Schoolwork

[Jourdain11]

Interesting thing that came up the other day. My Primary teacher DH had a kid off school with a non-Covid illness and the mum asked for the lesson links and the home school material - which is obviously available in case of self-isolation. DH provided it but then wondered if he should have. He checked with the Head later and the school policy is not to - the Head said, if they are well enough to do the work at home, they are well enough to come to school, and feels they need to be wary of setting a precedent. In a way though, Covid has already set the precedent!

I think it is a really tricky one. On one hand, it would be super tough on teachers for this to become normal practice - that they have to provide full curriculum for any child who is off school at a moment's notice. But on the other hand, why does a child who is home with a positive Covid test get access to education while a child with a cold or chicken pox or whatever doesn't?

If the child is ill, they need to be recuperating at home. It’s a day off school. Self-isolating isn’t the same thing. I’m with the HT.

if they are well enough to do the work at home, they are well enough to come to school

This is nonsense. What about a child with D and V who should be symptom free for 48 hrs? Do they want them in school? There are many, many other examples of where a child would be off school but we'll enough to work.

It's a bit blackmaily to withhold work that's there and ready to go.

It's a bit blackmaily to withhold work that's there and ready to go.

It’s maintaining a boundary. Some parents will keep a child off school because they CBA taking them in and then ask for work. Some parents will make a child do three hours of Maths when they should be in bed. This is perfectly sensible.

But if the child is ill surely it's the parents choice if they're well enough to do work or not. I see both sides but the work is ready and available to send home if required. If a child feels up to it whats the harm? They could be home with a water infection but still want to learn, they might have chicken pox or a rash so cant come to school but fine in themselves

As a secondary school teacher I'm filled with dread at this becoming the accepted norm. Lessons have to be planned slightly differently if they are to be accessed at home. Things I would say in person , need writing down. Plus, with a dozen classes, keeping track of random emails advising me of different people being absent is extra workload. Then people going on holiday and expecting work to be set. I'd rather they came in whenever possible to be honest.

Seems daft. Child could at home with something contagious but feel up to doing the work. Why not let them crack on rather than fall behind. At our school we’ve been asked to keep our children home if they are unwell - not just with covid symptoms - and they can access the remote learning. It has probably meant an extra day off here and there BUT we have had one 1 covid case since September so very few children have had to isolate. Most other schools in the area have had multiple instances of sending groups home to self isolate.

But if the child is ill surely it's the parents choice if they're well enough to do work or not

Then they can set work themselves.

Have things changed then? When I was at school (admittedly a long time ago) you had to catch up later if you were off. Usually borrowing a friend's exercise book... If the child is off school then presumably they will still have to catch up later, and having the "official" materials makes a lot more sense than relying on your mate, surely?

I should add that they have been clear that a child who is off ill should only be doing the remote work if they are well enough to. The focus is on getting better.

Work isn't really "ready to go" in usual times. I'd say things in class, rather than having everything written down.

Schools aren't going to become redundant as a result of doing this so I'm with your DH. I really hope attitudes towards illness change - limbs hanging off whilst you're bedridden gasping for air, hooked to an IV should not be the benchmark.

In our school, home learning is only for children who have to self isolate because of exposure to someone with a positive test (or if the bubble or school has to close). Anyone off ill isn't expected to be doing any work, COVID or not, and no I don't think teachers should be setting work in this instance. It's hard enough to care for an ill child, try to hang on to your own workload if you also have to be working, and be pushing school work. It's also an awful lot of unnecessary work for teachers when they are buried under enough work already.

I'm with the head teacher, if they are well enough to work at home then they are well enough to be at school. Covid self isolation is a whole different kettle of fish.

To be clear about DH, I don't think he really had an opinion on it initially. He just said, "sure" without thinking because the work was there and it only occurred to him later in the day.

I guess there is an argument to be made in both cases so maybe the answer is a happy medium! Back in the day when I was at school, teachers would send worksheets home with a sibling and so on. I had a friend who was off for months with mono and the teachers would send work so that she could do what she felt up to doing.

Tbh the majority of the work we do with the kids at school wouldn't take long to check over, I'd do it.

Yes, if people are going to be off long-term we would always set work, but being expected to have adapted resources up and ready at a moment's notice for anyone who wants them is not on. I teach A levels and some students are already sending blasé 'I won't be in today, please send me the work,' type emails. It's bloody annoying and head of sixth form is stamping it out.

It's true that there are occasions when children could need to be off but be well enough to work, but in those cases they or their parents should find something online or do enriching stuff like reading, watching documentaries, baking etc (whatever is doable and age appropriate in their particular circumstances). My PowerPoints are mainly useless on their own and not every lesson has a worksheet (and these were routinely derided on MN during the lockdown anyway) and I can't whip things up at the drop of a hat.

I think at the moment the more that can be done to keep children who are off going and stop them missing more the better.

Ds has been off school post operatively a few times and has always had some work sent home to keep him as caught up as possible

My dd has a disability requiring frequent, unplanned hospital trips. It is much better for her if she can access school lessons even though she is not off due to covid. She is disabled, not ill. Fortunately the school is letting her accessing lessons.

These are lessons recorded for those self isolating.

If the work is available for those who are self isolating, it seems a bit petty to refuse those who are absent for other reasons, not to be able to do it.

DD is waiting for medical treatment on her foot. She'll have to keep her weight off it for 48 hours afterwards. This will stop her going to school, but doesn't mean she is "ill". We were planning that she would work from home since the work is posted anyway. We wouldn't expect the teachers to make any additional effort.

As previous posters have mentioned, the main issue is that there isn’t any work that is ‘there and ready to go.’ Converting class work, with all the associated teacher explanation, group work, paired discussions etc, into work a child can do independently at home, is quite a lot of extra work for the teacher, and potentially for lots of individual children, particularly at secondary where a teacher might see hundreds of different kids a week.

To be clear, most teachers are more than happy to do this when a child has medical needs that require them to be at home/ hospital rather than school, but that’s normally fairly infrequent.

The thing is that a lot of lessons wouldn't have materials that just be put up online for parents to access - teacher might play a decimals game that they've been doing for donkeys years. That may have no easily available materials - perhaps they were printed years ago and the template is lost, or perhaps it doesn't require materials. Being expected to put up lesson content all the time would be an unfair burden.

Tbh the ones who are out sick asking for work doesn't bother me, it's those who are going on holiday and expect a work pack made up for them that really get to me. If you value the lessons that much, you'll choose school over Spain.

If the work is ready then fine but generally it won’t be bad it does take quite a lot of time. I am honestly on my knees at the moment, lots of extra work due to lack of staff, providing work for children at home when they are isolating, I am so overworked it unreal and I understand by why currently but I do think it’s settings dangerous precedent . Most teachers are over worked in normal times, there just isn’t the capacity ( long term illnesses etc aside). Whilst it’s a great idea there just isn’t the capacity .

Our school it's on the website for all th access anytime. My boy has used it for close contact isolation but also recently with a broken ankle. Normally we d ahve probably not bothered he missed three days but it was there and he was well enough we did it and they ve already missed loads. No extra work for teachers as there already and they don't mark it anyway it's all self marked or apps