Why This Parent Stopped Online Classes For Her Child?

Dear School,

My child is in IV grade in your school. She has been in your school right from the beginning. During lockdown, we continued her education through online mode of learning last year. However this year it is posing a challenge with us.

Leaving a young child with an internet connected device allows the child to access the school’s website but it also opens up the whole Google search for various appropriate and not so appropriate websites. Further, the YouTube links given during classes as well as given for additional learning in assignments opens up unsolicited advertisements and recommendations for child. The quiz links take the child out of the school’s website and again opens up a room to access more websites that go beyond curriculum. It is like having an open access to a movie hall, discotheque or circus right outside the classroom window and expecting the child to exhibit enough self regulation at this age to not look at it.

While the child is in online classes, it is necessitating an educated adult to be seated with the child to ensure that the child is safely learning on the internet. This is not possible for both mother and father in our case as we are professionals.

Keeping this in mind we have put most of the online classes of our child on hold and are keeping the exam time participation alone for our ward.
Now that we are in the second year of lock down, it is our earnest request for the school to work closely with the IT team to offer solutions that enable the child to attend the online school in a safe mode. Ideas like locking a machine when a particular learning app is started wherein the child gets everything within that app itself and when the child switches over to something else the app closes can be helpful. Some of these ideas are being used in colleges during online exam time. Or else giving some kindle like tablet that is locked to access only school related topics.

We keenly look forward to seeking your help here. Until then, our child will sporadically attend the online classes or do self study while attending the exams alone.

Thanks.

A parent concerned for the safety of her child.

Image courtesy: School photo created by jcomp — www.freepik.com