Despite the shutdown of schools all over Nigeria as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, some schools have resumed for the third term via online platforms. This means parents have to homeschool their children. How easy is this really? Are parents really coping? Seeing that most parents are not educators and as such may not be able to provide a well-organised home study for their children and children being too familiar with their parents may not totally comply, UGOCHI MBA spoke with some mothers to find out how they are faring with the compulsory homeschooling.
SALAKO SUSAN
My kids are in grades 5, 3, and Kg 2. My children have started their third term work and their learning takes place online through Easyclass.com and whiteboard.fi Write-ups, videos and worksheets are uploaded on the sites by the school. Their learning time is usually for 1 hour with two classes per day and three days per week. I have to be with the children throughout the classes. I get to sit with them and explain whatever needs to be explained. I also supervise them while they work on worksheets. I take the kids one after another. This affects my home chores and personal work to a large extent. I am usually still busy with them up to one hour after their classes are over. My older kids are complying while my three years old still thinks it is all play. So far, my internet has been stable and power supply is not a hindrance. I enjoy homeschooling because I am a teacher and I have students I teach so it’s not a new thing, though it’s time-consuming. I get to attend to each child based on their personal needs and I see results. I hope parents now appreciate the work we do as teachers.
CHIOMA OMATTAH
My children are in Grade 1 and Nursery 1. They have their classes via WhatsApp and it takes place on my phone. They usually don’t have a time duration because the materials to work with are sent to the WhatsApp group. So, their classes can last from 30 minutes to one hour depending on them. Depending on the work given, I don’t have to necessarily be with them throughout the classes so it does not really affect my personal work or home chores. My children mostly comply with the instructions I give them while learning but then it is mummy so sometimes, they don’t. My internet is 80% reliable and power supply is not a hindrance. About enjoying this homeschooling process, all I can say is that teachers are really trying. They are doing a great job, especially the dedicated ones. I have always appreciated their efforts, more so now.
OLADUNNI BABATUNDE
My children are in Nursery One and Grade Two. Learning takes place online via Zoom for live sessions, WhatsApp for recorded sessions/communication, and home2class platform is used to access materials and assignments. For the Nursery one, the timing is 9 am to 12noon and for Grade Two, 12 noon to 3:30 pm. I don’t have to be with them throughout the classes. They only call me when they have issues with the audio or visual. The time belts for each child is different, so it’s easy for me a little bit. However, it does affect my personal work and home chores. I have to teach them again to make sure they understand what they were taught and also get their assignment via the platform for them to work on. They always comply when I am guiding them. I usually ask for the recorded session for the sessions we miss because of an unstable network. The power supply is often a hindrance though the laptop lasts long as long as it’s properly charged or we use the generator set. Though homeschooling is hectic, I am enjoying it at the moment. I appreciate all teachers better now for imparting knowledge to the children who have different temperaments and learning patterns. God bless them all.
BLESSING EZEGOLO
My third child is in Grade 6 while the other two are in JSS 3 and SS 2. They learn online via google class. Once it’s 9 am, students begin to sign in. There’s already a timetable on each class site so the students know what to expect each day. The classes last for 1 hour and there’s also time for recess in between classes. For my older children, my husband does not have to be with them throughout their classes but for my youngest, he has to be there just to ensure he’s not goofing off on life hacks. Everything has been sorted by the teachers so, only a little or no supervision is required. The timing is not an issue, there’s a lot of quiet when they are in class. I love it that my husband does the work, he keeps them on their toes. Homeschooling is not really new because we have always been involved with their school work.
LILIAN
My kids are in Year 3 and Preparatory class. They learn over the internet via Zoom, Edmodo, Nearpod, Kahoot, Class dojo, Flip grid. They learn 2-3 subjects for 2-3 hours daily. I have to be with them throughout the classes and I use a schedule to do that. This somehow affects my personal work and home chores but I manage. My children do not always comply with my instructions while guiding them. They do sometimes and other times they don’t. To a large extent, the internet is always stable and power supply is not really a hindrance. I am enjoying the homeschooling process and it has taught me that teachers deserve more than they are given credit for.
COMFORT FOYIBO
My son is in Nursery 1. He has his classes on WhatsApp via videos and voice notes. The class runs for one hour with a break after 30 minutes. I have to be with him almost the entire time and it affects my chores a little bit. My son complies with my instructions and the Internet is stable. The power supply is not a hindrance. I enjoy the homeschooling process as it creates bonding time with my child and I get to know how well he’s faring with his studies. I respect teachers more now. Their level of patience is to be commended and to think they have multiple kids they handle at the same time. God bless them immensely.
