12 Aug Going back to schools – now a national priority
Boris Johnson has announced over the weekend that there is a “moral duty” to get all children back in schools next month. After four long months of lockdown, there has been a considerable strain on education in the UK, with hundreds of families being sequestered in their homes.
Now, with the easing of lockdown restrictions, the Government’s plans for children to return to school have been welcomed by many. However, there are rising concerns in regard to the safety and wellbeing of students upon their return, especially with confirmed cases of Coronavirus beginning to rise once again.
One way in which schools can combat these fears and encourage parent and student confidence is through the use and integration of EdTech. Globally, EdTech is supporting students of all ages around the world—providing a mix of academic lessons, coding kits, digital textbooks and even tapping into the realm of gaming as a learning tool. This use of EdTech to supplement learning in the classroom had been steadily on the rise in a pre-Corona world, and now has become a part of everyday life for teachers and their pupils. Online platforms have crucial benefits, not only for their speed, but for their remote operation – this makes them accessible to a wide range of people in a convenient and hygienic way across the UK.
James Grant – Co-founder of MyTutor– discusses how private EdTech firms can continue to supplement learning in the classroom:
“Pupils working in isolation from home because of containment measures could face learning challenges at a critical period in the run up to exam season. Fortunately, online platforms can be accessed in a convenient and hygienic way across the UK. Online tutoring in particular can help alleviate the pressure felt by students and their families, as they can continue their schooling with one-to-one support all without leaving the house.
At a time when huge strain is being placed on the public sector – namely the health and education departments – the private sector must mobilise and work with these services to ensure as little disruption as possible. Those who provide remote, on-demand services, such as MyTutor, can be relied on to support a large number of people as required.”