unfair, some long term home educators have been using the lessons too.

And as long-term home educators, they’d presumably have access to plenty of learning resources. And they’ve had access to bitesize for the entirety of its availability. How is this ‘unfair’ to them?

It’s not up the responsibility if the BBC to provide home educators with free resources over the school holidays.

I’m not expecting any new content over the summer. I am shocked that the whole thing is being taken down on 27th July, yet again disadvantaging children.