Should home learning continue after Lockdown?

During the Lockdown of 2020, normal life as we knew it changed. In order to protect ourselves from the spread of Covid 19, schools closed and children were forced to stay at home. The majority of people understand the logic and science behind the Lockdown measures. Staying home means that the spread of the virus would decrease. After this period, there’s an argument for and against continuing home learning after the Lockdown.

Firstly, many have said that home learning is less stressful and more relaxed. At home, you can take your time and pace yourself. You can use your own laptop or tablet device to carry out research easily, without having to share or wait for your class to have its turn with the laptop trolley. Also, creative projects and art tasks are easier to do because there is more space, resources, time, and there is less pressure to finish. There is more space and more materials available because you don’t have to share with 30 other people. There is more time because you don’t have a strict timetable.

In contrast, many have said that home learning is too relaxed, so it is difficult to stay on task and to keep concentration. Some children might find it too tempting to trick their parents by playing games on their laptop or device instead of doing research. Also, parents might find it difficult to work and teach at the same time. Unlike school, you don’t have qualified teachers to concentrate on your learning or specialist teachers to teach you lessons such as Music, Art, Spanish and PE.

After considering both sides to the argument, I believe that the home learning after lockdown should not be continued for several reasons. First of all, learning at school is better quality because of the qualified teachers who help children every day. Secondly, Specialist teachers can offer lessons to a higher standard than many parents, especially in subjects like Spanish, Art, Music or PE. As well as this, teachers help children to concentrate in classrooms that have less distractions than at home. 

It is understandable that in these tough times, home learning was necessary under these extreme conditions of the corona virus crisis. With the easing of lockdown, some year groups are returning to school which gives us a bit of hope that many more year groups will join them soon. Just a reminder, keep your social distance and wash your hands for the time it takes to sing the song ‘Happy birthday’ twice. 

We are all in this together.