School Closures and Education: Addressing Parental Fears and Concerns

 

Today marks one month of the Movement Control Order (MCO) here in Malaysia. Across the world, we have very quickly had to adapt to all that is familiar being utterly changed. So many aspects of our daily lives have been turned upside-down in such a short space of time, and we face much anxiety. It is difficult to comprehend and wrap our heads around the changes we are dealing with at present and what the long-term implications of this pandemic will be.

 

 

 

For many children, this weekend marks the end of their Easter break and the prospect of a summer term characterised by uncertainty is upon them. Will there be a return to school at all this term? For parents, particularly with children in private schools, discussions around schools fees are becoming increasingly more common and some resentment is evident. Now more than ever, skilled leadership is required to steward parents, pupils, and teachers through these unprecedented times and to find the best and fairest solutions and compromises we can.

 

 

 

Anecdotally, it would seem our youngest children are having a great time during this MCO. They are with their favourite people and getting to play all day. What’s not to love about that? Parents may worry about schools being closed, but we know young children learn best through play-based learning so it’s perfectly possible, with some support and guidance, for them to continue to develop, progress, and thrive at home. Where this becomes a huge challenge is for those parents who are trying to balance childcare with working from home as well. This puts the onus on schools to provide parents with the resources to support ongoing learning whilst finding ways to engage youngsters online for short periods (it can’t be anything else) such that their parents have some reprieve.

 

 

 

 

Acknowledging the stress parents are under does not negate the benefits many are reporting witnessing in their children. The manner in which many young children have reacted to school closures has generated much talk on social media, and I have read comments regarding them being more relaxed, happier, and sleeping better. Again, this is anecdotal; however, it is apparent an examination of our school systems is warranted in light of what we are now seeing. Concerns have been raised for some time about the pressure our youngest children are under to master formal skills too early (before children are developmentally ready). This is particularly true of the UK where school starting age is one of the youngest in the world and where this debate is perhaps loudest.

 

 

Upper primary children are in a different position. Once children are confident readers and writers and have some computer skills, they are a lot more independent and can do much for themselves. It is generally easier for teachers of these age groups to engage them online and for longer periods. In setting work for these children, it is important to provide short, manageable pieces, ensuring feedback can be given regularly such that children are not doing something incorrectly and embedding erroneous thinking.

 

 

 

 

Although parents may worry about missed learning time, some reassurance may be found in knowing the top-performing school systems, e.g., Estonia, Finland, Korea, and Sweden have fewer teaching hours than many others. Moreover, unexpected school closures, such as those following the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand, did not result in pupils falling behind. It was found teachers really focused on identifying what their students didn’t know and plugging those gaps. This is based on the research of John Hattie. Read more about his thoughts on school closures here. A further finding to bring consolation to worried parents is that pupils are more likely to ask questions of their teacher on an online forum rather than face-to-face. The document linked above provides guidance for parents and teachers for ways to support learning. Parents are advised to create routines and to encourage children to question and find out things they don’t know. Teachers are charged with delivering clear, precise mini-lessons, providing plenty of feedback, promoting the subjects that often cause parental anxiety (maths and science), and encouraging wide-reading.

 

 

Just as with younger children, play (as defined as ‘behaviour which is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated’) remains crucial for this age group. Although the form may change, children still need this downtime. Those used to playing with neighbours and friends may be struggling with confinement. To support mental health and well-being, it is important to facilitate interactions with peers in safe ways, perhaps through WhatsApp or online games. A friend’s child is using a walkie-talkie to converse with her neighbour, proving children themselves are ingenious at finding solutions to the issues they face.

 

 

 

 

My greatest concern in this crisis is for our teenagers. Such is the stage of development they are at, peer approval is crucial for them. More so than any of us, confinement is likely to be very difficult for our teens. This is probably increasingly the case for those in exam year groups who are dealing with much uncertainty and even greater change. The timelines to which they had been working are altered. For some, examinations are cancelled. For others, they are delayed.

 

 

 

 

In Ireland, the Leaving Certificate (final exams) has been postponed until August and a pledge given to facilitate 2 weeks of schooling beforehand. The prospect of a summer of study, with no freedom to be had, the dreams of post-exam holidays decimated, and opportunities to work and earn money for college gone, is difficult indeed to face. This is compounded by the endless questions for which there are no answers:

 

• Will teachers facilitate schooling in July?

• How do you make exam halls safe?

• What if I get Covid-19 during my exams?

• What happens if I suffer a bereavement?

 

It is challenging indeed to cope with all of this and these youngsters with need to (subtly) be kept under a watchful eye. For parents of teenagers and those in exam years, in particular, finding ways to support can be challenging. Such is nature, many teens will rebut your efforts to engage or advise them. Keeping the communication pathways open is essential however. Promoting healthy habits and routines (diet, exercise, avoiding very late nights, switching off devices at night/not bringing them into bedrooms) is important. Similarly, as parents and teachers, we must look after ourselves. We cannot pour from an empty cup and must attend to our own well-being before we can attend to that of others. Some of the themes and ideas I shared in these posts Why Keeping the Mind and Body Active is Crucial for Mental Well-being and Friday Feeling may be helpful for you to return to once again.

 

 

 

 

All of the above assumes children are living in safe and secure homes with a supportive parent/parents and access to the space and resources to learn, including technology and broadband. For very many children (and indeed adults), this does not reflect their reality. There is a huge digital divide. We all know children who are vulnerable; we know there are very many out there who may be hungry and/or living in unsafe environments and for whom school was a respite and reprieve – a place where they felt nurtured and would be fed. Most schools appear to be doing a great job of checking in on their children and many are making enormous efforts to ensure families access food at this time, but it does little to ease worries.

 

The best we can do is to continue to find as many ways as possible to offer practical support to others at this time, be that checking in on friends, donating to food-banks, sewing masks etc. For me, my endeavours include trying to support parents and colleagues through this blog. With that in mind, I have updated my online resources post to include many new sites I have since discovered in the month since the MCO was issued here in Malaysia. I continue to add free resources to our shop and will have another 5 + 5 Activity Guide available for you tomorrow.

 

 

If you have any ideas for supporting children and parents through this period of school closures, please do leave a comment below.

 

Take care and stay safe all!

 

Image Source: Pixabay