Mumbai: Post lockdown, kids get upset even when pencil point breaks, finds survey

Online classes did emerge as a superhero during the lockdown but the transition back to traditional or offline schooling is proving to be a challenge for the teachers and educators Responses from 2 500 teachers from across the city in a survey conducted by the Early Childhood Association ECA and the Association for Primary Education and Research APER revealed behavioural and learning issueschanges in students in early and primary school while transitioning from online to offline classes postpandemicAccording to the survey 3137 of all teachers interviewed said their students are unable to participate in collaborative activities while 3637 said their students are upset and anxious about everyday learning activities Not only this but the teachers reported that the students were showing learning lagsTeachers also reported that some students want their mothers to be with them or want to talk to their parents during class because they got accustomed to being with them during online classes They were also raised with individual monitoring and they now require constant reminders to sit and finish their work According to the survey report they also appear to require constant motivation as parents were constantly prodding helping and praising them which is now shared with a classful of childrenSwati Popat VatsElaborating on the survey Swati Popat Vats President of ECAAPER a notfor Profit National Organisation said It was through this survey that we were able to understand that children are taking some time to adjust from online to offline classes The majority of teachers who participated in this survey reported that children while teachers adjusted brilliantly to the rules of Covid Appropriate Behaviour CAB but that parents needed constant reminders about CABMany children have got more accustomed to their home milieu and the freedom to do as they please and so they are finding it extremely difficult to adjust to rules and discipline Teachers who took part in the survey stated that sharing waiting for their turn and waiting until a story or worksheet was finished has become difficult for many children because they were used to doing whatever they wanted during online classes This means that impulse control and selfregulation skills are lacking which are cultivated in a set routine that has gone haywire at home due to a variety of factors added Vats who is also President of Podar Education NetworkMore from the surveyMany teachers reported that children got used to lsquoindividual monitoringrsquo by their parents and now need constant reminders to lsquosit and complete lsquotheir work Discipline the teachers say has become a challenge since the transition A total of 3137 of teachers reported that their students have difficulty sitting in one place and begin walking around the classroom as and when they pleaseAnxiety is another factor that teachers have noticed children get anxious when someone removes their mask get upset when their pencil point breaks or when they have to leave the class to go to the washroom or outdoor playObserving students behaviour in postpandemic offline class 42 37 of teachers experienced that students are taking a long time to settle in the class while 48 37 felt that the students were not willing to share their things and 41 37 said the kids are not willing to wait for their turnWe also asked teachers if they see more anxiety behavioural issues and learning issues in boys or girls and the answer was that there is no difference both exhibit these issues However the difference is noticeable in children who missed online classes these children take the longest to settle in school and catch up on learning Vats saidAs many as 3237 of teachers reported that nearly 3037 4037 of their students struggle with issues of focus and concentration in class while another 1837 said that over 50 37 of their students have exhibited a lack of focus and concentration in classA total of 2037 of the teachers interviewed reported that nearly 3037 4037 of their students are experiencing learning lags in reading and writing while 2237 reported that more than 5037 of their students are experiencing the problem Whereas 1837 of teachers reported that more than 5037 of their students are experiencing numeracy learning lagsTeachers also stated that they see some change in parent attitude and engagement too Many of them are relieved that offline has started and now refuse to participate in any school activities saying that lsquonow they are attending schoolrsquo Many also reported that some parents now want minute by minute accounts of what the child is doing and how the child is as they were used to knowing all this online Overall both parents and teachers reported that they are seeing children happier than online but learning and behaviour will take some more time to come back on track Over 6037 of teachers feel that students are happier engaging and learning better than they used to during online sessions while 21 37 of teachers felt otherwiseWhat schools are doingGitha Sridharan Center Head EuroKids Preschool Ghatkopar said ldquoThe twoyear quarantine has surely exacerbated the crisis of care and learning With our children we have seen various effects such as a longer settlement period separation anxiety isolation language barrier aggressive behaviour tantrums lack of potty training and even bullying Teachers and caregivers took time to reassure that children listen to the given instructions and ensured they felt safe During most of our settling period we engaged children in decorating classroom walls playing and talking making them comfortable in their own space being flexible with the use of our language developing routines and making them feel welcomerdquoSridharan added We have designed a special integrated program for our preschool children This program ensures children get enough time to settle in and hone the skills essential for their academic preparations The settling program highly focuses on socialemotional development connecting with peers and teachers and familiarizing themselves with the preschool surroundings We are offering enough activities to motivate them to come to preschool every dayWhile connecting the students to a plethora of learning avenues via the online mode it also made kids yearn for the actual physical environment in school ranging from simple things like meeting their friends in school filling pages with notes and doodles etc After the COVID norms eased and they were allowed entry into classrooms they could all come together and sit in the younger ones found it a little difficult as writing practise was replaced with click and type turning pages were replaced with scrolling and questions and answers were replaced with chats Basically we all have an additional set of skills we gained through this trying time said Shivani Singh Vice Principal Thakur Vidya Mandir High School and Junior College Kandivali EastAt Kangaroo Kids We are offering a hybrid model that is wellreceived by parents because it allows children to grow in with dual benefits The offline classes allow them to socialize with their peers and develop social and interpersonal skills Online classes on the other hand keep young children around their parents for strict supervision and ensure facilitating these sessions to their child said Dhara Gogri Center Head Kangaroo Kids WadalaRecommendations from the survey What schools must dogtgt Focus more on the child than the curriculum Emotional issues if not addressed or not addressed properly will impact learning and memorygtgt Take the parents into confidence and work together with them donrsquot point fingersgtgt Train teachers to observe children as per their age and stage of development remember there can be an almost 10month difference between two children in the same classgtgt Donrsquot make parents or children feel guilty if they have not attended online classesgtgt Refrain from labelling children who are showing lsquolearning lagsrsquoDuration of the survey February 2022 to March 2022No of the Teachers surveyed 2500No of preprimary teachers 1100No of primary teachers 1400