Educational Repercussions of the 2020 Covid-19 Lockdown

The COVID-19 pandemic is the most significant event this century, and it is the first and foremost health crisis that affected many countries, including Australia. In fact, schools, colleges, and universities were closed to limit the spread of the virus. This short-term disruption was also felt by many families in Victoria, so homeschooling is not only a massive shock to parents but also to children’s learning and social life.

We all know that the only possible means of schooling during the lockdown is through online classes, but it is untested, and many students have not fully adjusted to this new way of learning. In fact, student’s assessment is now also moving online, and it breeds uncertainty due to trial and error. Some schools have even cancelled assessments since it’s not as accurate as they expect it to be. These interruptions have long-term consequences, but we must face it head-on, and we need some pragmatic approach to how we help our children with their schooling.

Difficulties faced by children, parents, and teachers during remote learning
Homeschooling may cause stress to both parents and children since students are still expected to participate in at least two to five hours of daily online instructions via Google Classroom or Zoom. They will also need to submit assignments, learn complex new concepts, and do online assessments. But the most significant hurdle is the amount of time, and support parents can devote to their children’s online learning activities.   

Typically, parents should be available at all times to provide the needed attention, but we all know that remote learning is something new for most of us. Parents are still adapting to this new trend and they are also struggling with stresses far greater than schoolwork. This means that support may sometimes be limited, but for households with three or more children, the decision on who gets more attention at a given time is somewhat complicated.

Not to mention that parents should also take a more personalised approach in helping their children by setting a separate study space away from any distractions, a working computer and an internet connection that their kids may use in their online schooling.

That is why most parents seek out additional help by hiring online tutors like Maths Tutors Melbourne. Fortunately, these tutors are also qualified teachers, and they can help your child improve their academics skills through the use of various technologies like artificial intelligence in gathering the much-needed data to determine the best way of customising their lesson plans.

Positive impact of the lockdown
Living on lockdown has given us more time to reflect on ourselves, our relationships and what’s important to us. It is also given us more time to spend with our children and to better assess their learning as well as improve our bond with them. We now have the chance to talk to our children without worrying about our work in the office. We can also learn more about their experiences with their peers and teachers, as well as their everyday struggles at school.

This is also the most appropriate time to create the foundations for better communication with our children and to learn the technologies that they need in their homeschooling, so we can better assist them with their schoolwork.

Most importantly, you can do several household chores together, which can build better cooperation and unity in your home. So, being lockdown due to the pandemic is not all that bad. You just need to be more patient with your children, especially with their homeschooling. 

Overall, social isolation, staying away from relatives, friends, school, facing an unsafe environment, and taking all the necessary steps to protect ourselves from the coronavirus will have a greater impact on ourselves as well as our children. But we need to accept the “New Normal,” which can be the standard that we need to adhere to in the coming months or until a proven vaccine is available on the market.