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SINGAPORE: It is 9 in the morning and She is about to attend her first conference as a polytechnic student.
She turns on her live lesson, Introduction to Accounting, on her laptop, keeping her camera on long enough for her teacher to realize she’s there. Just long enough: before a loud scream can fire down the hall, or one of his younger brothers crawls into the frame.
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Once her attendance is marked “present,” the 19-year-old turns off the camera and begins her real work.
Sitting on the floor of the two-bedroom flat she shares with seven siblings and their parents, she plays the teacher, as she has since the beginning of Home Learning (HBL) on April 8, Dylan, nine, and Darren, seven. All the names of the families in this story have been changed.
“I don’t want them to go back to school without knowing anything,” Ella said, helping Dylan with an Elementary 3 math assignment. “I’m afraid they would need a lot of catching up.”
But his “classroom” for the past two weeks has not been exactly conducive to learning. In that small confined space, there is no privacy or tranquility.
“11 minus 6 is …?” Ella says, trying to cajole the distracted Dylan, who has a lollipop hanging from the side of his mouth. One of the young children walks up to them and sits on the workbooks; the other three boys go crazy, their screams breaking any fragile approach.
CLOCK: Life 24/7 in a 2 bedroom apartment (9:22)
A simple table with chairs could, perhaps, help children have a better mindset for learning. But they don’t have the luxury of space for that.
Sometimes chaos prompts 16-year-old Max to seek refuge on the outside staircase with his books and phone, despite “circuit breaker” rules.
“It is very difficult to focus when I have to take care of my siblings while I pay attention to my teachers and take notes,” said Max, who is taking his OR levels this year.
Perched on the stairs, with a weak internet connection, he has to do all his schoolwork on the six-inch screen of his mobile phone, which makes typing “a bit troublesome.” Two donated laptops at home: from the Family Service Center and Beyond social services: they are for the use of their younger siblings.
A third, borrowed from the elementary school, is unused because her mother, Tina, fears that the younger children will break it.
Max’s refuge: a staircase where you can do your lessons on your mobile phone.
FOR SOME, THE GREATEST HBL TASK
Since the initiation of switch measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, the new reality of self-containment in the home has posed great challenges for low-income families like Ella’s.
They are among the 52,000 households in Singapore who live in government-subsidized rental flats and are somehow the most affected by safe distancing measures.
READ: “If there is no work at all, how?” Low-income families struggle with zero income, higher spending
Many have lost jobs or income. Added to that is the mental stress of a lack of physical space 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the feeling of helplessness among parents who are out of their depth when dealing with their children’s school work. , as well as with your accumulated energy, once the month-long school break begins next week.
Take 47-year-old Nora, who sometimes can’t answer her two youngest children’s questions about schoolwork. “We do (the work) together, but I’m also wrong. I have to spend time with Google, but it is very slow, “he said.
You are especially concerned that your child in Primary 4 may drop to a basic class if he or she is not doing well this academic year.
“It is not easy for me, but if I do not help him, he will be very stressed and will give up.” At school, the teacher is there to help, so now I need to be the teacher, “said Nora. It helps that they can communicate with their teacher over the phone when they face problems.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) recognizes that learning at home would be more challenging for low-income students and vulnerable environments.
“From an educational perspective, the switch to full home learning is not ideal,” said a spokesman for the Ministry of Education. “This is a key reason why MOE has been reluctant to suspend schools despite requests and calls from the public to do so.”
READ: “The Right Time” to Close Schools Now, Says Education Minister Ong Ye Kung
Among the steps MOE has taken to “mitigate the impact” on vulnerable students has been to lend more than 20,000 computing devices and 1,200 devices that enable the Internet as of April 22.
But still, reducing the digital divide is an ongoing process.
File photo of a laptop displaying the online tools used by schools for learning at home.
A DIGITAL DIVISION “JARRING”
At Nora’s two-bedroom rental home, things were, in his words, “crazed” with technical issues and an unreliable Internet connection.
The family received two refurbished second-hand laptops from ReadAble, run by volunteers, which have been giving Nora’s two youngest children lessons in reading, speaking, and drama since 2016.
READ: Volunteers rush to deliver laptops to families in need before full home learning begins
But she had trouble installing Zoom on one of the laptops, and she needed a frequent reboot, which meant her son missed all the live online lessons, the frustrated mother said.
The mobile data dongle donated by ReadAble was also lost in his busy home of eight people. So the children had to rely on the access point of their phone, which provided an irregular connection.
All of this resulted in tasks that could not be completed and submitted online. As of April 22, two weeks after HBL, her son from Primary 4 had about 17 tasks pending, he said. They give him around three a day.
A social studies assignment, for example, required her to answer questions about Kampong Glam based on a video. When she was unable to play, Nora resorted to using Google to read about the place and its history, but still, they were unable to complete the task as the questions were specific to the content of the video.
She helps her two brothers with her lessons.
The lack of adequate technical tools for HBL among low-income families has been a “jarring disparity,” said ReadAble co-founder Amanda Chong, 31. “I think we take it for granted that by 2020, most households would have some sort of device computer, but we found that most of our children never had a laptop.”
