AOb concerned about school opening risks
Schools should not reopen until it is safe and all risks have been investigated. Keeping a meter and a half distance in primary schools, secondary schools and ROCs is a difficult job that requires a division of classes. This is evident from a survey among five thousand AObmembers.
Picture: Nanne Meulendijks
"Safe booting is not easy," says AObchairman Eugenie Stolk. “A division from one class to three or four groups is physically almost impossible. We must get clear guidelines that are feasible. ”
De AOb the survey was held this Easter weekend among members in special education (SO), primary education (PO), secondary education (VO) and secondary vocational education (MBO). By completing the questionnaire, the members let us know how the distance learning is going and how they see the future when the schools open their doors again in the long term. Schools have been closed since March 16 to contain the corona virus. In the week before April 28th the cabinet made a decision whether the schools can reopen.
Keep distance
In order to achieve the RIVM guideline from a distance of XNUMX meters, schools will have to divide their classes. In special education this involves a division of two or three groups per class, in primary, secondary and mbo into three or four groups. Respondents indicate that schools are not designed to maintain a distance and they see many practical problems, such as the walking areas in the classes, student transport in the SO and what hygiene measures are taken in the lower grades of primary schools. 'Impossible', the teachers call it keeping your distance when you teach preschoolers.
It is impossible to keep your distance when you teach toddlers
In addition, in the open comments, teachers express their concerns about their safety and health when schools reopen. Some even see it as 'an experiment' and are angry that it is being considered, while much is still unclear.
“At the moment, a majority of the shelter for SO and primary cannot adhere to the RIVM guidelines,” says AObchairman Stolk. “That will be no different for schools that will open soon. Teaching thirty 4-year-olds to sneeze into their elbows and not sit together is a utopia. Let alone that a teacher can keep a distance. ”
Teaching thirty 4-year-old students to sneeze into their elbow and not to sit together is a utopia
In phases
Should the schools open in phases, then, according to the teachers, choices can be made in which students are taught first. In primary education, 42 percent of the respondents want to give priority to students who are more likely to be disadvantaged. More than half of the teaching staff in the SO wants this. Secondary school colleagues, with 37 percent, would also like to see this group of students get priority, followed by the final exam students (27 percent). In MBO it is just the other way around: almost half consider final exam students priority, followed by vulnerable students (28 percent).
The survey clearly shows that teachers are not happy with combining physical education and giving video lessons. Three quarters say they find it 'undesirable'. 41 percent indicate that it is too burdensome and one third see a logistical problem if physical lessons also have to be taught.
Three quarters of the teachers think that combining physical and distance learning is undesirable
If this does become the final choice, it must be clear which teacher is in front of the class which days and which days are scheduled for video lessons, 38 percent indicate this.
Huge commitment
Teachers also answered questions about how home schooling is now. The survey that was sent in the first week already showed that the workload was increasing. That is no different four weeks later: 70 percent of the respondents experience a higher workload than normal. This is mainly due to all different types of interaction with students and pupils. However, the separation between work and private life has improved somewhat with the previous survey: in the first week, 45 percent experienced too little balance, but that percentage decreased to 36 percent.
70 percent of the respondents experience a higher workload than normal
Stolk: “All this requires enormous efforts from teachers. The already high workload has increased even more. On top of that are all the worries teachers have. Many children are not reached. It must be really maddening not to be able to reach your student for weeks. "
Of the teachers in the various educational sectors, 35 percent indicated that they had no contact with pupils or students since the school closure. This is a major problem, especially in secondary education and MBO. Even more teachers, 80 percent, are concerned about one or more students in their class because of the home situation.
We see the harsh reality: distance learning cannot replace regular education
Reality
Since the school closure, teachers have tried to provide distance learning as best they can. Yet they notice that it can never match a normal week of classes at school. For example, a quarter of primary and secondary education teachers offer less time than normal. In secondary and vocational education, 10 to 15 percent of teachers offer a quarter less material than normal. Two-thirds of teachers from all sectors also indicate that they do not have a good overview of the learning process and learning achievements. "Teachers have gone all out for distance learning, but we are now seeing the harsh reality, distance learning cannot replace regular education."
View short summary of the survey. Prefer to read the extended version? Which can through this link. De AOb also sent a letter to the House of Representatives with all the results. You read that letter here.
Also read: Distance learning fills with pride, but increases workload
