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INSCHOOL’s support to schools during the COVID-19 pandemic

It is widely recognised that the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures introduced in all Council of Europe and European Union Member States, posed a number of unprecedented challenges for schools and their communities; principals and school management had to find quick solutions to the instantaneous switch to online / distance learning, teachers had to learn how to use virtual tools, adapt the curriculum to new teaching ways, and take into account the wellbeing and capacity of pupils to follow lessons. The children, in the best of cases, were overwhelmed by the screen time and a new, less connected way of learning, and, in the worst of cases, not at all equipped to continue their schooling in the newly imposed manner (according to INSCHOOL reports, close to 30%). Moreover, students who were already at risk of dropout (children with special education needs, children from poor socio-economic background, minority chidren) were further pushed down in the educational gap with an increased risk that, by September 2020, they would drop out completely; parents were torn between their own professional duties at best, or the worry of survival during the lockdown, and the need for children to continue their schooling.

Aware of these challenges, the EU and CoE as partner institutions in the funding and implementing of the INSCHOOL Joint Project, decided to unlock part of the funds available for schools for emergency support consisting of:

  • Capacity building of school staff and teachers in using ICT and online platforms for more effective learning and pupils’ engagement;
  • Support and coaching of teachers and schools in improving their remote contact and communication with parents and children;
  • Emotional and psychological support for teachers, parents and students in overcoming the anxiety brought by the confinement and physical isolation;
  • Effective post-lockdown support for children and teachers in their transition back to schools and classrooms.

In Romania, 5 out of 7 schools took the opportunity to organise activities along the 4 main priorities with examples of activities such as: “Provision of support and coaching for teachers and schools in improving their remote contact and communication with parents and children”, “Providing counselling services for parents in overcoming the anxiety brought by the confinement and physical isolation and to motivate them to further support their children's learning activities”, “Providing counselling services for students in overcoming the anxiety brought by the confinement and physical isolation and about the benefits of online education”, “IT&C training for teachers targeting the use of interactive online platforms and virtual meetings”, to name just a few.

Teachers had positive feedback on the support provided, as some of the testimonies show: “All teachers have considered the course one of high quality and very useful – and they want a follow-up or a continuation of this type of course. They find it necessary for students, too, as content is related to Google Classroom. It is an urgent need for a specific content for grades I – IV, including pre-schoolers.”

Schools also reported that psycho-emotional support for children, particularly those preparing for national examinations, had a beneficial impact by “increasing confidence in the ability to adapt to online learning, increasing self-esteem, identifying and controlling emotions, different approach to stress and personal crisis.”

“During the psychology class I learned interesting things. I liked that I talked about this period when I learned from home. It helped me get used to the online school. For me, what happened is a very big change, because we, the students, could not meet each other but also we could not meet with the teachers. There were some very interesting discussions with the psychologist and if we return to online classes in autumn, I would like the psychologist to talk to us from time to time.” (Pupil, 8th grade)

 

“The hours spent in the psychological counselling courses organized within INSCHOOL project were beneficial because we learned new, interesting things that took us out of the state of spectators, going towards an active involvement. I learned how to encourage my child, support him and help him overcome difficult times.” (Parent)

 

“As a principal of the school, I can say that we went through a difficult period, but it proved to me that we, the teachers, can adapt to the needs of the school, no matter how strange and difficult they may be. I felt that we could be a bridge between the school, students and parents, but only in terms of the knowledge we transmit and therefore we needed the support of a specialist to reach the children's souls, as we are very much lacking direct interaction with them. The parents were also disoriented, and the teachers did not always know what answers to give. Here the project proposed by the INSCHOOL program intervened efficiently. Psychological counselling courses have helped the children and parents cope more easily with the stress of being at home and online classes, giving them the opportunity to express their concerns and receive support when asked for it.” (Principal)

 

Although the INSCHOOL financial support scheme did not provide the possibility for purchasing of devices (tablets or phones), schools sought different solutions in order to alleviate the issue whenever it was possible: they either used different available campaigns, benefitted from sponsoring from private companies, or introduced distance learning solutions in as much as possible. Support at educational system level should, however, be ensured for schools in order to ensure participation in regular schooling of children at increased risk of dropout due to COVID-19 consequences.

 

Strasbourg, France 17 September 2020
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