Commenting on The challenges facing schools and pupils in
September 2020, a report by the National Foundation for
Educational Research (NfER), Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General
Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"Teachers across the land worked extremely hard during
lockdown, teaching in school, developing online lessons and
keeping in touch with pupils. Many families struggled to either
have the quiet space or technology to access online learning, and
the Government fell short of its pledge to supply much-needed IT
equipment to disadvantaged children who often had no access to
the internet.
"With schools returning fully this week, we must look at
immediate solutions that will benefit students quickly and
effectively. As the NfER report indicates, schools are in urgent
need of extra funding and resources to provide the right support
for the young people in their care. The Government must also
redouble its efforts to support disadvantaged children with IT
facilities for the home.
"When we wrote to the Prime Minister on 10 June with our
National Education Recovery Plan, we asked him to take action to
make use of the great many qualified teachers not currently in
post, encourage them to join schools, and with that in place help
reduce class sizes. Schools were already stretched before Covid,
with almost one million pupils in classes of 31 or more.Now, more
than ever, schools will need smaller classes in order to rebuild
relationships, provide educational catch-up and ensure safety for
all.
"It is not credible in these circumstances that so many
just-qualified teachers are finding themselves without work. This
is a waste of talent. Such enthusiasm should be embraced, not
squandered.
"We need to be prepared for the impact Covid-19 could have
on the coming school year, should national or local spikes occur.
Learning time may be affected, creating many variations between
schools and regions. For this reason, we have to see a more
flexible approach to qualifications for 2021 - one which learns
from the mistakes of this year, and the Government must set out
that plan with urgency. The NEU has written to calling for
a reduction in content assessed in exams next summer,
collaboration with the profession to develop a robust national
system of moderated centre-assessed grades in case of further
outbreaks of Covid-19, and a thorough independent review into
assessment methods along the lines announced for Scotland.
"We cannot continue with short term measures, and the
reopening of schools must not be viewed as a simple reset button.
The challenges will be ongoing, complex and significant.
Government needs to approach them alongside the profession, and
to take the concerns of school leaders and teachers - as
expressed in this report - very seriously."
