Schools post Covid

TEACHERS, students, parents and families all felt the effects of the global pandemic. But In 2023, we have finally left Covid in the past and things are back to normal in classrooms. In September 2022, Spain dropped all restrictions relating to Covid including social distancing, intensified cleaning and disinfecting, and the obligation to wear a mask.

There is an issue of ‘lost learning’ created by the pandemic and the disruption it caused in schools. Some leaders estimate that it will take students at least three years to recover from the effects of the pandemic, with others predicting that the impacts would follow children throughout their school lives. This is particularly true of younger learners, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) saying: “Schools were forced to replace this time in class with online learning and home schooling, in most cases facilitated by teachers and parents.”

The mental health and well- being of children also suffered during the pandemic, with school being a main source of interaction and socialisation. Mental well-being was also the main aspect that was focused on when reintroducing children back into schools, so as not to overwhelm them.

The school closures during Covid cost children one third of a year’s learning and there is now a sustained effort to help students recover lost knowledge and skills. According to research, mathematics skills were more affected than their reading abilities. The study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, shows that efforts to

The benefits of inclusive learning

Laura Kemp correct rate. prevent further learning losses after the pandemic have been successful. However, lower income families were hit harder during the pandemic, due to a lack of access to digital learning.

Amanda Neitzel, a researcher at the John Hopkins School of Education in Baltimore, said: “This isn’t going to be something that we catch up in a year or two, when everything is back to normal . I think this is going to be a decade long.

“We need to rethink schooling and make substantial changes to the structure and way that we do education to make this up.”

A HAPPY and healthy classroom is one that is fair and inclusive. Teachers strive to maintain optimal classroom environments, and one of the most effective methods to do so is to use inclusive education. An inclusive educational environment seeks to guarantee that all students are treated equally and have equal access to opportunities. Student diversity and originality should be promoted without discrimination in an inclusive educational environment, which will set young people up for adult and working life.

All students are different and therefore have different individual needs. It’s important to choose the right type of inclusive education for your students based on their individual requirements.

• Full inclusion

The full inclusion model is centred around the idea that all students should be in the main classroom. This means that students with visible or hidden disabilities will always learn alongside their peers. Using this model, student progression needs to be monitored closely to ensure all students are learning at the

• Partial inclusion

This model is also built around all students learning and interacting in the same classroom. However, students that need help will have support tutors with them and will also spend time away from the main class to receive additional support from special education teachers.

• Mainstreaming

Disabled children will begin their education journey in a self-contained classroom apart from the general classroom using the mainstreaming method.

If pupils perform well in their selfcontained classroom, they can be integrated into the general classroom when they are ready. This strategy is less intimidating for certain children and allows them to gradually integrate into a fully inclusive classroom.

Inclusive learning is essential for everyone, it teaches inclusion, acceptance of those who are different to us, patience and helps to fight discrimination. All learners should have access to the same levels of education and the same opportunities should they so wish.