Preparing for post-covid19 school

THE EDITOR: It was March 13. Teachers were adding final touches to their end-of-term/promotional exam scripts. Students were finishing school-based assessment and submitting final course work requirements. SEA and CSEC students were trying to alleviate the nervousness and anxiety of major exam sittings that were days away. Then came the closure of schools like a thief in the night.

Without warning, students and teachers were forced to remain at home. Many teachers who wished for a long weekend were granted the wish but forgot to negotiate with the genie about the expiration of the wish and now hopes for school to be reopened. Many students who celebrated at an announcement of no school are now keeping their fingers crossed for the reopening of school.

This was a real-time test of the preparedness of our country and the education system in terms of IT competency and the availability of services and access to technology for both teachers and learners.

Still, today the general consensus is that although many teachers are teaching online, the subscription of students remains low, especially in the secondary schools. Those who subscribe are just there with few submitting assignments.

When school resumes, it is expected that individual schools will have a heavy emphasis on IT and having a laptop may replace the purchasing of textbooks. A new normal may see a transformation of the education system.

Honour must be given to whom it’s due so to be impartial and without being political, the Ministry of Education has continued to make strides towards technology advancement for the teachers by having IT training in basic and intermediate levels.

Similarly, universities with education degrees have requisite training in computer and IT competency. Somehow, we have managed to weather the storm and can now look forward to a post-covid19 era.

In high anticipation of the resumption of schools, it remains to see the approach by school districts, individual schools and, more so, individual teachers as to the pedagogy that is implemented post-covid19.

Will teachers who were teaching online move forward with the curriculum and adapt the notion of “who missed out lost?” Or will there be an understanding as to reach out to those who were not able to go online, for whatever reason, and ensure they get the full opportunity of making up for lost sessions?

On average, about 45 per cent of students who write CSEC annually does not attain at least five CSEC passes. There is evidence that the problem of slow learners exists in the secondary schools and every year half of the students who write the CXC exams fails in having this benchmark of five subjects that is inclusive of maths and English.

While it may be a passion for some teachers to run with the ones who are geared and running (and it can be argued that the systems may not leave teachers to do otherwise), there are students who are left behind.

In a post-covid19 era, there is a possibility that the students who are nearing examination may be at a loss. Teachers may need to adapt new pedagogies for learning and not just dive into the deep waters because the CSEC exams for the Form Fours is closer and SEA for the Std Fours is closer.

There needs to be an individualised educational plan for every student that ensures the gap between slow learners and regular learners begin to dwindle. Collaborative learning and peer teaching are measures that can be implemented in the short term.

If teachers know that 40 per cent of their students are not up to par, then the structure of the lesson can be made to allow peer learning and the teacher’s role becomes a facilitator of learning, ensuring the multiple intelligences are captured within the framework of the lesson.

Additional policies such as specialist teachers and adequate assessment for slow learners are other suggestions but these will take relevant planning, policy documentation and governmental involvement.

All in all, it is highly anticipated that when school reopens post-covid19 all we will have to deal with is a tropical wave and not a second covid19 wave.

It is hoped that slow learners are not abandoned within the next two years for the students approaching examination. Such a notion would be grief for students who cannot cope with the teaching/learning pace. The education system and the educators alike must see it fit that no child is left behind.

EMANUEL

DEONAT

via e-mail