A lack of digital platforms, students without access to computers, ambiguities about the A-level exams: the corona pandemic poses massive challenges for high schools. At the same time, experts urge to maintain social distancing.
E-learning should become a learning system in high-schools during pandemic crisis – digital distance learning. But, it doesn’t work everywhere and, above all, it doesn’t work equally well everywhere. It is less about digital equipment in schools than about the infrastructure and content. The schools that have thought ahead now have better options. All other remaining are dependent on the commitment of individuals, teachers and parents.
Teachers at digital borders
Even this commitment of teaching in a conventional way often reaches its technical limits. A teacher at a high school in Florida reports that the server, from which teachers send e-mails with assignments, collapsed during a pandemic due to high traffic. Actually, teachers are not allowed to use private e-mail addresses for data protection reasons to communicate with the students. It becomes hard in such situations to cope with the lectures timely. But, there is no other option as far as rules are concerned. Teachers sometimes send assignments from private e-mail address and receive the solutions by photo on WhatsApp.
In the meantime, the “StudyMind” platform is in use for online tuitions from excellent professors for more detail at . Online studies offer a platform for teachers and students; it helps exchange assignments, soft copies and important stuff between teachers and students.
In many cases, the students have no technical means at home to access the materials online. A complete computer system lacks in the household; most of the time, if the computer is there for a student, there might be no printer available. On the other hand, learning packages on paper worked well. Teachers send to students by post or some classmates throw them personally into the mailboxes. However, it is more challenging to check learning progress.
The decrease in social interaction
With a view of the pupils’ different requirements, the State Association for Education warns: there will be massive social distancing. Or rather, the disadvantages of social distancing always will increase. The living conditions, the digital possibilities and the families’ temporal and personal resources are very different. After the Corona is lifted, we must advise on measures to catch the affected children and adolescents again and offer them additional support.
The Ministry of Education also clarifies that the study materials and tasks will be made available online for A-level students. At the same time, students should work on the assigned tasks and their own subject of interest.
Students and management during Pandemic
During the pandemic, several classes have been back at their school desks. In some states, students have already passed their A-level exams; in others, these are still pending. According to the latest state resolution, “every student should be able to attend school once” until the summer holidays. The safety precautions are strict: a safety distance of at least 1.5 meters must be maintained at all times. Narrow aisles have become one-way streets and tables are pushed far apart. This has a significant impact on school operations. In order to comply with the measures, the school management had to limit the number of students in the school.
Promote to the next year
What does the massive loss of lessons mean for the current school year? In any case, not a repetition – the Conference of Ministers of Education had already made that clear, “the 2019/2020 school year will definitely be valued”.
The learning consists of acquiring skills and knowledge and keep them repeating without forgetting. In addition, most types of schools have a core curriculum, in which the skills to be acquired are described more as a set of knowledge. These modern curricula give schools more flexibility to move material into the next school year.
Disagreement at high school
It doesn’t look that flexible in the final year classes – because this is about the essential entry requirements for training and studies for the students. But, how do you write exams in times of pandemic? Federalism has traditionally stood in the way of uniform solutions. The question arises about A-level only to a limited extent due to the shortened final year and the already written exams. Against the background of the oral exam, high school graduates currently have to take the written exam despite the social distance and varied criticism.
The Ministry of Culture emphasizes that precautionary measures, such as a minimum distance, always to be followed. However, many high school graduates could infect each other if they continue their conventional way to study. The risk that students could later experience a lousy test result – they were isolated because of fear of infection.
A-level without exams
Other federal states are discussing postponing the exams or canceling them entirely. A group of students is running a campaign, “instead of the test, every student nationwide is to receive a so-called average high school diploma this year.
This variant is not inconceivable: two-thirds of the A-level students have already been achieved through the performance in the courses. The last third of the grade should reflect an examination situation. Teachers don’t necessarily need the A-level exams for this. They could also calculate grades from previous exams. However, the possibility of a postponement must be examined.
Countries coordinate
Many states have already taken this opportunity. The Ministry of Education and Culture refers to the alternative dates that have already been decided: exams at high schools and business schools will be postponed for 14 days, the A-level to the end of May. “If the new schedules cannot be implemented due to currently unforeseeable short-term developments, ministries are working with other federal states on alternative solutions.
From the Ministry of Education, it is said that they are prepared for different scenarios. But here, they rely on a joint approach and conduct close coordination with the international community.
Last words
In the meantime, the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs decided to allow the exams to occur. At this point, it is not necessary to cancel examinations, said the responsible ministers of the federal states.