Pupils, teachers and other education professionals are being asked to share their experiences of the pandemic with the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry.
The inquiry’s public-participation project, Let’s Be Heard, wants to hear what happened in schools during the pandemic, specifically between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2022.
The hope is that this will help ensure that “lessons are learned and Scotland is better prepared in future”, the inquiry has said. Ultimately, Let’s Be Heard will present recommendations to Scottish ministers.
Let’s Be Heard is running three surveys, for:
- Professionals in any early learning and childcare settings.
- Primary, secondary and additional support needs teachers, school management and/or educational support professionals in state and independent schools.
- Children and young people aged eight and older.
Teachers asked to share lockdown experiences
The inquiry wants to hear about “education professionals’ experience of teaching and staying connected during lockdown”.
It is also seeking insight into: rules and guidance in schools and early-learning settings; safeguarding; the development and behaviour of pupils; how it was to work in “hubs”.
Alexandra Anderson, head of Let’s Be Heard, said: “Some students have already told us how they struggled with isolation and learning from home, and teachers have expressed how difficult it was to transition to online learning, for example.”
Dr Anderson added: “The inquiry aims to build on this information by asking education and early-learning professionals more specific questions about their experiences.”
To take part, visit the Let’s Be Heard website; paper versions of the surveys, as well as different formats or languages, are also available. The inquiry can also be contacted by: email (LetsBeHeard@covid19inquiry.scot); post (Freepost Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry); and phone (leave a voicemail at 0808 175 5555).
The surveys close on Friday 29 November 2024.
Let’s Be Heard’s “national engagement period” ran from May to December 2023 and gathered more than 5,400 experiences from people across Scotland. The project published a report of preliminary findings in November 2023.
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