#if we expand it to thinking generally about assessment--which is inevitable in any credit-giving class--I think it applies

[gaydryad]

accidentally getting a little too into my pedagogy class and starting to wonder if I should pivot and go into education (academic field)

[journalisticdreams]

A week in the life of the ‘new normal’ sixth form

In the past two weeks, high schools, sixth forms and colleges have opened their doors once again to welcome back the whole cohort after, what was practically, a sixth month long holiday. So, what’s changed and what’s stayed relatively the same? And what could recent changes in the UK mean for the future of this academic year?

 For all students in the UK, our last day of school came a few weeks into March, and those of us who didn’t return for those few days in the summer (for reasons such as living with vulnerable family members or anxiety over the coronavirus) this September will be our first time physically back in school. (I’ve made two previous blog posts about living as a student during lockdown and the catastrophe that was results day, so if you are interested in those I’ll leave them linked at the end of the post). As if the first day back from summer break didn’t hold enough anxiety for some of us, we have to return into what feels more like a hospital than a school – or so I thought…

New school rules

 Due to the current circumstances right now, schools have been told to put protective measures in place in a feeble attempt to follow government guidelines and limit the possibility of a COVID outbreak. I say feeble attempt, as my school at least, doesn’t seem to know exactly what to do at the moment – and the measures in place are not exactly effective or logical. Don’t get me wrong, everyone is just as clueless when it comes to knowing which restrictions are truly effective and which aren’t, so I give the teachers full credit for at least trying to be safe, yet what they are trying seems very contradicting. For starters, each year group is supposed to be one big ‘bubble’. When going outside for break, the younger years are herded into their own ‘factions’ on the school field, in order to stick within their year group bubble. Additionally, students are only ever going to have classes with people in their year group, so the only students they should mix with are others in their year. However, there are two glaring issues with this ‘solution’. Firstly, when students are travelling in the corridors between class, they’re mixing with practically every year group in those claustrophobic, traffic jam prone halls. The one-way system prevents students from facing each other I suppose, but I’ll expand on that later. The other issue with the year group ‘bubbles’ is the fact that if it happens to rain (which trust me is a common problem in Wales, the country in the UK which has the largest rainfall in mm out of the other countries) then the whole cohort will be shepherded in to one of the two dinner halls, where they’ll be forced crowd in one large group and mingle with other years – which obviously completely contradicts the bubble solution altogether.

Now, onto the one-way system as promised. Summed up simply, it really doesn’t make much sense. I understand that in going one way, students are not facing each other so germs are less likely to spread. However, the fact that no students are wearing masks defeats the purpose, as whichever way you’re walking you’re inevitably breathing the same air in close proximity. I doubt that making masks compulsory in the corridors will make much of a difference. Also, there is the fact that no one sticks to the one-way system when there are no chaperones to see you ‘rebel’.

The one thing that I feel like makes sense is wiping down surfaces, computers, chairs, and all communal equipment in general to ensure that everything is as sanitary as possible. Then again, I suppose, it doesn’t make much of a difference when every other rule isn’t being followed. We’re not exactly distancing when we’re sat shoulder to shoulder in lessons.

So, these days it’s hard to know what is within ‘guidelines’ and what isn’t – honestly, most people are just picking and choosing when to follow them. In a way, it’s hardly a ‘new normal’; it’s more like normal with a dash of hand sanitiser.

 What does the future of the academic year look like?

 Of course, as we’ve seen for six months now, no one is any good at predicting the course of this virus and what glorious surprises it has in store next. Every future plan is unstable at the moment, and that definitely does not exclude education. As numbers and the infection rate is starting to increase again in the UK (despite the deaths not significantly rising too) and we’re approaching a sort of ‘second wave’ of COVID, two week localised lockdowns are looming, and the possibility of exams taking place is on the ropes. Rumour has it is that exam boards are planning to push back exams next year, to allow students extra study time to make up for potentially missing even more of our education. Exam boards have already taken out small portions of exams to lower the content in the course slightly, which I think is definitely a step in the right direction so far. As for my sixth form, we’re being given mini assessments and mocks every few weeks, so in case of the event of cancelled exams again next year, teachers will be able to give the exam boards proof of what level we have been working at all year. Again, even if it will be a bit of a stress to keep up as high-level grades as possible on a weekly or monthly basis, it is also a good tactic for the possibility of predicted grades. So as the future of this academic year is still hazy, I’m trying to prepare for the worst just in case!

 My opinion

Thus in my opinion (not that anyone explicitly asked for it) although this year is going to be a bit rocky, I think that we need to just face it head on, and really appreciate the times that we are physically in school. It’s a bit bitter sweet for me really, as I’m in my final year now and, like many others, I feel as if I’m being robbed of all the fun and, as odd as it sounds, the ‘normal’ stress of year 13. In terms of following or not following guidelines, students are less likely to be majorly affected if catching the coronavirus, especially now that it is ‘less deadly’ than it was in the beginning. With that logic, I think that schools can afford to be a bit more lenient with following guidelines, and I think that education should be a priority when looking at what can still go ahead in lieu of the rising cases in the UK. That being said, we should all make sure to stay safe and make logical choices when considering our actions.

What do you think about the guidelines in place at your school or college? Do you agree with them, and are they even being followed? Start a discussion in the comments!

Coronavirus reflection - being a student in lockdown 

A level results day 2020... what went wrong?