Lockdown's impact on children's education in Jersey revealed

Children in Jersey with English as a second language were particularly adversely affected by learning from home, a report has found.

The report, which has been produced by the Children, Young People, Education and Skills department, was based on a survey of almost 2,000 parents, pupils, headteachers and teachers.

It found that lessons away from the classroom 'significantly impacted' pupils from low income families, as well as those with special educational needs or a disability.

The department discovered that the vast majority of pupils found the long period of working from home 'extremely challenging', with parents and carers finding it difficult to balance work commitments and support their child's learning.

It is now recommending that, in the event of a future lockdown, 'sufficient resources' are needed for pupils to access school activities online. It also says there needs to be more training for teachers to know how to teach from home, with it suggesting the autumn term as the time to do this.

For students moving into the 2020/2021 academic year, the report says there needs to be an agreed timeline for examinations and assessments that can take into account pupil attainment alongside their expected progress. It says there should also be adjustments to the curriculum to reflect the needs of pupils.

The Government of Jersey say they want to set aside £1.3 million in the 2021 Government Plan to provide tutoring sessions for students to catchup on lost learning as well as providing the additional training for teachers.