The youngest (girl, boy twins) are turning up every day for intense online teaching. They are both in the crucial Year 11. They missed significant in-school teaching in Year 10. With relief went back to school in September and carried on learning and catching up, whilst having friends, teachers and at one point themselves all off in an endless rotation of two weeks self-isolation.

Finally the announcement came exams are cancelled – it’s all teacher assessment. This was greeted in our home with mixed emotions.

 

Now in February, one school has announced they will be sitting mocks and small external exams to aid assessment. The other school has said nothing as yet. 

I have no problem with either school, they are in an equally uncertain position with ever changing goal posts.

Move on to another child. In her second year at University. Sent home last March due to lockdown 1.0. Learning has been online ever since. Luckily, she had made good friends, had sorted accommodation for this academic year and is at University in a low case area so confidently went back to online learning with her mates. But this comes at both a significant financial and learning cost. Thousands spent for not one face-to-face lecture and no opportunity to widen her network, socialise and make more friends.

Finally, the oldest, graduated last year. No graduation ceremony, no celebrating 4 hard years with friends and family. No rite of passage. Who doesn’t remember the drunken antics in the last term of the last year at Uni? They celebrated with a pub crawl around their house. A different bar in each room! 

He made the decision to defer a Masters in London, because what was the point of online learning, no face-to-face and no making new social contacts? Instead he is a supermarket keyworker gleefully saving far more than anticipated as he is stuck at home with his parents and can't go out - anywhere! 

All four haven't once questioned locked down. Instead they worry for the homeless, or those without enough tech to carry on learning, or those of their friends without jobs.

They are happily protecting their parents, grandparents and society. They wear their masks, they sanitise and they get on with it. I am proud of them!