A sigh of relief

TTUTA

THE END of the term is being eagerly anticipated by both teachers and students alike. As the curtain draws on this academic term, the prevailing sentiment is one of relief, with many anxiously looking toward the Christmas break. The forced and accelerated conversion of schools’ modus operandi to a virtual one began with its many challenges, characterised by apprehension, hesitation, anxiety, and fear among other emotions. Many were obviously questioning whether this radical paradigm shift will work given its novelty and our unpreparedness.

Teachers were suddenly forced to display their true professionalism and become self-directed learners. Without any form of consultation, they were suddenly required to manipulate and master information and communication technologies for the delivery of curriculum. The concept of professional learning communities suddenly took on renewed significance; teachers learning from and with each other, sharing skills and knowledge with each other to facilitate this online mandate.

This was done with most teachers using their personal devices and internet services; a reality that the authorities and the national community takes for granted. While the authorities facilitated some training, most teachers and school administrators relied on their own initiatives, mindful of the uniqueness of the circumstances.

The concept of virtual learning was premised on a range of assumptions: parents consumed with a strong value for education and thus being prepared to make the necessary sacrifices; students possessing appropriate devices and internet connectivity; children being students at home with the requisite supervision and disciplined setting of the school being replicated in the home; students possessing the capacity to self-regulate even at a tender age; learning material being sourced/produced by teachers that is adequate to the task of a curriculum that was not adjusted to reflect the new realities; and administrators being able to remotely manage curriculum delivery among others.

Some of these assumptions once again highlighted the glaring socio-economic chasm that is the basis for the existence of our two-tiered school system of prestige and non-prestige schools. The call by the Ministry of Education for the corporate community to donate devices have since spawned a charade with public relations being the driving force behind many modest donations. Special thanks to those who give without fanfare.

As the term unfolded, teachers and schools were forced to forward to the ministry, in quick time, unprecedented amounts of data to be paraded for fanciful soundbites, giving the impression to the national community that the transition to virtual learning had miraculously taken place, when this was furthest from the truth.

Teachers were learning on the job, experimenting with a plethora of learning platforms with confused students and parents being an obvious outcome. Obscene intrusions during online learning sessions quickly began to make national headlines. Parents and school officials making desperate calls for devices that retailers were importing tax-free and selling at over 100 per cent profit was now the order of the day. In all of this, internet capacity in schools remain inadequate at best. Packages were the proposed solution to those students who did not have devices/internet connectivity and electricity – schooling was now reduced to a correspondence course.

Then there were those students who replicated their in-school indiscipline in the virtual setting, in some cases aided and abetted by significant adults. Teachers were preparing and delivering lessons for an online medium and still expected to prepare, distribute and collect packages – lots of teaching but questionable amounts of commensurate learning.

Suddenly, teachers and school officials had job descriptions unilaterally revised to reflect a 24/7 work schedule. Parents were calling, messaging, and e-mailing teachers any day, anytime. Not to be outdone, this behaviour was replicated by the Ministry of Education despite repeated protests by TTUTA, the excuse being extraordinary circumstances.

In the middle of all this and proudly assuming national/regional prominence was the spectacle of the release of the CSEC and CAPE results, which called into question the integrity of teachers over the marking of SBAs and IAs. Cognisant their immunity is guaranteed under law, CXC once again responded to the questions and criticisms with the usual contempt and condescension, placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of teachers, who have been voluntarily performing this task for decades without any problems until now.

As we look to the Christmas vacation, we also ponder upon the uncertainty that awaits in January 2021 with the proposed partial return to face-to-face instructions. Both teachers and students would be all too happy to have a break from the stress of extended screen time. We pain for those students still without devices.