A teacher in Scotland has struck a chord with colleagues in the profession, after posting a Twitter thread addressed to “those who think school days should be extended” and that shortened holidays would “make up for ‘lost learning’”.

Primary teacher Paula McEwan felt so strongly that she said: “If I don’t say all this, I may burst,” as she explained why the very idea of “lost learning” is “based on the myth that in-school learning is the be-all-and-end-all for all pupils at all times”.

Writing using the Twitter account for the Inverclyde branch of the EIS union, where she is secretary, Ms McEwan said: “Not all pupils engage all day in school. Not all pupils complete every task set every day, in school or as part of home learning.

“Part of a teacher’s job, and one that we do hourly, is to assess where pupils are along a progression of learning. When they reach a milestone, we challenge and extend, where we think revision and consolidation of previous learning is needed, we plan and deliver that.”

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Ms McEwan added: “When a child misses schooling through illness, family circumstance, war, refugee status, any non-attendance, we don’t write off their life chances, we don’t make them work longer hours and shorten holidays. We take a holistic approach to the support needed and work to meet that. 

“And the support isn’t always for academic advancement. It can be social strategies that are needed, behavioural strategies, coping strategies that bring emotional support. All of that and more, for every pupil, all the time.”

So, I know it’s the weekend but if I don’t say all this I may burst.

A thread for those who think school days should be extended and holidays shortened to make up for ‘lost learning’.

- I n v e r c l y d e E I S (@InverclydeEIS) February 13, 2021

Ms McEwan also said: ”Lockdown and remote learning doesn’t change that - it changes how it’s delivered. Does it suit every learner? No. But neither does in-school learning. Will every learner engage with it in the same way and at the same time? No. But that doesn’t happen in school either.

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“What’s needed on our return to school is more teachers and smaller class sizes; taking a holistic view of every child and what they need. Some will have thrived over this period - how do we support and sustain that? 

“Some will have progressed as expected - we need to maintain that, and some will have disengaged and we need to consider how we re-engage them and progress their learning. One-size-fits-all ‘extra’ learning won’t work. We need to get it right for every child and young person. 

“The narrative of ‘lost learning’ does a huge disservice to education staff who have worked tirelessly ensuring learning continues. Upskilled in IT, producing innovative and creative ways to engage and teach whilst coping with the same home/life tensions as the rest of world, rotaed in learning hubs to ensure key workers can work and teaching the most vulnerable of our young people in school. Because our most vulnerable young people have not been forgotten and have not been left behind. They have been identified and targeted for support. 

“To brand an entire school cohort as Covid’s ‘lost generation’ does a huge disservice to our young people. They have been amazing though this: learning new IT skills and a whole new way of working, planning their own learning schedule and engaging independently, coping with changes they have no control over and no say in. Our young people are, and will continue to be, resilient and incredible. They are not lost, they are not ‘behind’, their life chances are not destroyed. And they need to know that.”

Ms McEwan’s thread prompted hundreds of supportive responses.

Chris Birt, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation‘s deputy director for Scotland, tweeted: “Important thread. Talk of a lost generation is harmful pessimism. This is our children’s world to mould. They’ll adapt better than lots of adults. Parents and teachers might need help, but design help with kids, not for them, and don’t write people off.”

SallyAnn Kelly, chief executive of the Aberlour Child Care Trust, thanked Ms McEwan for the ”really important issues in this thread”.