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EDUCAT ION IN CAMBR I DGE
However exceptional a lesson or tutorial is, though, its impact is inevitably diluted if there are barriers to learning, and pupils of any age are suffering the fallout from previously disrupted education in lockdown. Students may be anxious or grieving if, like so many, they’ve lost loved ones to Covid-19. Someone who’s sad, worried or lacking in confidence finds it far harder to learn effectively, so once they’re back in the classroom or lecture hall, students are going to need plenty of support and understanding. While investment in education is a hugely important topic, the issue for the future is deciding what the exact role of educators needs to be. Because of the emotional impact of the past 15 months, they may need to be counsellors and motivators, in addition to subject specialists. Their remit will be to help pupils emotionally, as well as intellectually, so learners of all ages can enter the right frame of mind to engage (and, in some cases, re-engage) with learning and education. The desire is certainly there. According to The Literacy Trust, children’s love of books and reading, which had reached a 15-year low, has increased during the periods of lockdown. Fortunately, planning for an uncertain future is something our area is notably good at doing. Schools, colleges and employers were thinking years into the future even before the pandemic struck. One local scheme, Cambridge LaunchPad, had been bringing pupils – aged eight to 18 – from local schools together with local firms that have harnessed science, technology, engineering and maths to become leaders in their areas. Children were given the chance to explore all these areas out of the classroom with hands-on activities, showing them how school studies have the potential to lead them into exciting and innovative careers. Specifically,
SPRING/SUMMER 2021
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