Since measures were implemented to flatten the coronavirus curve in Guyana, schools have been engaged in distance education. This is true for both public and private schools. Parents, teachers and children are adjusting to this new way of life, which is not without its challenges.
It has been months since the outbreak began and the drastic changes have given rise to frustration and hopelessness. However, it has also ushered in a season of introspection. Many feel compelled to investigate the underlying meaning of life. Self-awareness and a newfound appreciation for our privileges and those we love are common motivating factors during this time. Still, the storm is lingering too long, and when the calm will come is indeterminate.
Is this global pandemic one of the great equalisers of our time?
Education is said to be the great equaliser.
Our children, irrespective of social class, will shape the future by their aspirations, skills and their education. The child who is poor can rise out of poverty through education.
These changes in the social structures because of COVID-19 have presented an opportunity for children and parents to form a stronger bond as many homes have been transformed into classrooms. This situation has inspired many parents to develop a new appreciation for teachers, who are often criticised as much as they are appreciated.
I spoke to a number of parents with children in both private and public schools. I was curious about how they are coping during this time with distance learning. While some parents are satisfied with the efforts of the schools, others are dissatisfied. It is also challenging for some parents to manage teaching their children, working and doing regular household chores.
Most schools engaged in distance learning are utilising new media platforms, such as WhatsApp and Zoom and some are also conducting interactive sessions with the children. Some parents said that they are overwhelmed and believe some schools should lessen the workload and relax their rigid routines. Not all parents possess teaching skills or can even grasp the concepts to work with their children. I was also informed that at least one school students are required to dress in uniform for their sessions. I think it is quite absurd to require that children dress in uniforms even though they are not in the classroom. I understand that it might help some children focus as there are many distractions in the home; however, it should be a choice and not about keeping up appearances.
Dissatisfied with the programme some schools are offering during this crisis, some parents have downloaded resources from the Ministry of Education’s website or are using textbooks to teach their children without the aid of teachers.
However, despite all the efforts being made by private and public schools, there were also parents of children in public schools who have received no correspondence from the schools about distance learning since schools have been closed. Parents of both primary and secondary level students told me this.
According to a public-school teacher I spoke with, it is a requirement of the Ministry of Education that they engage in some form of distance learning during this time. Whether it is that the teachers who have not engaged with parents lack the means to do so or are simply not interested is to be determined. However, teachers are still being paid.
A few weeks ago, it was being said that some private schools were asking for payment of full fees even though teachers are not in the classrooms and parents are in most cases doing most of the work with their children.
However, having spoken to a number of parents of children in private schools, most have offered parents a 20% discount. But even with that discount some parents still believe that it should be a bigger discount, especially since some of the schools make large profits. At least two private schools, however, have offered as much as a 50% discount.
There are some parents who have decided that they will not pay the fees even at a discounted rate. In these instances, it is mainly because they are dissatisfied with the school’s distance education programme. We understand, however, that private school teachers and other staff also have their families to maintain and bills to pay. Time is also spent working on lesson plans and interacting with the children on a daily basis in some instances. But parents also make sacrifices for their children to receive a quality education and if what the school is offering is not worth the money in their opinion, then they can refuse to pay. Some schools, however, may decide that whenever schools reopen, the child or children will no longer be welcomed at the school.
We understand that most private schools are business ventures and therefore they expect to make profits. However, in this time of crisis, one cannot expect to make the same profits as one would under normal circumstances. Consideration must be exercised.
We also must wonder about employees like janitors who work at these schools. With no work during this time, is their bread being buttered during this season?
Many parents of children in the private schools can continue to pay the fees with ease, but others are not working during this crisis or are only receiving a fraction of their salary. Many if not most of the parents who choose to send their children to private schools in Guyana are not rich. They make sacrifices because they believe a private education is advantageous whether true or not.
However, we also must applaud the public schools because they also work assiduously to help shape and prepare our children for the future and it is where most of Guyana’s children are schooled.
COVID-19 highlights the disparities between the rich and the poor. A section of our population has been thrown into a quandary not only because of the virus. People are desperate, troubled and unsure about how they will survive the rest of this dreadful time.
While distance learning is happening, what happens to the children who have not been given such opportunities? What happens to the children’s whose parents do not have internet access, computers or tablets? What happens to the teachers who also do not have these to reach their students? What about parents who are struggling to feed their children during this time? Can children focus if they are hungry?
With 150 cases of coronavirus here now, we have no choice but to wait, for this too shall pass.
