The reality of returning to school and college.

This post is going to be a little different, almost like a diary. I want to write this post throughout my experience returning to school and how pupils are being affected and how they are feeling. So without further ado, join me in my process of returning to school.

1st March:

Today marks 1 week until thousands of school pupils flood back into the school gates. I sent out a survey on my social media accounts to try and get feedback on how people were feeling about the return. Between people, there was a fairly equal split of those who wanted to go back and those who didn't. Most people agreed that school will become harder when we return which for many pupils will be a challenge. 65% of pupils agreed to the fact that they did not receive enough support during online learning. As a result, it will be very hard for lots of pupils to transition back into normal school life. Change can be daunting and with exams cancelled or on the horizon for many, it is a stressful time to be at school, without living in a pandemic. One student likened this period to September when we all return back to school after our summer holidays. Another issue is the fact that many routines will be changing. A large number of pupils who took part in the survey commented on the fact that they would have to get up earlier to get to face to face education. Since January students have had a lot less structure to the school days, waking up only 10 minutes before the lesson starts, opening up their computers and sitting in bed staring blankly at a screen all day, has not been great for anyone. Teens and young people are the most likely to suffer from mental health issues and by having little to no motivation to go to online lessons and students not receiving enough help and support some will look forward to returning to a structured routine however some pupils said that they would prefer to stay home and be productive in their own ways. One pupil commented 'at home I have been able to get more exercise, complete more work and have more free time but the travel time to and from college takes more than 2 hours which takes out a large part of my day'. There is a clear divide between pupils emotions and attitudes on returning to and so it would be wrong to categorise them all in one group.

5th March:

Its the end of the working week. For many students, their online learning has come to an end and they are hoping that they never have to go back to it. Only the weekend separates pupils returning to schools and as result, a mix of emotions is bubbling between groups. On Monday, I have my first COVID-19 test at college before going back in on Tuesday 9th March.

8th March:

I had my first lateral flow test today along with thousands of other pupils across the UK. When I arrived for my test the hall was spaced out with around 25 testing stations. A supervisor sat on the other side of the table with a screen in between us. The whole process was monitored extremely well, with multiple sanitisation stations and social distancing in place. The test itself was a weird feeling. It didn't hurt but just tickled and it really makes your eyes water.

12th March:

The end of the first week back for thousands of UK pupils. The reality of returning to school and college is that pupils are faced with lots more work and harder lessons. I carried out a new survey to find out how pupils felt about being back, and here is what they said. 65% of people who completed the survey said has been stressful in their opinion, and 83% of pupils said that the lessons had become harder. Online school meant lots of restrictions were in place, and returning to face-to-face learning was a shock for many. It was predicted that lessons would be harder but nonetheless, pupils were left feeling stressed and shocked at the reality of the reality of the situation. One pupil commented on the idea that we should have shorter lessons to get us used to being back at school. I think this would be a very good idea. During online learning many pupils had longer breaks, and shorter days but now they are being faced with having to wake up early and have short breaks. Having shorter days and lessons for maybe the first week or two would allow students to get used to face-to-face learning again. In my school, they have changed the timetable so that we have longer lessons and a shorter lunch break which I personally think is very wrong. In comparison to this 75% of pupils said that they preferred being back. For many, social isolation was getting to us, so seeing our friends was a great relief. Being around people can massively reduce our stress levels, and so many of the pupils surveyed felt glad to be back. Despite many feeling apprehensive about returning to face-to-face learning their feelings were quickly put aside when being around friends and teachers.

In reality, returning to school is not as simple as it seems. There are many barriers (literally) that pupils have to overcome. Additionally, pupils are under lots of pressure to do well in exams despite the challenges they have faced with online learning. Education is not easy at the moment, for anyone. Teachers are under more pressure than ever to support and guide their students and the students have stress and anxiety around the lessons and work they are being set.

We currently do not know how long school and education will remain this way, however, if these are the measures we need to take to stop the spread of coronavirus, and getting us the best education we can get at the moment, then students will have to comply.

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thomasjlblog

17th March