Learning at home happens all the time for everyone!
We planned the EENET / NAD home-learning resources in response to schools closing during the Covid-19 pandemic. We soon saw parents and caregivers feeling overwhelmed by the perceived pressure to replicate academic learning at home, and there were negative impacts on family mental wellbeing.
While schools start to re-open in some places, learners may not all return to school at the same time. Some learners, particularly those with disabilities, chronic health conditions and/or other specific learning and support needs may face additional challenges returning to school. A large number of learners may be out of school for some time to come, and of course millions of learners worldwide were out of school even before the Covid-19 pandemic.
We have therefore designed the home-learning resources to be useful long term, not just as an immediate response to the Covid-19 education crisis.
Stimulating bigger changes
During the crisis, the topic of learning at home has gained attention like never before – from governments, decision-makers, teachers, funders, communities, families, and learners. Learning in the home has always been – or at least should have been – a vital component of making education inclusive, supportive, and relevant for all learners.
As schools re-open, we believe it is essential that the topic of learning in the home remains high on the inclusive education agenda. We encourage our readers to think about:
- How can we continue to learn from and build on the learning innovations, achievements and challenges experienced in 2020 by millions of families worldwide?
- What can we take away from this unique situation to inspire improved teaching and learning practices in the formal school system?
- How can we ensure that appropriate learning at home is an integral part of the journey towards developing inclusive education systems?
We invite you to use our home learning resources, and we would also love to hear your thoughts on these questions.