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The Department of Education has told elementary schools to make sure they have contingency plans in place for teaching and learning to continue in the event of a Covid-19-related shutdown or students being isolated at home.
The new orientation to 3,200 elementary schools sets out the kind of preparation needed to ensure that students are supported in the event some or all have to return to distance education.
Several schools have already faced these challenges since the new period began and the Department’s advice includes examples of good practice drawn from those experiences.
The Guidance on Remote Learning in a Covid-19 Context was released today and similar advice is expected for post-primary schools. It is scheduled to cover the first quarter and will be updated in December.
It builds on lessons learned during the lockdown between March and June and sets a framework for how schools can better support students and families. Among his messages is the importance of communication with parents.
The Department says that schools must plan and be ready to support student learning in a number of possible scenarios that could occur during the 2020/21 school year.
“Since it cannot be predicted to what extent these scenarios will occur, it is possible that individual students or groups of students and teachers will find that they are advised to isolate or restrict their movements at various times during the school year.
“This can lead to an accumulation of a significant number of days in which students learn from home and / or teachers work from home. Therefore, it is critical that all schools do their best to enable teachers to support continued student learning effectively in every possible setting.
“This is particularly important in the context of students at risk of early school leaving, students with special educational needs, and students at risk of educational disadvantage.”
The advice covers areas such as selecting a digital platform for online communications and teaching and learning, along with other options including posts, emails, and phone calls.
It says that any deficiencies in teachers’ digital proficiency should be addressed through training and that students should have plenty of opportunities to practice and develop their skills online.
Schools are told to pay particular attention to the needs of students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged or have poor broadband connectivity at home, and to establish what supports they need.
The Department also seeks flexibility from staff to ensure continuity of teaching and learning, and says there will not be a one-size-fits-all solution.
“The class teacher must guarantee the continuity of schooling as much as possible for those students who are advised to restrict their movements. However, this may not always be a practical option. Therefore, all teachers are expected to be flexible in their approach to support students who are asked to restrict their movements.
One suggested example is that a teacher who has been medically certified as being very high risk for Covid-19 works from home to support remote learning for students who have been asked to isolate themselves.
When students have been asked to stay home, but teachers have not, the Department says teachers must continue to work from school.
Beyond their primary mission of teaching and learning, schools are urged to consider the well-being of all staff and families during this time, and to direct anyone experiencing particularly difficult times to support services.
Online editors
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