With the new government announcements, many parents are worried: they cannot imagine for a second having to play the role of teacher again for their child. Even if the distance learning courses are provided, many parents will have to adapt their agenda.
Following these new restrictions, in the midst of a health crisis, feelings are mixed. Nurseries, schools, colleges and high schools will no longer welcome children, according to a staggered schedule of 3 to 5 weeks. Some parents do not believe for a second that they can organize themselves to teach their children. Others loved the confinement so much they hope so. Still others had found homeschooling a solution that suited them and had continued after the start of the school year. But many remain worried about the acquisition of new learning. Even if some parents were already used to it (indeed, if a case of Covid-19 is spotted in a school establishment, the government had imposed an immediate reaction to break the chain of contamination), these new announcements plague families.
Teacher, it’s a job … and not that of parents!
How to reconcile work and the management of children? “The class at home? That scares me, that’s for sure. Managing three levels of class while doing my job, is it really possible? No, and what’s more, I’m not a teacher. is a profession “, testifies Céline.
A feeling shared by Elisa: “Why am I afraid of the closure of schools? Because I am not an institute, that I do not have the capacity to do all the learning, including that of group life as can be learned life in class. Because my son is in kindergartenand I know that a lot of ground is laid there. Because I also have to work to earn my living and that in normal times, working and taking care of a child, it’s already almost a double day, if in addition I have to find the time (and the patience) to going to school is going to get complicated “.
The anxiety of having to manage work and school at home
For some, like Arnaud, it is quite simply impossible: “My sector is in a very complicated economic situation, like many of course, and I have a lot of work. We are on alternating call duty.with the mother of my son and my employer will not agree to give me days to do class “, he explains. Same story with Mélanie and her husband:” We both continued to work . The work is shared between face-to-face once a week and teleworking, of course, but being in a telephone meeting while doing homework is not manageable; we saw that during the first confinement. When you take care of your child, you cannot take care of your work at the same time. If faced with the exceptional situation of confinement, the employers were understanding, this time, I’m afraid that it will penalize the parents, “she admits with some anguish.
Parents worried about the acquisition of certain learning
“Not even in a dream!” Protests Aurélie for her part. Honestly, if that’s it, I’m resigning! I will really do the bare minimum, quite simply because I have 4 children from 4 different class levels, including two with big school difficulties. I am not armed to help them “, admits this mother. Among the concerns of parents, beyond the practical management of home schooling, we thus feel a great deal of concern about the school future of their children: “My daughter is entering Seconde class and my son is in end of year, children will fall too far behind in learning. “Celine confirms, she also fears that her children are falling behind in school:” I am afraid that the children accumulate an irrecoverable and unmanageable delay in the long term. The general economic climate is already gloomy enough, if they arrive on a labor market with reduced skills, it is badly blocked “, she is alarmed.
Fear of the virus
For some parents, the fear does not come from returning home, but from the illness itself. “Crowding in classrooms, with poorly put on masks, I’m afraid that my child will be contaminated and that he will infect us in turn. We have no recourse to this disease. If we think that children are not at risk, what will happen to their physical development and the possible consequences in 10 or 15 years? “asks Nadège. “I am at risk and I am relieved, I must admit. I had to distance myself from my children who went to class without being able to respect the barrier gestures, let’s be honest, so there, I will be able to be less stressed “, admits Héloïse. In summary, if the children could be delighted by these” extended holidays “, although the lessons continue in distance, the parents, for their part, already stressed by the situation, seem even more worried about this school year.