Parents need to give schools time

Schools are facing a really steep learning curve and it would be helpful if parents were mindful of that and gave schools the time and the space to work things out.

Schools are so conscientious. Teachers are so conscientious.

Everybody’s just trying to do right by the children and, whatever the provision is, whether people are using Google Classrooms and uploading work. Or whether they’ve sent packs home or they’re providing online lessons each day, there’s no one right way. That’s really important and what’s right for you won’t be right for your neighbour.

And so schools have to create this differentiated offering which suits the teachers,

suits the parents, suits all the different parent bodies and the children and their specific needs.

Providing all of that is going to be a balancing act and parents would be wise to give the schools space to work that through.

We are basically, as schools, pretty good at creating equilibrium and then maintaining it and this is a completely new equilibrium that we need to find.

So also give them feedback but don’t bowl them over because, what we’ve found is, the responses are really extreme.

Some people are screaming that it’s not enough and some people are screaming that it’s too much and the heightened emotional climate, the anxiety and the fear and the pressure and the overwhelm means that nobody is comfortable.

We are all uncomfortable right now.

Although the sun is shining and hopefully the pandemic is going to begin to just slow down, we are expecting this to take a while longer.

And, in order to do right by the children, the adults need to calm down, take a breath, realise what’s important, which is always well-being, and not worry too much about the exact details.