Why does the NEU say that teachers should not be expected to mark work during the pandemic?

[Thenagainmaybenot]

The national education union says that:
'Worksheets and textbook pages for maths and English can work if they are already used in school and all children have them at home. However, teachers cannot be expected to mark work. Schools should not be setting SATs tests or mocks at this time.'

Why shouldn't teachers be expected to mark work? Fair enough they shouldn't be marking as much as they do normally, but (say) 1-2 maths and english tasks per week to be marked is surely reasonable?

You’re brave

In the situation described above - children are writing in workbooks at home - how would teachers get hold of the work to mark it?

Risk of passing on the virus. Schools are trying to limit anyone needing to touch anything someone else has touched. Much like people aren't touching things they aren't going to buy in shops.

If children are writing on worksheets/paper at home how do you think the teacher is going to have them to mark them?

Where's that head in hands Picard pic when you want it?

GF.

Ds is back at school now (y1) but he was submitting work twice a week which was always marked- we had to take a photo and email to the teacher.

There you go: :o

Couldn't agree more. I am a teacher and have been marking work throughout (secondary, has been emailed to me). My Yr1 daughter's work has been emailed to her teacher weekly (photographs of work sent via email usually) and they comment on it...it's really not an insurmountable problem.

Honestly the NEU have been a disgrace throughout. A can't do attitude!

Hahaha thank you Echt!

I would expect there could be some electronic method of getting them to the teacher. Google classroom, email, etc.

I would not expect physical paper to be given to the teachers. But there is a world of difference between saying:

'Teachers should not be expected to mark work' and (for example) 'No work should be delivered on paper to be marked, however electronic means should be used where possible'. Or even 'Any work on paper should be picked up from the school after being quarantined for 72 hours. Electronic formats should be encouraged'.

A blanket - 'teachers should not mark' is really detrimental to the quality of education the children get.

We have an app and submit photos of the work to the teacher. At school they put in Occasional observations too. I agree OP, it doesn’t seem that difficult... unless people don’t have access to the internet at home. My children’s school is asking for work to be submitted and it will be ‘quarantined’ for a few days before the teacher marks it, for the older year groups. Doesn’t seem that complicated.

@HipTightOnions

In the situation described above - children are writing in workbooks at home - how would teachers get hold of the work to mark it?

Parents take a photo/scan and email it? Ok, not everyone has access to a camera or scanner, but loads of people do.

It’s to do with passing on virus as it lives on paper surfaces for 24 hours. Obviously hand washing helps but we know children. Are not always great at that. Feedback can be given in a range of ways, in fact Immediate verbal feedback is often much more effective

I know some people don't have access to the internet. But a 'can do' attitude provides a Plan A (electronic) and a Plan B if that can't happen, and then tries to reduce the time you rely on Plan B. It doesn't just say 'it won't work for everyone so we can't do it at all.

is it because they want to lower the standards to the lowest common denominator of teacher and if some are seen to be doing work the ones that can't be arsed will look bad?
Just musing.

Actually, I am marking work electronically.

My school was already using Google classroom. It’s a secondary school, but students are not reliably able to upload work as requested.

I can mark it reasonably easily (it’s still a slow process though) only because I happen to have an iPad and Apple Pencil (not provided by school). Otherwise it’s a really slow and unwieldy process.

It’s to do with passing on virus as it lives on paper surfaces for 24 hours
in very controlled lab conditions, not in real life

I think marking is deleterious for the gin-swigging hand.

Oh bugger there’s that “can do attitude” again...

How does the teacher mark it? Print out every piece of work, write on it and rescan it and send it back? Don’t be ridiculous. What about the parents without internet?

The NEU said teachers didn’t need to mark not they didn’t need to provide feedback. I have provided plenty of feedback to my students but I haven’t ‘marked’ work. I’m secondary.

All the stuff my primary aged DC were given had the answers so we marked it ourselves. We were encouraged to take photos and send pictures and the teachers said well done but to have waited for me to take a photo upload and send it, the teacher to print it write in it and scan and send it back would be pointless. My kids would have forgotten what they had done by the time that had happened.

I know some teachers are, and that is great. I am just disappointed that a union that calls itself the National Education Union is not more focussed on delivering an education! Naive I know :)

is it because they want to lower the standards to the lowest common denominator of teacher and if some are seen to be doing work the ones that can't be arsed will look bad?

No.

Just musing.

Yeah, right.

I am just disappointed that a union that calls itself the National Education Union is not more focussed on delivering an education!

You might want to learn about what unions are for.

I am using self marking quizzes, checking scores and individual answers and giving feedback.