by the FAWCO Education Team
In these unprecedented times, it seems important to amplify the voices of those being impacted by the seismic shift in education. In Part 1 of this two-part series, you will hear from students and parents as they react, respond and manage education from home. This primary source content was solicited by the Education Team and has only been edited for flow where needed.
The Student Perspective:
15-year-old student at boarding school, Scotland:
"We left school on Friday the 20th [of March] after receiving important news about the coronavirus. All schools were due to close on that day regardless, however not all of us could make it home. My school is a boarding school in a very remote area in the north of Scotland. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it home to see my family, so myself and 30 other students remained in school as staff set up a plan for our stay. This worked out well for the first three days – then the government set out new regulations which meant we were not allowed to continue our isolation in school. That very morning teachers were making phone calls to local guardians and contacting families to inform them and check if they were available to host students, while we were hastily packing up our things – again. Luckily, I have local family I am currently staying with; however my wishes go out to those who aren’t able to visit loved ones, although I know they are under good care. The coronavirus outbreak has had an effect on everybody around me, including myself, and the majority of these impacts aren’t positive.” Written March 31, 2020
This is the 15-year-old's second attempt, after she saw her sister's, below:
“The past two weeks have been the most unclear, rushed and horrifying two weeks for the whole world. The global pandemic of the coronavirus has hospitalised many people and slaughtered a large fraction; however, my generation and I face multiple other issues as we are not hugely at risk, and this is our story. I am a 15-year-old girl from Scotland, and my major external exams have been cancelled. Everything I’ve worked towards for the last two years has been ripped from my grasp, but besides this, I cannot mourn in the comfort of my close family. Our international school hosts multiple nationalities from across the world, but with airports closing and transport shutting down, some students, including myself, were not able to return in time. The disruption the coronavirus has caused is mega across all situations, and frustration is in action everywhere.” Written March 31, 2020
17-year-old student at Norland College, Bath, England (the nanny school, think Mary Poppins):
“It’s all very surreal. It has robbed me of my final months living in my uni house with my friends. Our college calendar has changed so drastically, in so little time, that it has been too overwhelming to try to think about. Ultimately, it has just flipped my world upside down. I had to pack up (to the best of my ability) the past three years of my life, in one afternoon.
I feel very selfish writing this, but my life has changed in a way that I can’t even compute. However, I am so lucky to be safe at home with family and not alone and feeling trapped, away from family and friends. I am healthy, so are the rest of my family and we are now self-isolating together. It’s just been an insane adjustment, but we all have hope that we can, and will, get through this together.” Written March 31, 2020
13-year-old student at the American International School in Saudi Arabia:
“Virtual school is really nice because you can get work done faster and you don’t have to wake up as early, but it is also not good because we don’t get to see our friends and teachers. The school day is a lot shorter, and I like how we have different options for p.e, and when we’re done with school we can do anything since there's no homework. Online school is nice because it is more relaxing; the only thing is it would be nice to see people.” Written April 5, 2020
The Parent Perspective:
Parent of 15-year-old and 13-year-old/Former teacher of children in international school, Saudi Arabia:
“Learning and schooling in the COVID-19 days has presented a new opportunity for students and parents to come together and take advantage of a very limited resource: time. Time is a precious resource that is in very limited supply due to everyday life activities and the constant need to be involved in activities outside the home.
Because of this unprecedented situation, we have been given the gift of time. How does this apply to the homeschooling setting, now that students are learning from home?
Well, for starters, now they can bridge the school mandated standards and actually apply them to “Real Life Situations!” The kids can now read and follow recipes where math is used, and they can collaborate with family members to create a product that they can be proud of. They can read newspaper articles with parents and they can deeply discuss problems and solutions to world events. They can use their math skills to help create face masks to deal with shortages in hospitals and help to become part of a solution to a strong need. They can now go outside as a family and participate in physical fitness that will help to foster an appreciation of health.
School from home during these COVID-19 days has given us the gift of time! It’s a gift that our children will remember and benefit from; as well as us parents/teachers. It’s going back to basics and that’s the best kind of medicine for the soul!” Written April 6, 2020
Parent of 4-year-old, South Africa:
“Juggling work, homeschooling and life with a four-year-old during lockdown has been challenging. I’m realizing how much downtime I had when the cleaning lady and gardener were doing the work I suddenly have to do myself. My daughter has adapted nicely, and we’re finding a good rhythm since the days don’t bring any surprises or changes. Although the unknown can feel daunting, I try to focus on the things I have control of and appropriate what I do have. There are so many in South Africa now without jobs and little means to feed their families.” Written April 12, 2020
Parent of 12-year-old, Bali:
“Virtual School – lesson learnt.
What’s the answer, Daddy? . . . How do you do this, Daddy? . . . This is too hard – can you help me, Daddy? . . . Do any of these questions sound familiar to you? It makes you wonder whether the kid is like that in school. In the first few weeks of virtual school, my 12-year-old daughter worked in her room by herself. She maybe came out to ask me or my husband a question three or four times per day. This morning I told her to sit next to her dad in the study so that she has some company and it would be easier to give her the occasional helping hand. But to my husband’s dismay, it was question after question, and he ended up reprimanding her and her getting upset. The lesson learnt is that if help is right there, children will tend to ask for it rather than solve the problem themselves. So, my suggestion: it’s better to let the child be by herself in her room with limited access to parents. This will help both the child and your sanity.” Written April 20, 2020
