NSW bring on the School Holidays early, Extend Term 4 and Face to Face Learning

COVID 19 has disrupted the learning, education and social interactions of our children. Whilst they don’t understand the full impact of COVID 19, they are most certainly aware of the changes it means for them. With at least 7 weeks of home schooling and lock down over the school holidays. There has been limited teaching and learning opportunities, with the majority of schooling on revision of previous learned concepts, alongside no significant interaction with their peers. This is having a huge impact on our kids emotional and social well-being as well as their academic performance in the long term.

Parents and carers are doing an amazing job at home schooling, juggling work and home duties as well as being a ‘teacher’ to their kids. But nothing replaces their teachers and friends from school. Our teachers are doing an amazing job preparing materials that can be worked through from home, but nothing replaces face to face education and interaction with their peers. Most of the work that is being done at home is revision. There is limited opportunity to learn new concepts and academic skills. This is simply because our teachers are trained professionals to deliver the curriculum in a way that parents simply cannot.

This petition calls upon the NSW government to consider bringing forward the school holidays by one or two weeks and extend term 4.

-       This takes the pressure off parents and carers to juggle home schooling and working from home.

-       It takes the pressure off teachers, who are also parenting and home schooling their own children.

-       Provides our kids with one to two extra weeks of face to face learning and social interaction.

Our children are the future generation and we must not only protect them from illnesses like COVID 19, but also from mental health which has a significant impact on the health and well-being not only in the short term but also long term. We thank the government and the NSW people for protecting our children. As parents we have supported the stay at home orders, including limiting the attendance at school.

BRING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS FORWARD, EXTEND TERM 4 WHEN WE ARE COVID SAFE TO ALLOW OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE MORE FACE TO FACE LEARNING.

Support this petition and put the education and mental well-being of our kids first.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash