CHILDREN who have fallen behind after months of lockdown should be given holiday lessons or even repeat a year, say some parents.

Pupils are expected to begin returning to schools, colleges, and universities on March 8, nearly a year after the start of the first lockdown.

But there’s a debate around how the playing field can be levelled following mixed experiences with home schooling.

Belinda Neil has two children, one in year 10 and another in year eight, she said: “My secondary school-aged kids think they should be repeating the year.

“Suggesting they work through holidays is unfair on children and especially teachers. I’m sure it’d be easier to repeat a year than put students and teachers through more stress by taking their prescribed breaks away from them.”

Sheila Mitchell said: “They should get supply teachers who have been unable to work in the lockdowns to hold classes during the holidays for those who have fallen behind.”

Lucy Candy thought holiday lessons might help: “I think they could work through the Easter holidays as we can’t go away anywhere and they really need as much support as they can get.”

Jade Wicks believed that there was no reason for children to repeat a year or to work in the holidays. She said: “Everyone is in the same boat, much like in the last pandemic and epidemic and wars. Those children grew up to be very hard workers. I think teachers deserve their holidays as do the children. Many children have continued to learn during the lockdowns, most are still where they should be academically. If anything we need to celebrate how well our teachers and children have coped during these times.”

Other suggestions included weekly one-to-one sessions with students, an extension of terms, and there have been calls for more wellbeing support for staff and pupils.

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy head Anita Ellis said: “Virtual learning is not sufficient, it can’t replace a teacher being in front of a student.

“If lockdown has shown anything it’s highlighted that schools are much more than schools, the relationship between a pupil and teacher is much more than an instructive one.”

“The profession needs to be trusted to recognise where the gaps are and resolve that, and we need to avoid this catch-up mentality because all the students nationally have been in the same boat. Practical subjects, such as engineering, they are coming to the end of what they can teach online. They desperately need to teach practical skills in the workshops. That’s the type of thing that would be reinforced more when students return, but that itself puts a heavy burden on the timetable.

“Repeating a year is not feasible, I understand why people would think this would be a good idea, but they have missed out on face-to-face learning, not their education. Since March, every teacher has had their holidays taken away from them because of the pandemic, so extending the school year into the summer holiday wouldn’t be possible because teachers need their time off.”