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The school is shut, will your kid actually do any work set?
noblegiraffe · 11/03/2020 23:11
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?
Bouncingbomb · 12/03/2020 07:03
I would expect yr9 DD to do some work but she is an only child with a laptop and broadband at her disposal.
I think it’s unrealistic to expect everyone to a)work, b)be made to work by parents who might have to work to pay the bills, c)have the means to work - laptop, internet etc.
Depends how long it lasts, key for exam years to be facilitated to keep going in some way and I would hope that becomes a government priority.
But I think we need to see the bigger picture, never mind did Johnny do his physics this week. The priority needs to be minimisation of this virus to safeguard the population and wider economy.
There are all sorts of measures that could be introduced- later exams, shorter school holidays later on.
If it was a couple of weeks I wouldn’t be too worried about DD’s education.
Piggywaspushed · 12/03/2020 07:49
I don't think noble is disagreeing necessarily with school closures. I read this thread simply as a straw poll to gauge parental attitude.
If posters were teachers , you would know we are still told to set work to students, and the assumption is they will do it and that somehow we need to magically ensure they do.
All studies show that parental influence has a huge impact on student outcomes .
No one is saying a few weeks missed education has an impact hugely on younger students but the older, they are, the less this is true.
Sgtmajormummy · 12/03/2020 08:03
On our parents’ WhatsApp group quite a few logistic points were raised.
- More than one child needing the main computer for live lessons means one has to use a tablet.
3. Teacher parents, or indeed WFH parents, may be on the computer at the same time.
4. Not everybody has a printer and/or scanner. Or an up to date computer for that matter. Using a phone for this is not ideal.
5. Kids may be with grandparents who are not computer savvy. Or who don’t have WiFi.
I had to go out and buy a ream of A4 paper and a more comfortable set of headphones with microphone for DD. We ran out of paper on the first day of remote schooling!
DoubleAction · 12/03/2020 08:07
Interesting question, especially from a teacher.
My DCs school (they've left now) always had a couple of closure days a year for parent appointments where work was set to do at home.
The first year I was very hyper about making sure it was done to a decent standard but no one ever looked at it, so by years 8/9/10 it was very difficult to "make" them do it.
So, I guess it will depend on what they expect to happen if they do/dont do it.
KoalasandRabbit · 12/03/2020 08:08
If the school lets me know what the work is and ensures the kids have a password for the sites I'll do my best to get them to do it. Currently I have no way of knowing and kids don't have passwords to several subjects areas - I've raised it a few times but no-one seems able to solve it. Hasn't mattered too much up until now.
bemoreeverything · 12/03/2020 08:14
Surely our health is more important than a couple of months of school learning?!
It's not unreasonable to discuss the impact of an 'couple of months schooling' lost though, is it?
School closure would have a massive impact here, it's perfectly acceptable to talk that.
KoalasandRabbit · 12/03/2020 08:14
Our school is also giving no indication they are switching to online - they have sent a message to parents saying they are staying open no matter what even if several children have coronavirus. They said that will only change if they are advised to change.
CherryPavlova · 12/03/2020 08:34
Surely our health is more important than a couple of months of school learning?!
Achievement is closely correlated with good mental health. Achievement reduces likelihood of living in poverty.
Health is important and learning is part of that health promotion.
It’s not all down to set work by schools. The children who fare best are those with engaged parents who value and support education in its widest sense.
Parents need to be planning for children being off and devising activities that are not sitting on the sofa playing computer games - although buying a few maths or language based computer games might help fill the odd hour.
Set up a learning activities box for - craft, knitting, playdoh with shape cutters or Fimo, sewing projects, recipe cards, jigsaws, hamma beads, a learn to dance or juggle video, a diary or journal, etc. Set a few cards with research topics and exercise books to write about project.
ChickLitLover · 12/03/2020 08:50
My son will do work at home as he’s in Year 11 so exams are only a couple of months away. Loads of kids won’t do anything though so I’m sure results will be affected, if exams are sat on time.
My daughter is in Year 6, probably hoping all this means no SATs. To be honest I think she’d speed through any work set in an hour or so, primary schools seem to move at a snails pace.
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