The organization, whose goal is to equip students from disadvantaged families with literacy, has so far delivered 12 MacBooks donated by Skyscanner and another 40 laptop computers from families in its program.
They also have standby replacements in case of technical issues: Since then, Nora’s faulty laptop has been replaced. It is also planning to apply for decreased fiber broadband access under the Home Access Program for low-income households.
WHEN PARENTS FIGHT TO HELP
But technical tools are only part of the problem. Natalie, 13, also a ReadAble recipient, said no one at home can help her with “difficult but fun” tasks.
Her mother Eva, 47, said she can only instruct Natalie in her native language, and furthermore, she doesn’t have time to care for a three-year-old granddaughter. Her husband only studied until Primary 6, she added.
The stakes are high because Natalie is taking her dropouts from elementary school this year, after being a year behind in grade 5. Full HBL has meant missing an after-school program where, for four days a week, there were mentors to help her with homework.
For now, Natalie receives help with English once a week through ReadAble’s online lessons.
Volunteers from ReadAble teaching beneficiaries before ‘circuit breaker’ measures. (Photo: ReadAble)
Meanwhile, Ella’s brother Max is struggling to stay motivated in his year of O-Levels. “There is no teacher to scold me if I don’t do my job online, so there is nothing to take me to complete my homework,” he said.
“But I’m not going to take things for granted … I’m afraid of failing,” said Max, who only went through high school 3.
However, her mother, Tina, is determined to help the two youngest children in primary school learn, even when that means spending the nights working hard on their workbooks with Google Translate to decipher the most difficult English words. after everyone is asleep.
“I need to learn how to do (their homework) and show them how to do it,” Tina said.
Tina helping her son with his Primary work 1.
Fortunately, there is a community self-help group where Max, Dylan, and Darren start classes once a week. And there is also She to help. Although the Year 1 polytechnic has to spend her afternoons catching up on the lessons she missed during the day, She doesn’t complain.
“For my mother, education is very important,” he said. “(Helping her) is not something you should ask me. It is my responsibility.”
At the other end of the spectrum are children like nine-year-old Katie, whose father Sam cannot be home to supervise her due to his 12-hour shifts as a security guard.
The Primary 3 student has attended a single online class since HBL began, her father said.
While they have a desktop computer, obtained with the help of the Ministry of Education’s Financial Assistance Plan, Katie said she doesn’t know how to use Google Meet for her live lessons, and the 39-year-old single father has not yet figured out how to demonstrate to her
Sam, father of a hyperactive 9-year-old girl, Katie.
Her days are spent with an elderly grandmother at home. Only when Sam returns to his one-bedroom apartment at 9 p.m., when he’s not working overtime, do they try homework.
By then, a tired Sam can only spend 45 minutes to an hour helping Katie. His hyperactivity makes concentrating a challenge. And science homework is a little difficult for both of you. Sam said, “Sometimes I don’t know the answer, but I will (Google) or ask my friends. It’s complicated, but somehow we found a solution.”
So far, they have been able to submit most assignments on time, he said. “I am doing my best.”
GAPS OF ACHIEVEMENT COULD GROW
All of these difficulties lead social service groups to worry that HBL will widen the learning gap between students from low-income families and the rest.
A survey by Beyond Social Services showed that many children from underprivileged households already had difficulty in school before HBL, said Lim Shaw Hui, 47, assistant director of the charity. “Your learning will definitely be affected,” he said. “It is especially stressful when parents have to juggle helping many children.”
Amanda from ReadAble is concerned that “achievement gaps will continue to grow” if the entire HBL extends beyond several months.
“There are clear disparities when a parent is able to hold a child throughout the entire curriculum compared to a working parent who may not be as polite and is already stressed trying to put food on the table,” he said.
During HBL, in addition to teachers who make themselves available by phone to students who need help, schools have also remained open to students whose home environments “may not be conducive to learning,” or who need additional support, MOE said .
“We have been inviting these students to school, and so far, the response has been good,” said the ministry spokesman.
READ: More than 4,000 students continue to attend school during the COVID-19: MOE switch period
When schools resume, teachers will also assess student learning progress and provide “the necessary remediation and consultation,” added MOE.
Getting two of the younger children back to school is an option that Tina, who she says she didn’t know before, is now exploring.
But other parents are reluctant, citing concerns about the coronavirus. Nora and her husband have tried not to let their children step on it since the circuit breaker started. “My husband is very, very concerned about his safety,” she said.
Her concern increased when Nora recently learned of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a neighboring block. “Although it is difficult, it is hectic (at home), I would rather endure it than let my children go to school in that situation,” he said.
Nora and her husband are concerned about letting their children out of the house.
For Sam too, sending Katie back to school is the last resort. The nine-year-old girl likes to run and doesn’t always keep a safe distance from others, so her grandmother would have trouble taking her to and from school, Sam explained.
“The number of cases (COVID-19) is increasing, so I have concerns,” he said early last week.
