A third of Edinburgh pupils having to share vital home schooling tech with siblings

As Scottish families adjust to a third national lockdown and the challenges of homeschooling again, Uswitch surveyed parents to find out how the nation’s homeschooling parents and children are coping this time around. 

Lack of homeschooling resources for Edinburgh kids

• More than half of Scottish children don’t have full-time access to a laptop for school work.
• A third of Edinburgh pupils are having to share a laptop with siblings. 
• A third of Edinburgh parents have had to supply homeschool tech for their kids.
• 1 in 10 Scottish families have sought out tutor support to fill knowledge gaps, while a quarter of parents have had to spend on a homeschool set up.
• On average Scottish parents have paid £158 on homeschooling costs, £61 less than the UK average.
• In total, the UK’s struggling parents have been left with a £3.7 billion bill due to homeschooling costs.

Scottish homeschooling families failing to connect online

• A quarter of Scottish parents are struggling to homeschool due to broadband problems.
• The biggest broadband concern is slow speeds disrupting the school day. 
• Despite this, only 10% of Scottish families have switched or upgraded their broadband provider. 

Scottish kids falling behind due to homeschooling

• A quarter of Scottish kids don’t get all their school work finished during the school day.
• 1 in 10 Edinburgh children are having to work longer hours to keep up with their workload, while another 1 in 10 pupils’ work goes regularly unfinished.
• 68% of Scottish kids are supported by school for less than half a day leaving parents to fill in the gaps despite working.
• More than a third of Scottish children don’t have any live video call lessons, with just 1% of children receiving a full school day of live video teacher support.  

Mental health concerns for Scottish children

• 1 in 3 Scottish parents surveyed stated homeschooling has had a negative impact on their child.
• Of these parents, 53% said their child is more isolated and detached socially
• More than half think their child’s motivation to learn and concentrate has worsened.
• A third said homeschooling has negatively impacted their child’s mental health, stress and learning.
• More than 1 in 4 parents expressed concern about their child’s fitness and while a third are stressed their child’s anxiety has suffered at home.
• While 22% of parents said poor sleep such as bad dreams and sleeping later are an issue for their child because of remote learning.
• A fifth of Scottish parents are concerned about their child’s happiness overall.

Meanwhile Scottish parents are experiencing increased guilt, with over a quarter of Edinburgh parents identifying feelings of guilt due to the challenges of remote learning.

Find the full piece here: 

https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/homeschooling-wifi-issues/

Nick Baker, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “As UK families adjust to a third national lockdown, many parents are feeling increased pressure to successfully navigate homeschooling while working remotely. 

“To take off some of the pressure, take advantage of helpful learning tools available online, such as the BBC education programming available daily. Additionally, if you’re concerned your child is falling behind due to a lack of resources, speak with their school to find out if you qualify for extra help and the Government Get Help With Technology Scheme. 

“With children logging on to learn online, you’ll likely have more devices than usual connected to your broadband during the day. Ensuring your internet is up to speed will help elevate connection stress and keep the school day running smoothly. 

“If you are having trouble with your broadband, try these top tips and check out our homeschooling Wi-Fi issues guide to solve your most common home Wi-Fi problems:

1. Reboot your router – the classic ‘unplug it, leave it 30 seconds and plug it back in’.
2. Location, location, location – if your router is located further away than it needs to be, try moving it to the room you’re most active in or the center of your home.
3. Disconnect unnecessary devices – turn the Wi-Fi off on gadgets you’re not using, even if they’re in a drawer. They may be using bandwidth in the background.
4. Run a speed test – this will determine whether your router is running at the speeds you signed up for.
5. Purchase a Wi-Fi extender or ‘booster’ – this will optimise your broadband for faster and stronger connections.

Find the full study here.