How are children going to catch up on the education they have missed?

[shesellsseashells99]

I've been thinking about this and the huge variations between children. For example my dc had not one lesson from March to going back in Sep, but my friends childrenhad Skype lessons from their teachers everyday through lockdown, that already puts some children at a disadvantage than others. Then we come back to school in Sep and some children have been affected by bubbles closing, whole year groups being sent home. Some schools haven't been affected at all. Sorry, I'm sometimes find it hard to get across what I want to say, but how are we going to ensure all children get a good education through all of this and come out on a level(ish) playing field?

Ps. Especially in the GCSE years. Are the government going to make allowances. Some friends are talking about private lessons out of school but some children cant afford them.

Some schools have grouped together to press the government to ditch GCSEs for the foreseeable.

The simple answer is ‘we’re not’.

There’s nothing anybody can do now to claw back the time that’s been missed. It’s gone.

Some children will cope with it. Some won’t.

It’s am absolute travesty.

Op I don't know. I'm lucky that neither dd is at a critical time.
There is only so much any dp can do esp with something like gcse science 😕.

The answer is many children won't catch up and it's a disgrace. We were already working our arses off to close the gap for many children before this. It's so worrying! Mumsnet homeschooling is sadly not representative of the experience of alot of children.

They missed a term and another two weeks before that. It's not a lot. My Y6 class varied from the did loads to the absolutely nothing, and they present as no different to any other Y6 class starting in September.

I don't know. I'm really concerned about this based on my son's current period of SI from secondary school and the quality of home learning. He's in the GCSE years now so I have no idea how this can be put right. In fact, I think it can only get worse.

I have two year 10s at different schools in inner city areas hit hard by Cv.

We have more than 100 schools here impacted with 8,000 students off.

Both my DCs' schools have multiple cases. One was sent home to SI after just a week due to a case, along with 100 students. The home learning has been a mixed bag. Some days he's had no work or honework set at all. Other days most lessons. I worked out he's missed a number of key lessons during the time he's been off. His classmates have had those GCSE lessons. He is really mindful that the school is overwhelmed and does not want to make a fuss.

There will be a huge postcode divide. In Birmingham we have so many schools down already. One primary I know has 15 staff off. Yet my relatives in Devon and Cornwall don't seem to have been impacted.

My other year 10 has multiple cases at his schol, including teachers. He's hanging on by a thread.

The Govt placed schools in an imposdible situation. I am so worried for my children's futures.

They'll have to change the exam syllabi to cut out some content so it can be covered in a shorter time. Ultimately, I don't remember about 2/3 of the content of my GCSE studies and most people are the same. Universities presume you know nothing and start from scratch usually anyway because of variation in coverage, so I doubt it'll affect their life chances too much in the long run.

I agree with @YardleyX the simple answer is we are not, some children will be at an educational and life disadvantage throughout their lives through no fault of their own.

I am also aware of a lot parents paying for private tutors to try and make up for that loss of education and of course some children are privately educated. But not all parents can afford this especially in these economically difficult times.

Sadly I fear that this will all lead to greater social inequality in future years plus an anger from those disadvantaged that it wasn't their fault. They will resent those doing better than them and feel that they have been thrown under a bus by society in order to protect the older generation.

All in all not a pretty picture for the years to come.

Tragically some kids are behind and never catch up even in normal years.

I teach and I’m planning how to deliver lessons / education via teams, in the event of a bubble being sent home. Some of my kids will do brilliantly, they are very motivated and will do the work well, either at school or at home. Others have to be cajoled into even writing the title of the lesson. They do worse in class and they are going to do really badly distance learning at home.

I don’t have a solution. They don’t value education, won’t spend time on something they see as boring or pointless.

@shesellsseashells99

Ps. Especially in the GCSE years. Are the government going to make allowances. Some friends are talking about private lessons out of school but some children cant afford them.

I am considering tutors. One son has an eaely GCSE this year.

However, this week we were waiting on school work all day that never came. On other days it came. So there is the promise of full days, hours spent at screens, and I don't want to add to that with a tutor. If it was part-time and we knew what was coming and that there would be missing lessons then we could fit tutors into the school day. At the moment it feels scattergun. I cannot plan. Nobody can!

We are average earners but very fortunate we can use our savings for this.

I agree with whoever said content will need to be cut from the exams. Considerable amounts if this carries on.

My ds has also just had 6 days off for a bit of a cough, he has asthma and always has a wheeze with a cold but they wouldnt let him. Anyway I know they need to be cautious but he also got no work sent home even after asking for it..

They have already 'cut the content'* and, being Ofqual , will probably now wash their hands of it and forge ahead. They consulted and that's what they came up with.

*from about 3 GCSE subjects.

And isn't that just for the current year 11s?

Indeed.

@pontypridd

I agree with whoever said content will need to be cut from the exams. Considerable amounts if this carries on.

I think that's the best solution

No cases in any school I know of in our area, Surrey. Ds's have coped fine. I don't think they'll ever catch up though. I'm just glad we have been minorly affected.

@Oblomov20

No cases in any school I know of in our area, Surrey. Ds's have coped fine. I don't think they'll ever catch up though. I'm just glad we have been minorly affected.

That's good but that what I'm saying. No cases where you are and no school closure but in another part of the UK it may be a completely different situation.

@Oblomov20

No cases in any school I know of in our area, Surrey. Ds's have coped fine. I don't think they'll ever catch up though. I'm just glad we have been minorly affected.

And this is going to be the divide. Areas like mine with thousands of children not in school and some, like my son, not accessing lessons remotely in GCSE years and in other areas students ploughing ahead.

Then parents like me who may fill that gap with tutors while others cannot afford that.

All the time, the most disadvantaged in areas hardest hit will suffer most.

There's always been inequality in education but the gap is widening further.

I agree that not all children will catch up. Unfortunately because of the current climate, there’s not much schools can do either. There is no parity across the country even now, as bubbles go off in different schools.

As a parent I feel it has to be my responsibility to support my GCSE year son’s education and prevent him from falling behind, so the £30 a week I would normally have spent on a treat takeaway for the family; as well as a few other luxuries, is now paying for private tuition. My friend has done such a wonderful thing and ditched smoking to pay for her child’s private tuition. We are fortunate though that we can do even that. Most parent’a couldn’t. I’m aware GCSEs are unlikely at this point to go ahead, but I want my son prepared anyway and ready for sixth form.

I see no alternative, it’s now a parents problem like it or not.

Generally disruption will fall hardest on the more disadvantaged.
Home learning is hardest on SNs, those with poor acess to space, resources and parental support.

Inner city schiols are more likely to be caught in local lockdowns and more bubbles collapsing from higher local previlence and higher rates of families in higher risk occupations.

The current y11 may well be in a harder position than the previous cohort. The previous set were complete or within a few weeks of on their course content. The current cohort have lost 1/3 of course teaching time with variable mitigation plus variations in localised conditions now.