headteacher-secondary

O P I N I O N 50 “We can find positives in the pandemic” CLASSROOM VOICES COVID-19 has saddled the international teaching communitywith considerable disruption and uncertainty, but also an opening to improve things for the better, says JuliaKnight I don’t think anyone has been immune to the impact of coronavirus. It’s placed enormous pressures on every sector, as governments and authorities react to the social and economic impact of lockdown on countries around the world. And yet, I also wonder if there might actually be some benefits in the way coronavirus has reshaped and reframed global education. Here in Bahrain, we went into lockdown early. The government has been highly praised for its handling of the pandemic, but there’s always the risk that one or more of the plates they’re spinning will drop. Those of us based at international schools remain nervous of news regarding mandated closures and overnight advice that has to be implemented with immediate effect. Senior management teams are locked in a continuous cycle of reviewing and reacting to guidance sent their way, leaving them with little time to assess the wider impact of coronavirus on learning in all its forms, be that blended, synchronous or asynchronous. Best laid plans School leaders here and elsewhere planned meticulously for the full reopening of their settings six months after they were closed, as best as they could. Given the transient nature of international school communities, they rely heavily on stability within sectors such as aviation and finance. We saw much of the expatriate workforce placed on unpaid leave or furloughed, and benefits such as school places removed from contracts. Many families felt the squeeze of redundancy and financial constraints and took the decision to relocate to homelands where healthcare and education services were freely provided. International schools therefore began to scramble for new students amid lowering rolls, wary of the rise in private school closures around the world. However, we’ve also fielded lots of interest from families seeking smaller forms of education provision that afford children time to learn through play, and to enjoy the outside as much as is possible in the closing days of the desert summer heat. Shifting priorities Many parents’ priorities have shifted from obsessing over academics to deep concerns regarding their children’s wellbeing, especially the friendships and social experiences that school enables. It’s my belief that we can find positives in the pandemic; that children globally will have learned new skills in lockdown. For instance, reception and Y1 teachers have reported an uptick in speech and socialising skills. A growing number of children are now learning how to bake, draw, paint and ride bicycles, among myriad other forms of development that aren’t tested, tracked or traced by traditional curricula and assessments. Never underestimate the power of a sibling argument for developing conflict management, self confidence and debating skills... There will, of course, be many children without access to the opportunities described above, which is why returning to school has been so vitally important for them. Managing expectations The cancellation of exams for older students and relaxing of formal assessments has afforded educators time to rethink the necessity of assessments that can take a toll on children’s wellbeing and constrict opportunities for learning. It could be that the pandemic presages the type of curriculum and skills we’ll need for a future in which resilience, critical thinking, leadership, courage and bold decision-making will be needed more than ever. Over the past 18 months we’ve observed a positive merging of the academic and pastoral aspects of school life, as parents have come to recognise both as being equally important. Looking ahead from here, we may well see a much richer educational experience start to take shape for future generations. And if some of those plates get dropped in the process, chances are they’re the ones we never really needed anyway… ABOUT THE AUTHOR Julia Knight has been an international teacher since 2012, and is currently principal at EtonHouse International School Bahrain; follow her at @KnightWilliams