the last set of figures are over a
billion children out of school children
and youth school closures in over 180
countries around the world nationwide at
this point it's affecting virtually the
entire world right now the world's
largest homeschooling experiment is
taking place millions of parents across
the country are struggling as they try
to homeschool their children governor's
order to close schools takes effect for
everyone
school closures very unlikely schools
would resume this school year we know
the impact of those fires will be
far-reaching but what does it mean for
educational institutions and the
children learning within them everybody
is having a major change but if they're
living this experience very differently
and I think that's something we really
need to keep in mind when we're thinking
about solutions as well to recognize the
diversity of experience my name is Tracy
burns and I'm a senior analyst at the
OECD the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development I think that
the goal for everyone would be to limit
the closure as much as possible within
considerations of the public health
imperative of course and not just for
learning but also just because school
when we think about it and I think
people are getting a renewed
appreciation of this is Lewis is more
than a building it's it's part of the
social fabric of our lives of children's
lives as schools closed their doors many
educators have turned to online teaching
to connect with their students
technologies stepped in to fill the void
left by classrooms but it's also
creating a deepening inequality between
those who have the tools to access
materials and those who don't
there's a lot of concern within the
education field and and sort of public
health field about seeing increasing
inequality as a result of this crisis
because the kids who are already at risk
are more likely to suffer are less
likely to have the access less likely to
have the skills to use the devices they
do have access to them and so they're
more likely to fall behind and this
could become quite easily a vicious
cycle I mean one of the challenges I
think is the expectation that is put on
a parent it's lunchtime and I'm hiding
in my son's room I just feel really
defeated we were literally given there's
no preparation
yes I'm overwhelmed I don't know where
to find the resources you know it's a
burden to your regular routine we're
lucky in our family that I'm able to be
here with them even the most skilled
educator has a hard time balancing
different demands and personalizing
learning for very different groups of
children too one of the things I think
that's really a clear take-home from the
parents side is is to it's okay to do
your best and into Paige it's okay to
you know to not be perfect the most
important thing for parents to do is
self-care because in so many mothers try
to be teacher and mother at the same
time and it is just impossible for them
to take on the role of a teacher my name
is dr. Meara Chow I am a clinical
psychologist specializing in children in
that lesson there are many families are
experienced in doing home schooling and
no matter how hard you try and it is a
profession on its own some children you
know they attention span is very short
they are not going to be talking to you
in front of the computer for like an
hour they're not
so those are the one who is going to be
having a hard time and falling behind
one of the open questions of course is
is the emotional impact because this is
very destabilizing for students the
teachers parents all of us in fact and
that's where there's a it's a lot less
clear you guys like going to school more
or learning at home because there were
no teachers yeah I also I think the
insidey is too it's coming from the
uncertainty about when is there gonna
end but nobody can tell them and I think
that is you know unsettling I do want to
look at the positives of children
there's very resilient as parents
teachers and children begin to adjust to
the new way of learning it's worth
acknowledging that some of the practices
being used could be seen again after
restrictions are eased before the covert
19 outbreak educators globally had been
in talks about the need to bring
education systems into the 21st century
this may be the disruption needed for
the sector to rethink how to educate
future generations