CUSP Issues Statement On School Re-Opening
CUSP says a poll they recently conducted on whether or not schools should re-open on 1st February, has received 171 responses. The poll showed that 57% (98) in favour of re-opening and 43% (73) not in favour.
A statement from CUSP follows below:
CUSP is the Civil Union of Students and Parents, with over 1,100 members of our Facebook group. Our approach is to canvas the views and experiences of our members and reflect that to the decision makers in Gibraltar.
We aim to provide not only a mirror for decision makers, but also propose constructive solutions based on the experience of our members.
With such a large group of members, we do not have unanimity of views, and this is reflected in our statements.
We asked our members about the re-opening of schools, as some of our members have had quite stressful experience of home schooling. Please note that the stress has not arisen from the quality of education provided - this has been of good quality and our members are generally happy with this.
Stress has arisen from the juggling of work and supporting home schooling. Another source of stress is concern about children losing their routine (especially children with special needs) and missing out on social interaction.
We conducted a poll about whether or not schools should re-open on 1 February. The poll had 171 responses, with 57% (98) in favour of re-opening and 43% (73) not in favour. This shows how complicated such a decision is, and the need to juggle factors of safety for children and staff, provision of good education, relieving pressure on working parents and hence businesses and other employers. This is not a simple, binary decision.
Digging more deeply into our members’ responses shows parents’ and carers’ concerns for safety, with views ranging from support for opening schools now and cancelling mid-term to enable catch up on education, to keeping the schools closed until there is more data on their safety. There was also recognition of the pressure on teachers and the need for them to have a break.
One useful suggestion is that parents with childcare responsibilities could be furloughed as part of BEAT to enable proper support for home schooling.
Parents are very appreciative of the education provision in lockdown, and note that, although teachers are doing their best, it’s impossible to cater on-line completely for the different learning needs of children. Several parents who commented were concerned about the importance of the social aspect for children and their mental wellbeing - the interactions with their peers and their teachers.
Parents are particularly concerned about GCSE and A Level students, where self study and lack of in person peer interaction may have a lasting impact on mental health.
Another concern is that if and when schools re-open, we will return to the situation where some children need to self-isolate due to infection in close contacts. Parents and carers found this very difficult.
The most distressing experiences we have had reported are from parents of children with special needs, who have had their routine disrupted. This has caused behavioural problems and parents are concerned that their children will need a lot of work just to recover the position of a year ago.
We note the complexities of this situation, and encourage the government to consider the second order effects of school closure and consider the suggestion of furloughing parents and carers with childcare responsibilities and supporting them with BEAT payments. We also encourage the government to share the factors and data used in making their decision, especially the risk assessment of physical and mental health, given that it affects so many people of all ages here in Gibraltar. We consider that this would reassure parents and carers in these unprecedented and distressing times.
