repeating years at schools? Covid

[mumwon]

Disclaimer I grew up in a country where repeating school years were commonplace.
I am beginning to wonder if because so many dc have missed out on education & fallen so far behind if there should be a system of allowing repeating school years
This would entail gov funding extra (temp) classrooms to do this is if this means in some areas that classroom sizes will need to be increased & funding for teachers - some classes might need to be expanded.
Specifically in some deprived areas where many families do not have access to the internet or where individual families don't or dc who have education issues anyway (note not just SEN but dc who struggle one way or another)
It would entail a major rethink & attitude change & investment but the way we are going this might be an answer to stop dc being disadvantaged.

Not compulsory but maybe a choice. Hard to get numbers right though

Education has been ok here, first lockdown wasn’t great but online is ok. More missing peer interaction at school.

Whatever happened to the promise that there would be additional staff in schools in the Autumn to support those children who needed additional support to catch up ?

The idea of repeating schools years is a non-starter, but targeted funds to employ teachers and TAs to support where schools request it would be a really positive innovation.

Mind you, actual funding to support children with additional needs in school generally would seem to be the right thing to do, and that's never happened, so this is also probably a pipe dream.

@LouHotel

I'm interested in whether teaching unions would consider swapping summer vacation for january lockdown. So kids stay off another 2 or 3 weeks but it gets added on for July.

Keeps everyone safe and kids dont have to try and learn from home. Surely it must have been discussed somewhere.

Why should teachers and support staff accept that? My DC's teachers are working full time teaching from home or in school, I wouldn't expect them to work in the summer holidays either paid or unpaid, they deserve and need a break.

I'm interested in whether teaching unions would consider swapping summer vacation for january lockdown. So kids stay off another 2 or 3 weeks but it gets added on for July

Well if they cancel teachers holidays, maybe they could cancel every trades holidays?

Why should teachers be the only ones?

Although in theory I think it’s a good idea I think I. Reality it would cause chaos. I think it’s different having a system that allows children to repeat years and introducing that just in response to covid.

If children repeat reception next year what happens to all the children due to start reception for the first time next year? There won’t be staff or space for a double size year.

Who decides if a child repeats a year, school, parents or both? Is there going to be a guideline for this decision?

What happens to universities when they have a much lower intake than previous years because children are repeating their last year at college?

I think it would be much more realistic to adapt the curriculum and provide extra support for those children who have been really disadvantaged.

What happens to universities when they have a much lower intake than previous years because children are repeating their last year at college?

Plus year 12 was a bulge year as the exam grades were higher. So repeating a year isn’t always possible as they don’t have the room.

University’s will already be down on numbers due to overseas students less likely to take up spaces.

It's a lovely idea in theory, but do you honestly think it would be possible to procure all those temporary classrooms and extra teachers? And what will happen to universities who will miss out on a whole cohort of students?

There's an argument, but definitely not for all. Not every kid hates home schooling, or is doing badly at it. I'm more worried so much focus will be on catching up that the kids who aren't behind will be abandoned.

I’m much more concerned about the real harm and trauma that a small minority of children will have suffered than by the majority of children being a wee bit behind ( or not even being behind) where they might have been educationally.

No, the curriculum needs to be adapted. Tests, exams, targets are man made concepts. Therefore man can adjust them to take the lockdowns into account!

Wrt using January as the long break - teachers and support staff AND huge numbers of children and parents and keyworker kids have been busting a gut to complete the work set. To retrospectively decide that January was the holidays is unfair on everyone. Imagine how pissed off and exhausted the children (and staff) would be 😱.

Keeping children back in large swathes is impractical.