Dear Sir/Madam,

As per the school notifications issued, this year also school is going to be online. But this time, it’s almost half a day, 8.30 am to 1.00 pm for all primary classes.

So, as parents of two kids, who fall into this category, we have to invest in two laptops/smartphones, two tables, chairs, arrange two rooms, and other required things to run the ‘school’ from home. But unfortunately, two mothers can’t be arranged to sit/monitor these two kids! I have already quit my job to take care of this ‘school’ that is running from home for the past year and now I can’t ask my husband, who is the sole breadwinner of our family now, to quit his job to sit/monitor the kids! Hope you understand that I am talking about the time we need to invest, along with arranging the above-said things.

Why do we need to invest our time,  when kids can operate laptops themselves, and the teacher records and sends all the subject’s videos, notes and clarifies all the doubts during online classes?

Is it as easy as it looks?

Kids can sit in an online class, but I am not sure whether they are listening to their teachers or exploring laptops, or dreaming (yeah! it’s common in small kids). So I have to keep an eye to monitor them or sit with them during these classes, parallelly keeping an eye on the cooker whistle too! (food must be ready to serve when they finish the classes as ours is a nuclear family in a metro city.)

I have to make sure that they watch all the subject videos sent to them so that they can clarify their doubts in the next class. But sometimes, young kids don’t even know what is ‘doubt’, so I have to watch the video and ask doubts in the next online class. I have to make sure all the subject notes are copied properly. (This was usually taken care of by teachers when regular classes happened in school and I was able to cook food and work for home/office peacefully!!)

 

 

 

 

Along with all this ‘teacher’ work, I have to sit with them and finish our responsibility as a ‘parent’ with respect to studies i.e., make sure they complete all their homework, prepare them for tests/exams/dictations/elocution, etc.

Consider two working parents. Or even if one parent has their quit career and is working for “home”, they are completely busy with household work/cooking, etc as most of us have stopped calling maids/helpers because of the pandemic.

Most of the families are affected in some way or the other. While some families are still in a recovery phase, some have lost their loved ones and a few who are not infected now are not sure about remaining “negative” in the future! There’s a constant fear.

Every family is suffering – whether health or finance. There is so much uncertainty everywhere! These are tough times for everyone. So, in this situation, is it really possible to concentrate and put so much effort into kids’ studies, playing the teacher’s role too?? Is it really possible to run the exact ‘school’ version from home? Is it really required for such small kids?

 

What if the mother is not educated enough to teach them? What if the family is not able to invest in laptops/phones/network to run this ‘school’ from home?! (That can be published as a separate blog!)

 

For kids, the teacher and parents are two different persons. Kids will obey their teachers and learn to follow them. They will also be polite to them. But it’s not the same with parents when it comes to studies! Also, now staying inside the home for many days, has taken a toll on their mental well-being. Their childhood is not “normal” now! No school, no friends, no bus mates, no talking to/meeting anybody! They are also undergoing many things, like us. But maybe they are not able to express themselves. In this situation it’s not good to force them, pressurize them, while trying to meet the expectations set, by all of us. Tension builds up for both parents and kids when schools stick to following a  regular school “version” in an online mode, or when schools force us to run regular ‘school’ from home, even for small kids.

So schools should make some changes, liberalize or try all possibilities to lessen this burden on parents, especially for young kids. When the government is canceling the public exams for higher grades, why not lessen the burden for these small kids too?

Considering all this, pleaseeeee make the required changes, especially for small kids who fall into the primary school category.

For example:

1. Reducing the syllabus, portion, tests, exams..dictations, etc.

2. Don’t be rude when login is delayed for a few minutes/video/audio is not available. The network is not under our control.
3. Pls don’t ask parents to arrange for any books/stationary/arts&crafts materials etc at last moment!

4. Don’t be too strict in class looking for perfection with respect to homework/notes copied/answers to the questions asked.

Because, you don’t know what their mother/family is undergoing, with what they were busy with, or what they are fighting against.

We are already loaded, playing many roles (Mother, Maid, Cook, Teacher, Kid’splaymates) at home. We have other issues as well to look into!

 

It’s difficult to run “school” at home along with household work, office work, without a maid/helper. We are paying full fees, even though we have financial problems, which is another ‘side effect’ of the corona.

 

 

I am not asking for any concession on fees, but to reduce the burden on parents who are literally running “school” at home. If we join our hands in this difficult situation, I am sure, we both can provide a better future for the future generation.

Prayer for this world to heal and back to normal❤️

 

Thank you,

A stressed parent!