Balancing the Risks of Pupils Returning to Schools

Lost school time will hurt economy for 65 years, according to this report by the Royal Society which highlights the potential impact on the 13 year groups of students who have been affected by the lockdown.

This report by the Royal Society highlights the potential impact on the 13 year groups of students who have been affected by the lockdown. It is estimated that, without action, from the mid-2030s for the 50 years following that, around a quarter of the entire workforce will have lower skills.

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      string(5508) "The UK Government should extend its Five Pillar Testing Strategy to a Six Pillar Testing and Tracing Strategy by introducing digital contact tracing as a Sixth Pillar. A Testing and Tracing Strategy should bring together expertise from the Department of Health, NHSX, NHS Digital, Police, Military and the Intelligence Agencies, to create a new independent national 24/7 Testing and Tracing Command Centre.The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has exposed the limitations of traditional manual contact tracing methodologies, a fact that leaders of some Asian economies (e.g. China, South Korea and Singapore) had already understood following their handling of previous pandemics.When considering the measures needed to counter the further spread of COVID-19 once isolation measures have been relaxed, there is a strong body of evidence emerging from around the world that supports the use of digital contact tracing methodologies alongside a comprehensive mass testing regime.Recent research by Oxford University concludes that a contact-tracing App which builds memory of proximity, contacts and immediately notifies contacts of positive cases, can achieve epidemic control if used by enough people and that epidemics could be contained without need for mass quarantines (‘lock-downs’) that are harmful to society.Research shows that the use of mobile phone data can offer a ‘critical contribution to four broad areas of investigations: Situational awareness (trends and geographical distribution), Cause and effect (identifying key drivers and consequences of implementing different measures to contain the spread of COVID-19), Prediction (to enable new predictive capabilities and allow stakeholders to assess future risks, needs and opportunities), Impact assessment(to identify obstacles hampering the achievement of certain objectives or the success of particular interventions).The successful implementation of a “privacy-friendly” digital contact-tracing App by the UK Government will depend on the willingness of the British people to adapt quickly to new norms in an extraordinary post-lockdown reality. The public will need to commit to a new social contract with its government, one that accepts that some infringements on privacy are a necessary prerequisite for restoring and maintaining wider freedoms.Whilst a high percentage of the UK population are regular users of digital technology, including smartphones, the Government will need to address some skills gaps (for instance, amongst some older people) in order to achieve a high level of subscription to a voluntary smartphone App.Policy Recommendations: The UK Government should extend its Five Pillar Testing Strategy to a Six Pillar Testing and Tracing Strategy by introducing digital contact tracing as a Sixth Pillar. A Testing and Tracing Strategy should bring together expertise from the Department of Health, NHSX, NHS Digital, Police, Military and the Intelligence Agencies, to create a new independent national 24/7 Testing and Tracing Command Centre responsible for:analysis of the spread of the coronavirus across the country through use of testing results and advanced contact tracing using digital technologies using the analysis to enforce self-isolation / social distancing in outbreak hotspots in fast time to suppress / extinguish the virus from the country.communicating to the public key messages in relation to the counter COVID-19 strategy (in place of the current Government daily briefings).The Testing and Tracing Command Centre should accelerate the development of digital solutions and urgently launch a national voluntary App to significantly improve ‘contact tracing’ of those infected with coronavirus. Digital solutions should protect privacy whilst achieving the purpose of obtaining tracing data that can be acted upon. • The Testing and Tracing Command Centre should accelerate the development of digital solutions and urgently launch a national voluntary App to significantly improve ‘contact tracing’ of those infected with coronavirus. Digital solutions should protect privacy whilst achieving the purpose of obtaining tracing data that can be acted upon. • The Government should appoint a single operational lead for the Testing and Tracing Command Centre, experienced in national Command, Control, Co-ordination and Communication (often referred to as C4). • The Government should legislate to regulate how the data from a Testing and Tracing Command Centre is acquired, stored, analysed and used, introducing necessary ethical and privacy safeguards and for a time limited (renewable) period. • The Government should make a national appeal (via a national advertising campaign) to the UK population to subscribe to the voluntary App explaining that the public will need to forfeit some privacy for freedom and liberty in order to defeat the pandemic. Role models and internet influencers should be used to encourage take up of the App, distinguishing it from other Apps currently being circulated and used. • The  Government  should  give  consideration  to  active  steps,  including public debate, that can be taken to enhance the technological skills (e.g. use of smartphone Apps) of some people who are not currently skilled, including some older people, in order to increase levels of compliance with use of a voluntary digital App when it is introduced. This could be achieved by enlisting the support of NHS volunteer responders.Link: Exiting Lockdown"
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Leadership

