After the holidays.

The holidays have begun for Czech children. So, in truth, they have resumed the almost year-long ones. It was only from April this year that relaxation measures were gradually introduced, allowing schools at all levels to resume teaching. Until then, in the past school year, classrooms and classrooms had been empty for many months. All primary schools only returned to non-rotating full-time teaching in the last week of May, in time for the upcoming matriculation and entrance exam dates. This timing was organisationally difficult for some schools. As always, rumours, misinformation and scaremongering were commonplace. There was even concern on social media that a crime was being committed by attending the school. This myth was denied by the Ministry of Education and Sports with a message on its website. Subsequently, however, on 2 June, the Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the significant restriction of primary school operations in April this year was illegal. So, paradoxically, a kind of crime and illegality did take place. But paraphrases do not provide children with a level of education. So do we know what is happening to our young people? Serious conclusions are offered by the results of surveys carried out not in our country but in other countries (Norway, Germany, etc.). And the surveys carried out say that it only takes three months of absence from school to irretrievably lose a whole year. Distance learning simply has not replaced regular school. But there are options. Over the summer months, parents will be able to take advantage of hundreds of different camps and retreats for their children, which often involve trying to fill in the gaps in their education. While there is interest in these "tutoring camps," it is not as great as would be consistent with trying to catch up. For the sake of their future, children need to trust that the summer holidays will not be followed by some entirely new form of time off, albeit lawful.

 

 

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