• UK
  • World
    • USA
  • Entertainment
    • Celeb
    • Showbiz
    • Magazine
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Gaming
  • Tech
  • Science
    • Education
  • Insurance
  • Business
  • Auto
  • ToS/Contact
    • ToS
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
NewsExplored
  • UK
  • World
    • USA
  • Entertainment
    • Celeb
    • Showbiz
    • Magazine
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Gaming
  • Tech
  • Science
    • Education
  • Insurance
  • Business
  • Auto
  • ToS/Contact
    • ToS
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • LinkedIn

  • Tumblr

  • RSS

UK

Covid in Wales: Online education ‘patchy and inconsistent’

Covid in Wales: Online education ‘patchy and inconsistent’
Newsexplored
12th January 2021
ShareTweet
SubscribeRedditGoogleWhatsappStumbleuponPinterestDiggLinkedinTumblrTelegram
Views:
4

By Bethan Lewis
BBC Wales education and family correspondent

image captionWales’ future generations commissioner Sophie Howe said a chief digital officer for education is needed

Online education is “patchy and inconsistent” and there should be a clearer national approach, according to Wales’ future generations commissioner.

Sophie Howe said the Welsh Government should do more to ensure consistency of learning by schools across Wales.

Schools are set to remain closed until at least the end of February, with teaching delivered remotely.

The Welsh Government said it had been commended for the way it had provided devices to access online learning.

Ms Howe said “real leadership from the top” was needed along with clarity about what parents should expect regarding “how many hours, what type of work, how we should be using digital platforms, and indeed how best to support parents to facilitate all of that”.

She said a chief digital officer for education was needed.

“What we’re seeing at the moment is parents having to compete with multiple different platforms. I think I counted about six or seven that my four children are on,” she said.

“It does seem that some schools are offering face-to-face virtual lessons, some are just offering worksheets and so on.”

data-ad-format="auto">

The Welsh Government said it had successfully provided laptops and MiFi devices to families who were struggling to access online learning, plus guidance and training for teachers.

It confirmed there was no legal duty on schools in Wales to deliver a minimum amount of online teaching after schools in England were told it would be mandatory to deliver three to five hours of remote learning per day – a duty overseen by school inspectors.


The Welsh Government said the inspectorate, Estyn, was not formally overseeing the delivery of remote learning in Wales but had been part of a Blended Learning Working Group which also involved regional education consortia and local authorities.

Guidance to schools says pupils should generally receive “the duration of learning time they would receive were they in school”.

How are parents finding home-schooling?

image captionLisa and Nick Langston have been helping their children with home schooling

Nick Langston, a professional guitarist from Chepstow, Monmouthshire, and his wife Lisa, a solicitor, are helping home school their two young children.

Their eight-year-old son is required to complete one piece of literacy and numeracy, and another topic every day which is set online and then sent back to teachers to be marked.

Nick said: “We were concerned initially that we’d be expected to be teaching the kids for six hours a day, which would have been quite a challenge.

“But, actually, the big focus seems to be on making sure the kids’ reading and writing keep going, and their numbers keep going, and then they’ve given us flexibility.”

Lisa said the communication from the primary school has been “fantastic”.

She said: “They respond really quickly which is great because obviously they’ve got a lot of children to respond to, and they’re very positive in their comments and encouraging and pushing the children along.

“There’s a real interaction between the kids and the teacher which has been great.”

How are the children finding it?

image captionHenry said he’s found completing school work from home “good” but sometimes “stressful”

Nick and Lisa’s eight-year-old son Henry said he found doing his school work at home “good” although it could be “a bit stressful doing it”.

He said he had been completing maths, spelling and work learning about the forest, at home.

“It gets my brain working through the day.

“But it has been a bit annoying because everybody is talking and you have to concentrate to do work,” he said.

image captionJackson and his younger sister Mari have been learning at home for A-levels and GCSEs

Meanwhile 17-year-old A-level student Jackson said the lesson work he is set was “not that different” to when he was in school.

“It varies for each lesson, ranging from 15 minutes to the entire hour,” he said.

What do politicians say?

image caption“Face-to-face learning is the best way and anything that can replicate that, remotely, needs to be the focus,” said Plaid education spokesperson Sian Gwenllian

Plaid Cymru said the Welsh Government needed a plan to get rid of a “postcode lottery” of provision and the government should provide clear expectations for teachers to address inconsistencies “from school to school and pupil to pupil”.

“There should be a clearer expectation on schools [and] teachers coming from the Welsh Government that remote learning has to be ramped up. There should be national expectations set out that does include remote learning,” said education spokesperson Sian Gwenllian.

“Obviously, face-to-face learning is the best way and anything that can replicate that, remotely, needs to be the focus – so live streaming of lessons and individual lessons between smaller groups.”

The Welsh Conservatives said the situation had improved since schools were closed in March but the picture was still “not very consistent”.

image captionEstyn boss Meilyr Rowlands: Distance learning provision “becoming less variable than during the first lockdown”

“I think there’s a case to be made for a minimum number of hours, but without being prescriptive about what those hours are used for because teachers are best placed to know how individual classes would work,” said the party’s education spokesperson Suzy Davies.

She said the regional education consortia should have a role in monitoring the quality of provision and “supervising and supporting teachers”.

What do school inspectors say?

The schools watchdog Estyn said provision was becoming “less variable” than during the first lockdown.

