Some parents struggling with new online learning era

While most parents seem to be finding that their children are settling in to the new online learning era, there are those who are struggling for lack of resources.

From informal inquiries to numerous parents and grandparents, chosen at random, SEARCHLIGHT understands that many children are settling comfortably into their new norm of online learning.

Since the reopening of school was delayed after the Easter vacation, schools have started various methods for students to attempt to acquire a similar level of learning as before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many are using online platforms, while others are assigning work, or both.

While it appears to be smooth sailing for many, some parents or grandparents with children that are of primary school age are encountering trouble.

Their main difficulty seems to be that teachers are assigning the children printouts but they don’t have printers to get them printed.

The Ministry of Education has also recognized that the absence of electronic devices, and Internet connectivity are also issues.

One unemployed mother of two who spoke to SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday, May 6, has all of the aforementioned disadvantages.

Her children attend the Questelles Government School, and have to take online classes, and are assigned printouts.

However, Lavonne McFee does not have electricity at her home, and she does not have Internet connectivity.

She disclosed that her 10 and five year old must access internet at her sister’s house.

Although there is a tablet available for them to use, without electricity making sure that the tablet is charged is another issue.

She said that when it comes to using one device between two of her children, it works “Kinda how – they trying and manage.”

She said sometimes her son has classes in the morning, so when he is finished, her daughter uses the tablet.
“… So that is how the one device works for me,” she explained.

Further, “the problem they are having is like when the teachers send us printed work to do the copying and the printing is a problem. The printing out of the work, because I don’t have a printer,” she disclosed.