The school is shut, will your kid actually do any work set?

[noblegiraffe]

Lots of talk about schools ‘remote teaching’ and ‘setting work for the kids’. Very little discussion about whether the kids will actually engage.

My own primary kids would do some work because I’ll make them, but teenagers left in the house by themselves? Are they really going to be putting in hours each day?

[Dusty01]

Sorry - but is that important in the grand scale of things?

Does it matter if kids miss a month of learning - if we can reduce the impact of this epidemic?

I get the other arguments about not closing schools ie NHS staff having to stay at home to look after their kids etc

This argument however is not a very strong one.

[LoveFameTragedy]

Yes they would but they are Y11 and Y13. I teach Y6 and they would not. They barely do their homework. 🙄

[gamerchick]

Mine would. But has ASD and loves school.

He would miss school loads.

[20Newnames]

Mine would but only because it’s year 11. If they had been in any other year groups I can’t imagine much would be done.

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

I'd set it. The same 2/3rds of my y6 class who do their homework would do it. The other 1/3rd would forget or be unable (or disinclined) to get online to do it.

[SushiGo]

I'd be surprised. Mine are primary age and we will struggle because both parents will be trying to work from home and there is only one laptop to share between the children for anything that has to be done online.

It's nowhere near the quality of support a school can offer (or we can usually, at the weekend in short bursts to do homework, interesting activities etc)

It's stressing me out a bit that they will be expected to have learnt all their times tables or something by the time they go back.

Doable if I was a stay at home parent or getting leave from work. Not otherwise.

[Dontsayyouloveme]

If they do shut down, I’ll be required to work from home, therefore I’ll have hardly any extra time in order to teach my child at home, than I would doing the usual homework!

[Fatted]

Nope. If we're not all on deaths door then I can actually see us going out a lot more than we would when the DC are in school and DH and I are in work!!

DH is saying he will go off with the DC if they shut the school. Which means they will have gaming and movie marathons.

[WatcherintheRye]

I would have said no, of course they won't, until my ds16 was off school with a broken leg a couple of weeks back (this is his GCSE Year), had work set online by teachers and bugger me if he didn't knuckle down and actually do it!! Sometimes they rise to the occasion and surprise you!

[PickAChew]

No. DS1 is autistic and at a specialist school. He only does school stuff at school because autism. His school were proactiveand informed us of their plans back on monday and I already have some stuff i can do with him because he was majorly school refusing, last month but basically, he will do nothing and not even leave the house for a walk for his entire time off.

DS2 is severely autistic and there is nothing that his school can send home or do remotely with him. his hydrotherapy hasn't happened at all, this half term, and i suspect that CV is the reason, rather than the more usual someone shat in the pool.

[Letseatgrandma]

Mine would because they are in Exam years and don’t want to waste the years they’ve spent working.

[SE13Mummy]

Yes... because DH and I are both teachers so will also be at home doing school work. I'm sure Y6 DD would be given lots to do and I have lots I can give her if they don't. Y10 DD is quite motivated when it comes to school work so will get a decent amount done if she writes herself a timetable.

[noblegiraffe]

but is that important in the grand scale of things?

I’m a teacher, it’s kind of my job to worry about kids’ education.

If the parents aren’t taking the home learning stuff seriously then the kids definitely won’t.

[PickAChew]

And DS1 is GCSE year, too. This has the potential to completely change what we've been scrabbling around to make happen for 6th form.

[bemoreeverything]

The other way round here. I wouldn't be fussed about my primary aged DC but I have a teen about to sit Highers so they would be doing work.

[CherryPavlova]

Friends in HK and China say closed schools are working well because the children do study when told to. The norm is for children to work hard at school.

[florababy84]

Friends in HK and China say closed schools are working well because the children do study when told to. The norm is for children to work hard at school.

This is mostly true for HK, where we have been off school for 6 weeks now. However there's still an inequality problem - even if your home has a wonderful work ethic (which not all do), a child can't be expected to work diligently day in day out if Mum and Dad are out at work and it's just grandma or a domestic helper supervising.

And what if they don't have a computer or good internet access? Or there are two children in the house and only one computer?

I would say the system works smoothly if you have involved parents who are present and interested, and good access to the technology you need at home. For others it's really hard, including in the 'education-centric' East Asian cultures.

Also there is the serious problem here of children not leaving the home for weeks, for fear of getting the virus. Fine if you live in a house with your own garden and rambly walks nearby, but not so fine if you are in a small apartment. It must take its toll on children's mental health.

[Dusty01]

I’m a teacher, it’s kind of my job to worry about kids’ education.

It is very possible that kids will learn all sorts of other things in that time. May not tick the exam boxes. But will add to their self development.

We all benefit from a change or break to the usual routine.

[Purplewhitelie]

Yes as mine have a strong work ethic.

[lumpy76]

I already home educate 3 of my children. I would just slot the other 2 into that schedule.

[noblegiraffe]

It is very possible that kids will learn all sorts of other things in that time.

Yes, there are concerns about child sexual exploitation, a rise in teen pregnancies, grooming into gangs etc if kids are off school en masse and unsupervised, but I guess you’re suggesting that they might take up basket weaving or something.

[ShanghaiDiva]

My dd’s school has been closed since January 23rd and we have work set online. She is pretty diligent anyway, but I definitely need to be there to support her. It’s hard to stay motivated when you have no interaction with your peers. Some work also requires discussion to get the most out of it eg the play dd is a reading for English.
We are eight hours behind China so the time difference is a problem too and dd does not have sole use of the computer. However, I am at home and can help her.

[ValleyoftheHorses]

Yes, depending on how much. I could probably get him to do a maths worksheet, an English something and read everyday. No more than 2 hours.
He’s 7.

[ILiveInSalemsLot]

Mine would. There’s no way I’m allowing Xbox til it’s all done.
Imagine kids cooped up in the house all day going crazy because they end up spending most of the day every day on gadgets. Shudder.
Mine are doing an exercise session then some work.

[TheTeenageYears]

Schools are closed where we live and DD’s in exam year. Normal timetable run remotely so they have to log into lessons. Some are using video, some without. I presume if they don’t log in or do the work it will at some point be dealt with by the school in the same way truancy is usually is.