Home education in it’s current form isn’t working. A report on the BBC this morning has told the story of parents being reduced to tears as they try to balance work with educating their children.
EDBlog has recently reported on the rise in mental health pressure amongst young people, but it is also having a significant effect on parents.
This latest campaign says in the event of future lockdowns “a plan must ensure that the learning and wellbeing of all children are prioritised, wherever circumstances they live in.”
Home education has been “hell”
Schools were closed from 20 March for all pupils, except vulnerable children and children of key workers. The rest were required to learn from home until schools began to reopen at the start of June to certain pupils.
However a large percentage of families have struggled. The impact of digital poverty means many students have gone without education for a sustained period of time.
Those with access to technology have found it tough. One single mother who is working full-time from home said she had to choose between educating her child and securing her job:
Home-schooling has been hell, sharing the only table in our small flat with my seven-year old son.
It is not that I don’t think I am capable or that we do not have access to materials, but I cannot do two jobs at once – I can either attempt to support my seven-year-old in doing schoolwork or try to do my own work and keep my job.
He is too young to have the motivation and self-discipline to work independently, especially during lockdown when he is isolated from other kids, his emotions are all over the place and he’s getting hardly any exercise.
Our relationship has been badly damaged by the struggle over schoolwork, and to very little end because if anything, he seems to have gone backwards academically, despite all the lengths the school has gone to provide work.
Child became angry and aggressive
A second mother said:
My sons used to enjoy learning and excel at schoolwork but it rapidly became apparent that they did not enjoy learning at home, where they expected play and nurture.
My eldest became frequently angry and aggressive, my youngest sad and withdrawn, and the relationship between them strained.
I’ve devoted my attention to schooling them and their emotional wellbeing and have suffered an 80% loss in earnings as a result and am at risk of losing my business.
I try to hide my own distress at all of the above, but have been reduced to tears in front of my children.
A comprehensive and workable plan
The campaign group, Sept for Schools, has written to the Education Select Committee chairman urging him to “hold the Government to account for delivering a clear, comprehensive and workable plan to make sure our children return safely to school in September.”
In the letter they also warn that parents will not readily resume their role of educators in the event of future lockdowns and it is “not a sustainable, fair or workable education solution”.
Fiona Forbes, Founder of Sept for School, said that parents want to have their voices heard.
I am convinced that the Government has misread the lack of parental protest on schools as evidence that parents have been OK with this situation.
From what I have heard and read, nothing could be further from the truth – most parents are just too exhausted to think about what they could do to get their voice heard.
How to reduce stress during home education
EDClass can help parents who are concerned about home education.
Children can receive a high quality education via our online platform. We provide access to 11,000 lessons, live teaching and instant feedback. The tuition features mean students can undertake lessons that are most suitable for them and teachers can be interacted with should the pupil get stuck.
Safeguarding is EDClass’ priority. All teachers are enhanced DBS checked and all lessons are recorded and encrypted. A range of alert mechanisms are available and we work closely with your school in the event in any issues.
Through our system our content is fully loaded and ready to use. Find out more here.
For more information call 01909 568 338.