READ: Safe distancing measures in classrooms must be in effect when schools reopen: Indranee Rajah
COOPEDADO AND FED UP
But staying home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with many people sharing a small area, brings its own set of problems and frustrations.
Eva’s son Nat is 14 and on the autism spectrum. She used to take him for a walk when he had his seizures, but now he must find new ways to calm him down.
Noise, dazzling spirits, and other stressors at home are affecting Eva in the form of migraine attacks. These now happen every day and can last for hours. “Before COVID-19, it wasn’t like that,” said Eva, who uses pain relievers and medicated oil to cope.
Tina used to be able to snatch a few hours of peace on her own when the younger children were at school or participated in after-school activities like swimming and soccer. This used to help children, especially nine-year-old Dylan, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, to expend their unlimited energy.
Now restricted to just running down the hall and into the bedroom, Tina said, “Sometimes they cry and ask to go out. It is difficult to see. It’s hard to manage his behavior. “The toys he had bought to ease his boredom broke in a few days.
They don’t have a TV, so Tina’s kids watch cartoons on the laptop when it’s not being used for home learning.
For Tina, there is also the preparation of endless meals and snacks, and chores that they eat until the evening after HBL hours. “I’ve been feeling close to giving up,” he confessed.
With the circuit breaker extended through June 1 and the school holidays, parents worry about how to keep their children busy.
Katie has already been complaining about feeling bored the past two weeks. There’s not much to get her involved at home other than a cell phone and some coloring books, Sam said. “I need to break my head and find more things for her to do.”
READ: Circuit Breaker Blues: Helping Kids Cope with Routine Changes
HELPING CHILDREN WHO FIGHT TO EXCELLENT
But beyond the support offered by schools, teachers, self-help groups, and MOE, others in the community are ready to help families deal with HBL.
Various volunteer and nonprofit groups, such as ReadAble, Beyond Social Services, and Engineering Good, have been channeling refurbished second-hand laptops to low-income families. And at least two projects started by college students are providing a group of tutors willing to help remotely for free.
READ: “We’re Ready to Help”: College Students Gathering Volunteers to Give Free Tuition
VivaKids social enterprise has also been busy helping elementary students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Working with partners, he provided the 700 students in his program with 4G-equipped tablets. Her KidsExcel supplemental academic classes have migrated online.
“These classes are intended to help children who may fall behind during this period of change, as well as complement HBL,” said Victor Pok, founder of VivaKids.
A week after CNA Insider linked VivaKids with Tina, Eva and Sam, their youngest children received tablets and test classes.
Victor was surprised at how responsive the children were, especially Katie. “Most kids will think,” Hey, tuition? “But she immediately turned to the teachers. She couldn’t wait to get into action. This shows that she has been disconnected for a long time,” said Victor.
A KidsExcel lesson in progress.
Before each lesson begins, kids must do one thing: put on the KidsExcel T-shirt. This gives them a “feeling of uniformity and structure”; It is official class time despite being home, Victor said.
Each online class is held for four to five students. In one of the lessons CNA Insider observed, Katie, who suffers from a short attention span, attended a 30-minute class with minimal disruption. He read together with the teacher and did his best in the exercises.
In the same class was Tina’s son Dylan. Although his attention was sometimes focused on action at home, he mostly listened and highlighted his responses on a virtual whiteboard, which the teacher corrected on the spot.
“Unlike physical classes, where students have to wait a week for their work to be marked,” said Victor.
At the end of the adjective session, students took turns describing the class: some were “happy”, others found it “fun” and Dylan called it “perfect”.
A student asked, “Will we do it again tomorrow?”
When the circuit breaker is raised, children can expect to join KidsExcel’s resumed physical programs at a designated family service center. “Twenty years ago, school would have been an equalizer, but now it’s about additional tuition classes. That’s my motivation to help low-income kids,” said Victor, 46.
Although She cannot yet say if Dylan’s work has improved, she has noticed that he has become more focused, after the first two sessions with KidsExcel. “He has been able to navigate his classes more independently. I don’t have to guide him all the time,” he said.
“IN MY HEART, IT IS NOT ABANDONED”
In fact, as difficult as the path is, families say they try to keep their minds focused on the positive.
“As long as (my children) are in front of my eyes, they will be safe, that’s fine,” said Nora. “It’s stressful but … I have to put up with it. I really have to do my part as a parent.”
As for Ella, she said: “By serving this period of circuit interruption with my family, I can see what the struggles of each one of my family members are. It has made me more aware of what I must do to help. ”
A week after CNA Insider first contacted her, Tina enthusiastically shared in a text message that she had finally purchased a table and chairs for her children to focus on better during their HBL classes. She threw other things to make room.
And although its walls are covered in children’s doodles, and the nights they spent sleeping on mats spread across the living room floor, these conditions don’t bother Tina too much at the end of the day.
“I can’t find it narrow because in my heart, it’s not narrow.” We are grateful to have a roof over our heads. “
Read the second story: “If there is no job, how?” Low-income families grapple with zero income, higher expenses amid a circuit breaker