Meilyr Rowlands, chief inspector of education, said education staff had risen to the challenges posed by the pandemic.

“The periods of learning from home has meant that all schools have had to think afresh about how pupils learn and how face-to-face teaching can best promote resilience and independent learning skills,” he said.

“Overall, the education and training system is now better prepared for distance learning and the provision is becoming less variable than during the first lockdown.

“As a result, schools and other providers are planning to implement more extensive programmes of live-streamed and pre-recorded lessons for learners during the current lockdown period.”

image captionMost children will be learning from home until at least February half-term, unless there is a big drop in Covid cases

What do unions say?

Eithne Hughes, director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, said schools were now in a far better position than at the outset of the pandemic to deliver remote teaching.

“We will also be talking to the Welsh Government about how schools can be best supported in order to ensure this provision is of the highest quality,” she said.

“However, the success or otherwise of remote education is not entirely within their power.

“Some children will not have access to a laptop or tablet, or will have to share access, or will not have a stable internet connection, or a quiet space in their homes.”

Related Topics

More on this story

Related Internet Links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Share on Skype (Opens in new window)

Related

Related Itemscovideducationinconsistentonlinepatchywales
Click to add a comment

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

UK
12th January 2021
Newsexplored @newsexploredweb

Related Itemscovideducationinconsistentonlinepatchywales

More in UK

  • Read More
    Covid-19: Is Northern Ireland winning the battle against the virus?

    Views:4 By Eunan McConvilleBBC News NI image copyrightGetty Images The coronavirus pandemic has brought with it an...

    Newsexplored 12th January 2021
  • Read More
    The Papers: ‘Fortress Britain’ and ‘modern miracle workers’

    Views:4 By BBC NewsStaff image captionA decision to close all travel corridors to the UK from Monday...

    Newsexplored 12th January 2021
  • Read More
    Covid: Will mass community testing be offered across Wales?

    Views:4 image copyrightGetty Images image captionHundreds queued around the leisure centre in Merthyr Tydfil to get tested...

    Newsexplored 12th January 2021
  • Read More
    Belfast Multi-Cultural Association fire ‘was deliberate hate crime’

    Views:4 media captionThe Belfast Multi-Cultural Association was working to serve the community, says Muhammed Atif Police have...

    Newsexplored 12th January 2021
  • Read More
    How did debut artist Olivia Rodgrigo break chart records?

    Views:4 By Mark SavageBBC music reporter image copyrightOlivia Rodrigo / Instagram image captionThe newcomer’s single overtook Ed...

    Newsexplored 12th January 2021
  • Read More
    Wales bringing in new safety rules for shops

    Views:4 media captionCovid lockdown: Are supermarkets following the rules? New laws for shoppers and staff are to...

    Newsexplored 12th January 2021
  • Read More
    Wayne Rooney: Derby County confirm ex-England captain as manager

    Views:4 Wayne Rooney officially joined Derby in a player-coach role in January 2020 Championship side Derby County...

    Newsexplored 12th January 2021
  • Read More
    In pictures: Winter scenes from around the UK

    Views:4 As temperatures drop in parts of the UK, we look at some of the most striking...

    Newsexplored 12th January 2021
  • Read More
    Newspaper headlines: Infection rate ‘hope’ – but care home cases rise

    Views:4 By BBC NewsStaff image captionThe Daily Mail carries a note of optimism on its front page,...

    Newsexplored 12th January 2021
  • Read More
    Covid in Scotland: Parents’ verdicts on week one of home-schooling

    Views:4 By Debbie JacksonBBC Scotland Published 7 minutes ago Related Topics image copyrightDonna Bruce image captionQuinn and...

    Newsexplored 12th January 2021
  • Read More
    Covid-19: Surge leaves key hospital services ‘in crisis’

    Views:4 By Nick TriggleHealth correspondent image copyrightGetty Images The surge in Covid hospital cases has left key...

    Newsexplored 12th January 2021
  • Read More
    Australian Open: Andy Murray tests positive for coronavirus

    Views:4 Andy Murray last played at the Australian Open in 2019 – which he thought might have...

    Newsexplored 12th January 2021
Scroll for more
Tap
data-ad-format="auto">
NewsExplored

NewsExplored - Making sure all the latest news is explored?

Contact us for help

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • Comments

  • Trump pardons two convicted by Russia investigation
    USA23rd December 2020
  • New coronavirus variant: What do we know?
    UK20th December 2020
  • Kieran Trippier suspended for 10 weeks over breaches of betting rules
    Sports23rd December 2020
  • The Papers: UK and EU on ‘verge’ of Brexit trade deal
    UK23rd December 2020
  • Joe Biden unveils $1.9tn US economic relief package
    USA15th January 2021
  • How much can Joe Biden get done on the US economy?
    USA14th January 2021
  • Could Liz Cheney spark a revolt?
    USA13th January 2021
  • Trump National stripped of 2022 US PGA Championship
    USA11th January 2021
  • Les Rehrer says:

    Hello Its me :P and thanks for this post

  • optumrx login says:

    Thank For News.

  • Kent Laatsch says:

    Please let me know if you're looking for a writer…

  • Bob says:

    RT News was where I learned that Erdogan controlled isis.…

Copyright © 2018 Top News Theme. Theme by MVP Themes, powered by Wordpress.

Long Covid: Virus ‘like Russian roulette’ for young and healthy
Newspaper headlines: Hospital patients ‘sent to hotels’ and jab rollout concerns
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok