Digital technology has made many things possible in these months of coronavirus lockdown. But there are still limits: meetings via Zoom or Skype just aren’t as effective as getting together in person; homeschooling, even in the internet age, is no match for children being taught by real teachers in real classrooms.
This week I saw a former colleague describing on social media how her child’s headteacher had announced plans for a virtual school trip. For everyone who feels upset at their children’s continued absence from formal education, the idea that a jolly day out to some natural wonder or historical site can be suitably replaced with a video and a bit of online chit-chat is particularly heartbreaking.
But then I thought back to my own experience of school trips – admittedly quite a long time ago – and I began to wonder if in some circumstances a virtual visit might not actually be preferable.
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