Exiting Lockdown

21 Apr 2020

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      string(327) "... on average than their better-off classmates.The report shows that children from wealthier families are spending more time each day studying in the coronavirus lockdown compared with the poorest. Nearly two in three (64%) of secondary pupils in state schools from the richest households are offered some form of ..."
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      string(4325) "School closures have presented a huge challenge to both children and their parents. They are also a big concern for policymakers for many reasons, not least because months out of school risk setting back children’s learning and development. This is particularly concerning for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, who already achieve less well on average than their better-off classmates.The report shows that children from wealthier families are spending more time each day studying in the coronavirus lockdown compared with the poorest. Nearly two in three (64%) of secondary pupils in state schools from the richest households are offered some form of active help, compared with 47% from the poorest fifth of families, the study suggests.The research also found poorer children were less likely to have a place to study. Less than a third (29%) of parents in the poorest families said they would send their child back to primary school given the choice, compared with 55% of the most affluent parents.Key Findings:Primary and secondary students are each spending about 5 hours a day on average on home learning. However, secondary school children are more likely to have online classes and to spend their leisure time online.Higher-income parents are much more likely than the less well-off to report that their child’s school provides online classes and access to online videoconferencing with teachers. 64% of secondary pupils in state schools from the richest households are being offered active help from schools, such as online teaching, compared with 47% from the poorest fifth of families. 82% of secondary school pupils attending private school are offered active help, with 79% being provided with online classes.Children from better-off families are spending 30% more time on home learning than are those from poorer families. Children in the highest-income fifth of families spend 5.8 hours a day on educational activities, over 75 minutes more than their peers in the poorest fifth of households (4.5 hours). Over the 34 days (minimum) that schools will be closed, students in the best-off families will have done more than 7 full school days’ worth of extra learning time. If schools do not go back until September and current rates of home learning continue, the gap would double to 15 full school days. This could have very substantial long-term consequences in light of evidence that even one extra hour a week of instructional time can significantly raise achievement. Better-off students have access to more resources for home learning. Within state primary and secondary schools, parents in the richest families are around 15 percentage points more likely than those in the poorest fifth to report that their child’s school offers active resources such as online classes, or video or text chatting. More than half (58%) of primary school students from the least well-off families do not have access to their own study space.Many parents of both primary and secondary school students report struggling with supporting home learning. Almost 60% of the parents of primary school children and nearly half of the parents of secondary school children report that they are finding it quite or very hard to support their children’s learning at home.School closures are almost certain to increase educational inequalities. Pupils from better-off families are spending longer on home learning; they have access to more individualised resources such as private tutoring or chats with teachers; they have a better home set-up for distance learning; and their parents report feeling more able to support them. Policymakers should already be thinking about how to address the gaps in education that the crisis is widening.Whatever strategy the government pursues for reopening schools, there is a risk that it will increase inequalities. Fewer than half of parents say they would send their child back to school if they had the choice. Higher-income parents report being more willing for their child to go back to school. This risks a situation where the children struggling the most to cope with home learning remain at home while their better-off classmates are back in the classroom.LINK: Learning During The Lockdown: Real-Time Data On Children’s Experiences During Home Learning"
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Leadership Briefings

Learning During The Lockdown: Real-Time Data On Children’s Experiences During Home Learning

