Reader Talkback Results: Attention Chonburi Parents/Teachers-Has YOUR school returned to in-person learning? What are the rules? Are you happy with them?

Monday, 15 November 2021, 14:12

The following is our exclusive weekly feature in which we ask our readers a news topical question and then give you a week to answer it on our various channels, compiling a diverse range of answers and opinions to present to you, our valued readers. Here are the results from our last question…

Last week, we asked you the following:

Attention Chonburi Parents/Teachers-Has YOUR school returned to in-person learning? What are the rules? Are you happy with them?

The context around the question was the following:

Are the rules ok with you? Are they too much? Are they too little? Is your school back to session or not? Did you think online learning was worthwhile or not? We want to hear from you, as our editorial staff strongly believes that getting children back in school is important, especially after seven months of closures in the Pattaya area alone. (At least for in-person learning)

Here is what you, our readers, had to say as our editors selected some of the most diverse responses to highlight different points of view. Obviously, we can’t post everyone’s opinion here so selected a variety of the most diverse opinions. As always, the opinions and statements below are the reader’s own and may not reflect those of TPN media. P.S. Since we asked this question, most schools have started (slowly) returning to school this week. There have been minor edits for spelling and grammar only:

HH-Our 7-year-old hasn’t (as you have stated) been to school since late March 2021. A very good private school in Naklua with excellent teachers, however, I am disappointed with the online teaching. He only has 2 1/2 hours of teaching in the morning & 1 hour in the afternoon. My wife (Thai) & I sit with him through most of this to help where we can & to try to keep his attention focused on his lessons. He is a very bright boy & finds most of the lessons very basic & boring. Also, we have a 9-month-old which adds to the distraction of trying to learn at home.
3 1/2 hours online as compared to over 7 hours in-class learning is not sufficient.
The School apparently opened for in-class lessons last week but I am told only 5 out of over 200 students in my son’s year are attending classes, the school is continuing online lessons as well. My wife is concerned with our son having to undergo the PCR tests which is a requirement if attending the school because of the pain she had with the 2 she had to have during her recent pregnancy as well as his possible exposure to the Coronavirus.
I am hoping that we can overcome these problems & get him back into School SOON.
HH

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Jose-

Most schools in the province are still closed with online classes, even private schools really. As a teacher, online learning isn’t great, but it is the only solution for times like these. The main problem with online learning is how laid back schools are, with very limited classes, small on-demand video classes, and so on. I don’t see why should their schedule change just because it’s online. Some schools only tried to increase the study time because of pressure from paying parents, nothing else.

Regarding covid, I’m not sure what the best solution is, to be honest. Fully opening schools can catalyze transmissions, and I’m not talking about the young kids, they will mostly be alright, but their immediate family at home might be at risk. Keeping them fully closed for another semester, without a shadow of a doubt will be detrimental on the academic side of it, but that never really mattered in Thailand, to begin with. Whatever the decision is, my suggestion is to stick with it. Don’t be opening schools just to close them a few days after because there has been an infection (It happened in plenty of places in the last couple of weeks.) If this is the MO, then might as well make a good plan for online teaching and stick with it for the rest of the semester, but not like it is now.

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Toni L-Sit in schools with proper distance. After jumping to a school bus 20ppl in a small car

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C.R-Our school has more rules than I had when I was in the military. In fact, there are so many policies and rules that it is impossible to follow them all. The moment school ends, the kids go and hang out in groups anyways making all of them useless.

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Peter I-My school is requiring parents to take antigen tests regularly. I have refused as I don’t want to end up in mandatory quarantine even if asymptomatic and fully vaccinated and so far they have just said “oh, ok.” So the rules don’t seem hard.

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Natasha-20 months in and out of school mostly. Supposed to go back later this November. Let’s see what happens.

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Mike I-Who cares about schools, open the damn bars!

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Bryce-I’m pleased with the rules. It could have been a lot worse but is less testing than I expected and my kids are so pleased to go back and see friends and teachers, even if socially distanced.

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Tim-What we can’t get an answer on is what happens if even one kid tests positive asymptomatic and vaccinated. It seems they would shut the whole school down basically again. This is ridiculous and is not “living” with Covid-19.

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D-I’m going to get some crap for this comment, but I’m just happy to get the kids out of the damn house most days and will accept any rules to do so. I work from home and it’s been a nightmare this past year to stay focused and help the kids with schoolwork, etc while dealing with their boredom during lockdowns.

The following is our exclusive weekly feature in which we ask our readers a news topical question and then give you a week to answer it on our various channels, compiling a diverse range of answers and opinions to present to you, our valued readers. Here are the results from our last question…

Attention Chonburi Parents/Teachers-Has YOUR school returned to in-person learning? What are the rules? Are you happy with them?

That is it for this week! Stay tuned for another reader Talk back VERY soon! We appreciate EVERYONE’s feedback and thoughts!