Page 2 - Moravian Messenger September 2020

Editorial
The beginning of the academic year is filled with stress for many: teaching staff, admin, catering, caretaking and that is before you consider pupils and students. This academic year is like none other that has been faced before, and the stress is therefore like none other. The schools are now back in Northern Ireland, and they are just back in England, but things are far from normal for all of them. Students are trickling back to universities and colleges with real concerns over their lectures and accommodation.
As a Church we have to be concerned with the welfare of children. Children are a sign for us of the Kingdom and their wellbeing; emotionally, physically, educationally and spiritually, has to be a priority for us. The pandemic has not only stopped schools, it has stopped all face to face youth and children's organisations since March. This is not only affecting church groups, but also all the other activities which support and develop children.
The Government has appeared to be pitting children against teachers in a bid to get the schools open and there has been more than a hint from them that teachers are perhaps being tardy in getting back to school. This has been further exacerbated by the fact that parents are rightly concerned about their children's education. There is heightened anxiety for those with children facing academic selection tests to get into the grammar schools (a big preoccupation in Northern Ireland if less so in England) and those in examination years. Add into the mix the fact that for many parents, school means hours of unpaid childcare, and that the schools have been shut means that many have not been able to work normally. The pressures for those parents whose children have special needs are even greater.
But what about the teachers? They, like everyone else, have fears about catching Covid-19, and they will be working with large groups of pupils who may be asymptotic carriers of the virus. They may have their own health issues and will be going home to their own families where there may be elderly parents or spouses or children with health issues. One teacher put it graphically when he said: 'how
would you feel about being with 30 children for five hours without a break and with no PPE?' Those in special schools have been the most concerned as these children may have no understanding of social distancing and need much physical help. Many other teachers have felt deep frustration at not being able to teach and support particularly those students who need a bit of extra assistance. They have been deeply hurt at the perceived anger of parents against them.
Vague statements have appeared from Government, but schools have been given little clear guidance as to how to implement them. At one point, schools were told to plan for 2m social distancing, then 1m social distancing and one school told me the biggest issue was how to arrange regular hand washing in the school toilets for over 400 pupils with social distancing. Now the plans have changed again, and social bubbles will be the model for many pupils.
We know that online learning is no substitute for the classroom experience. The ones that do well with it are those who have access to good internet and equipment, ideally one screen per child and were already doing well in school and have a supportive adult who can help and keep them on track. It takes ages to prepare online resources and Zoom teaching is very different from face to face. I speak with some feeling on this having been part of a holiday Bible club that was on Zoom for 11/2 hours a day for one week. It took so much preparation time, we had to deliver physical resources and we could only cope with a small number of youngsters online at a time.
Wouldn't it be great if as Christians we could all try to understand each other's issues and bear each other's burdens? Please pray for schools and their
staff, for parents trying to juggle it all and
most of all for the children and for our churches too that we will be able to provide good Christ centred provision for children soon.
Sr Sarah Groves
Editorial Team
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© Sr Sarah Groves