Yesterday the government announced that summer schools should be part of catch-up plans for children whose education has been affected by the pandemic, together with £700 million worth of funding, some of which is earmarked for clubs, activities, and “summer schooling” – particularly for children moving up to Year 7. The Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the money would help to ensure “no child is left behind” due to the pandemic.
But teachers have done a wonderful job with home-schooling, spending hours preparing classes and then delivering them online, so they deserve a break – a long summer break. Few people on social media agree with the plans. ‘Rachel’ was so outraged that they suggested politicians step in to help.
And it’s not only the teachers who have already had a hard year. The summer classes would be unfair for pupils too because, as Chris Murphy writes in his post below, they are exhausted.
Mollie, a teacher, told the BBC “I’m still emailing parents at 8pm”. A teacher’s life in lockdown isn’t easy. Teachers usually call every child once a week to see how the child is finding their learning and to check on them. So instead of having to deliver summer schools, teachers deserve a round of applause and a long holiday so that they can finally spend some proper time with their loved ones.