Schools and parents’ lives change to cope with the school closures

Schools, along with other means of childcare such as Childminders and Nurseries have been closed now for two weeks due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Credit: PA Images

Many parents have needed to take on home teaching for their children and full-time care through the day, unless they are key workers.

Alix Clark works for NHS Business Services Authority in Newcastle and is a ‘key worker’,  although she is working from home to avoid too many staff from entering the office. She has a little boy aged two who would normally be at a child minder or his grandparents, who have to self-isolate for 12 weeks.

When talking about her experience with the recent two weeks of Isolation she said: “It’s really hard. Yes, I am at home and therefore theoretically I am there to take care of [my son], but it’s not like I am off work. I still have to do a full day’s work and call in for meetings.”

She continued: “my husband is on calls, if he goes out to work, I am the only person in the house to take care of him. I cannot do video meetings and take care of a two-year-old.”

She said the worst part of the situation is: “the fact that I have to take leave to take care of him, leave that I wouldn’t usually have to use. If this continues eventually, I will not have the leave to take.”

Brandy Jones is a teacher at Monkseaton High School. She and her colleagues have all had work by rota on who goes to school at certainties times as some children are still attending school.

She explained her experience with the school closures: “I had to make up some packs for students to use at home, luckily I had slides ready which I just had to adapt”

She then said: “I’m worried about the education the children will get, theoretically they are getting the same education material and they will have less distraction but there is no way of making sure they are doing the work and actually taking things in as I’m not there to push them all. Its so important that parents try to encourage their children to actually do the work they would be if they were still in school.

For information on childcare and education at home please see below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

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