To think schools have got to reliant on technology

[Jelllytotss]

When I was primary school a very long time ago now. We were sent home a report on paper for parents evening and then they saw our parents on the bigger parents evening later in the year. Our kids school have decided they want to do parents evening on camera through zoom this year because we can't go into the school. I have no more room on my phone for this app. But my partner will have to download it. There's 30 seconds in between every ten minute call and you can't be a second late. They've advised you lurk for an hour online or something to ensure you are ready.

I have toddlers in the house. A partner who works often until 7pm and I just wish she could email across some basic details about the first month at school or arrange a phone call if there's anything serious to discuss.

All homework is done now on a seperate app on phone too. Plus parent mail is constantly pinging throughout the day with loads of stuff about online this and that. Setting up accounts. Etc etc.

Do they not realise parents are busy working, caring for other children and only have so much space on phones for the required stuff.

My daughter's 5 and it's already this technical.

Well aware of the situation. But surely a message on parent mail to each parent is enough!

I think there will have to measures put in place for children whose families can't afford the necessary tech, to ensure that they are not disadvantaged by it.

This is the crux of it for me. The schools argument “they will need it for work”. Which they will, but they’ll be given the needed equipment and trained to use the software.

Schools should be in a position to truly fund it, 10 laptops is pissing in the ocean.

My school has 4 phone lines - how are 15 class teachers meant to make/receive calls?

Agree that whatever we do, someone will be hacked off, so we should revert to what, in our professional view, is best practice.

@cologne4711

If you have neither internet nor device, you could try your local library. I know not everyone has a library nearby, but if you do, they have computers available for use, even with covid. If you have a device but no wifi, they have wifi for free

And if you have wifi but no device, the Amazon Fire tablet is quite affordable, relatively speaking.

Good luck with that if you live in East Sussex. The vast majority of libraries in this county shut at 5 or 6 pm, even pre-Covid, and only a couple are open 6 days a week. Most have one or 1.5 days pw when they are completely closed.

Have you asked the school if it’s possible to do a phone call instead? I can’t imagine any school refusing this. (But I do understand it’s easier to rant on the internet.)

I do believe schools have become too reliant on tech but not at all in the way you describe. There’s a pandemic on dontcha know?

In what way have schools become too reliant on tech??

Just tell the teacher you aren’t interested enough in your child’s progress to spare ten minutes of your precious time - this actually happened at my school and don’t bother with a parent/teacher meeting at all.

Haven't RTFT

But YABU. Why would you need to be online an hour before your appointment? That makes no sense. Having DC who are now at secondary, parents evening is much easier on zoom.
Pre covid I had to get to school (single parent so had to take both dc when they were younger.) Teachers were never on time, so a 10 min appointment could mean being out for half an hour or more.
Secondary school is even worse. If one teacher is late then you end up behind on all appointments. I had parents evening for DS1 last week. I didnt have to leave home. I didnt have to get 2 buses across town and 2 buses home again. I logged on 5 mins before his first appointment and spoke to all his teachers on time. Perfect. I hope they continue online parents evening post covid.

Good to know, TheFormer! Far better for teachers, too! No queueing and running over.

@Maireas

Good to know, TheFormer! Far better for teachers, too! No queueing and running over.

It was so much easier! Plus I didnt have to change out of my pyjamas

😂 😂 😂

I agree that schools should be in a position to fund tech for those kids who wouldn't otherwise have what they need, but don't hold out much hope that the resources will be made available.

And I'm sure that mine isn't the only county where the option of using a library isn't realistic, either. They've been cut to the bone, too (as they always are, being a service without a clear statutory minimum provision).

A lot of people thought Labour's "free broadband" pledge was a gimmick, but lack of access to tech really disadvantages some children (and adults, too).

@TheFormerPorpentinaScamander can I just gently correct you on the teacher being late/not on time? It’ll have been parents not sticking to time or taking hints about it being the end of their time - or outright refusing to go when told it’s the end of their time because they have another question. Teachers would love to run to time then they can finish on time.