19 May 2020

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      string(376) "... for families has often stopped altogetherChildren’s friendships; learning and communications; mental and physical health; and emotions and behaviour have all been negatively impacted.The lockdown is increasing financial pressures on families.As the country begins to move out of lockdown, parents were greatly concerned about their child’s return ..."
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      string(377) "The Government has shown during the coronavirus pandemic that it can introduce radical changes in a matter of days. This survey by the Disabled Children’s Partnership of over 4,000 parents of disabled children shows the battle that many parents of disabled children face on a daily basis. Despite the best efforts of many professionals, families are being left to cope alone."
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      string(3694) "Over 4,000 families of disabled children were contacted to ask how they had been impacted by the lockdown. Overwhelmingly, they felt locked out and abandoned by Government and by society, and are fearful for their own physical and mental health.In 76% of cases, the vital care and support they relied on had stopped altogether, leaving parents and young siblings taking on all care responsibilities around the clock.Just over two thirds (68%) said non–disabled siblings were also providing a lot more care. Prior to lockdown, many parents (62%) were managing without support such as short breaks.  For those who had previously received support, the majority have seen it stop (76%). Half of parents whose children had been received therapies or other extra support have seen this stop. The lockdown has led to some parents not seeking necessary medical health for their disabled children (44%), themselves or their partner (54%) or their non-disabled children (17%).The majority (70-80%) report worsening emotional and mental health for both their children and themselves; although a minority report improvements. The impact on physical health is less marked, but still nearly half (45%) say their disabled children’s physical health has declined; and just half say the same about their own (54%).Many parents whose children were eligible for a school place had not taken up places; mainly because of either concerns about their children’s health or because the right provision was not available.The majority (64%) of parents were worried about how much home school they were doing with their disabled child; and nearly a third (32%) said they were receiving no support specific to their child’s needs from school; on the other hand, a quarter were getting good support.The lockdown was impacting on statutory process – two-thirds going through an assessment process had seen it delayed; whilst approaching half (43%) of annual reviews had lapsed or been put on hold.Families are facing financial pressures, through either, or both, a reduction in income (39%) or increased costs (61%). One in five (21%) said they will go into debt as a result.Key Points:Parents reporting an increased caring load, both for themselves and for their disabled children’s siblings. Parents feel exhausted, stressed, anxious and abandoned by society. In many cases, the support families previously received has now stopped. Many families are seeing declines in both mental and physical healthParents are particularly concerned about the pressure of children’s behaviour and mental wellbeing; managing home-schooling; and what will happen to their children if they contract Covid19.the little support that had previously been provided for families has often stopped altogetherChildren’s friendships; learning and communications; mental and physical health; and emotions and behaviour have all been negatively impacted.The lockdown is increasing financial pressures on families.As the country begins to move out of lockdown, parents were greatly concerned about their child’s return to school. The return of their children to school needed to be contingent on it being safe; and needed to be well planned; and carefully managed; with clear communication with parents and children. Those children with the most complex health needs, and who are therefore shielding may continue to face these challenges for a considerably longer period of time and must receive additional support.   The right support – including mental health support – needed to be in place to support the transition back to school. Flexibility and understanding were key."
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Leadership

Parent Carers’ Experiences Of Lockdown

17 Jun 2020

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      string(298) "decision of the EU funded European Schools in Brussels whose 13000 pupils aged 4-18, mainly children of officials of the European institutions, will remain at home until September. This is partly due to the huge success of delivery e-learning via the Microsoft TEAMS platform; the access of all ..."
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      string(3343) "decision of the EU funded European Schools in Brussels whose 13000 pupils aged 4-18, mainly children of officials of the European institutions, will remain at home until September. This is partly due to the huge success of delivery e-learning via the Microsoft TEAMS platform; the access of all families to the internet, the cancellation of exams and, above all, the impossibility of assuring virus proof safety and social distancing in schools of 3000+ pupils.The Netherlands is set on a course similar to one the world has seen operating in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, in prioritising the return of primary schools. A large section of the parents and teachers are angrily opposed to this. The Dutch aim to open mainstream and special primary schools for 100% of pupils spending 50% of their in-school time on physical education. Except for vulnerable children and children of essential workers, only half the school roll will be allowed in the school at any one time. The children will remain in fixed cohorts, although adults will be required to maintain a distance of at least 1.5m from each other, this rule will not apply to the children. As in Belgium, detailed planning has been published in the Netherlands for the reopening of its primary schools on 11th May.ImpracticalHowever, a survey of 5,000 teachers by the professional association AOb said many of the ideas were impractical. ‘Schools aren’t designed for people to keep their distance and they see many practical problems such as the need to walk around the class, transportation for children in special education and hygiene measures for the youngest groups in primary school,’ said the organisation. ‘Teaching 30 four-year-olds to sneeze into their elbows and keep away from each other is Utopian, let alone asking the teacher sto keep their distance,’ added Eugenie Stolk, chair of the AOb. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of primary school teachers said they were already having problems keeping to the 1.5 metre rule in classrooms where children of essential workers are being looked after in the daytime.’.The English medium newspaper DutchNews.nl reports that a third of Dutch primary teachers believe it is too risky for primary school children to return to school en masse without clear evidence that young children are not vectors for COVID19 contagion.On 30th April 2020 Unesco, Unicef and the World Food Programme (WFP) released their own guidelines for the “safe reopening of schools amidst ongoing closures affecting nearly 1.3 billion students worldwide.” These guidelines simply sum up the dilemma facing the UK government: return to school and risk a resurgence of COVID19 infection or remain closed and risk the education and economic well-being of the most vulnerable in our societies.“The best interests of children and overall public health considerations – based on an assessment of the associated benefits and risks to education, public health and socio-economic factors – must be central to national and local authorities’ decisions to reopen schools”, the guidelines say.For more practical guidance England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would do better to look to their former EU partners for inspiration. There will be lots of lessons to learn despite our differences.Click here for detailed multinational responses"
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School Leadership

Europe Finds Ending School Lockdown Challenging And Divisive

5 May 2020

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Leadership

Children and Young People’s Writing During the COVID-19 Lockdown in 2020

30 Jun 2020