I start with a disclaimer: I am a faculty head of mathematics and technologies, and I therefore have a responsibility for practical subjects, including graphic communication, design and manufacture, practical woodworking and metalworking, computing science - and my first subject, maths.
All of the practical subjects are expected to resume some form of face-to-face teaching in Scotland from Monday 22 February, while students and teachers in other, non-practical subjects remain constrained to their devices. Students will be expected to continue to dig deep for the motivation to stay engaged in the variety of online material that teachers are working tirelessly to provide.
I appreciate the nature of assessment in the practical areas and my technologies team are grateful for the time that they will have with their young people, but, with my mathematics teacher head on, I can’t help feel disheartened and worried by yesterday’s announcement from Scotland’s first minister.
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How are we going to address the imbalance of young people who are sitting mostly non-practical subjects?
Coronavirus and schools: Students missing out on face-to-face teaching
Nicola Sturgeon has hinted that schools are not likely to return for the majority of pupils until at least 15 March. Another month of remote learning is welcome, if that is the safest option while Covid 19 is still prominent in our communities, but how can we possibly continue with the assessment plans as they currently stand?
Scotland’s teachers have gone above and beyond the call of duty in this second lockdown. We are more confident in online learning, we know what is working, we know what to avoid, and we are providing a superior service to the first lockdown. (Considering the effort and service we provided in the first lockdown, that is really saying something.)
Teachers are balancing their own personal lives with a commitment to see the education of young people continue, and to reduce the educational impact that all this Covid disruption will have. But, despite our best efforts, there will be an educational impact.
Young people need the guidance from their teachers, they need their feedback on a continual basis and, let’s face it, they need to be kept on task and away from distractions that their devices will bring when they should be working (how many times have you looked at social media in the middle of a virtual staff meeting?).
It is a welcome move to have my practical staff coming back to work with young people. It will bring fresh challenges that we haven’t faced, and I have absolute faith that Scottish practical teachers will step up to the plate and do so safely. They will focus on the learning and teaching of these young people, guide and support them into providing the required standard for assessment in these courses.
But spare a thought for those in non-practical subjects, for those who are not likely to get the benefit of that face-to-face contact, feedback and support as they go through their maths, languages, social subjects or other courses.
These young people, as they stare into the void of digital learning, digital support and digital feedback, need to continue to find the motivation to continue in this online learning environment that is stretching out for who knows how long. I hope, as I am sure many of you hope, that the SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority) will take this further stint of remote learning into consideration when it is assessing non-practical subjects.
There is an inequality here: young people should not be disadvantaged as a result of their subject choices and a pandemic outwith their control.
Kenneth Drummond is a secondary school faculty head of mathematics and technologies, based in Scotland. He tweets @MrDrummondMaths
