The pandemic has undoubtedly thrown a wrench into children’s education when schools shuttered to stem the spread of COVID-19.
For many parents, it was an added challenge of becoming a teacher while also working from home.
With the Manitoba School Boards Association doubting schools will reopen in September, one expert thinks other eased restrictions could be the ticket to helping families whose kitchen tables have turned into home offices and classrooms during the pandemic.
Dr. John Murray, a University of Manitoba curriculum expert, said it’s nearly impossible to replicate classroom-level productivity — especially while juggling work obligations.
Murray said it’s even more difficult for students who would usually have an Educational Assistant with them at school.
“I would recommend even if an hour to an hour-and-a-half of some time of structured learning could take place in the morning,” he said. “Over the remainder of time that we have until June, that would be a really sufficient bridge.”
He said each student learns differently, but students up to Grade 4 are used to structured, predictable work environments. Murray said once students reach age 12, they are better able to work in more chaotic environments.
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If things carry on in the phase we’re in for another nine months, Murray said we shouldn’t be surprised if things go “substantially virtual” for the next school year.
“We might want to take the lead from countries such as South Korea and Taiwan who have begun to reopen schools, but under a different model,” he said.
He calls it “hospital like stability,” saying they operate on a day-on-day-off schedule so only half the students are in the building at one time, are separated by Plexiglass and remain six feet apart.
In the meantime, the curriculum expert is hopeful eased restrictions will soon allow family members to be able to help parents as they work from home, potentially having grandparents or aunts and uncles taking care of kids so parents can work productively from home as well.
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