Appreciate efforts of schoolteachers who are trying their best in Covid-19 crisis

Students moved to home-based learning on April 8 as part of tighter safe distancing rules islandwide to stem the spread of Covid-19.

We need to appreciate our teachers, who are often neglected in our fight against the disease.   

I know teachers who have been scrambling since the March school holidays as they prepared resources for students on leave of absence and contacted them to ensure they were well.

Many were also busy with contingency plans, in case of a shift to full home-based learning. This was exhausting for them, because these tasks came on top of their already-heavy workload.

When the Government announced on April 3 that schools would shift to full home-based learning, teachers had to abandon their lesson plans and produce new ones at short notice, so that learning will not be greatly affected.

Our teachers showed resilience as they quickly learnt to operate digital platforms and video-conferencing tools that may be new and unfamiliar, especially to those who are less technologically savvy.

I am sure many are doing their best to ensure quality education for the children. 

After all, teachers are used to imparting knowledge in a classroom filled with students. Not all will be comfortable teaching in front of a screen at home, especially with the lack of synergy. Some will have double responsibilities, straddling teaching and taking care of their children who are also confined to their homes.

I urge parents to show greater understanding and empathy during these difficult times. There are bound to be hiccups because teachers are also learning to teach in an unfamiliar arrangement.

Give them time to smoothen the learning process, but do not expect perfection. It will not be perfect, because nothing can replace teaching and learning in a classroom.

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