There has been much talk in the press about how the gap between the achievement of those in UK state and independent schools is going to be much more pronounced following the lockdown of all UK schools in March. Whilst it is true that many independent UK schools have put on huge amounts to assist in remote learning – and the bigger and more famous the school, the more has been on offer – it is not clear just how effective online classroom lessons have been. From the personal comments of experienced classroom teachers, only about 50-60% of the content normally covered in a real classroom setting has been achieved at the best of times. There is also no way of knowing just what level of learning has been happening from the screens at the other end. The lengthy pauses when individual pupils have been called upon to participate suggest that they are not always at their screens. Dubious excuses about the WiFi not working at home – often repeatedly from some, have meant that serious learning has probably only been achieved by the keenest. Distractions for a teenager are everywhere and the temptation to “zone out” increases massively when a pupil is not visible to the teacher, which has been the case for the vast majority of online remote classroom lessons. End-of-year tests were shelved by most schools as there was no way of knowing if the work being submitted was a pupil’s own work or if she or he used the internet or shared work through various social media. Just how far behind your daughter or son has fallen will not really become evident until it is possibly too late. At Minerva we fully understand the needs of the individual and one-to-one online teaching will very much improve a pupil’s potential by filling the gaps which will inevitably have arisen over five or six months of erratic or inconsistent learning, however motivated a child might be. For further information about how Minerva Tuition can help your child, please contact Valerie Weston on: Email: valerie.weston@minervatuition.com Phone: +852 6156 5705. We would be delighted to hear from you.
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