Amid the lockdown imposed in France over the COVID-19 outbreak, teachers are encouraged to make use of social media platforms to relay lessons via virtual learning.
Lockdown in France
On its second week of lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak, France’s death toll has already reached 860, with almost 20,000 confirmed cases. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and the administrative court in France has suggested for an intensified lockdown in the country.
The government will start restricting citizens from exercising for more than a kilometer away from their homes with at most an hour allowable outdoor exposure. Open-air markets will also be shut down, as it invites crowds of people which promotes an easier transmission of the virus.
The Conseil d’Etat, France’s highest administrative court, calls upon the government to impose more strict restrictions on citizen travel and public movements during the lockdown. Constant travel from one place to another can either increase the risk of transmission or the spread of the virus if a person is already positive.
Social media platforms can help in virtual learning
In terms of education, schools in France are already closed, with physical classes being suspended for the time being. But, the International Bilingual School in France wants to continue school lessons via virtual learning, to give students the opportunity to keep up with school lessons as they stay at home during the lockdown.
Since the move was sudden and wasn’t prepared for, the school board urges their teachers to make use of social media platforms to communicate with their students as a form of virtual learning. For video chat conferences, the teachers can use the Zoom application to hold a video chat that can accommodate a whole class.
And as for assignments and homework, WhatsApp can be a private way to send outputs if students are not into sending emails. Though virtual learning seems to be the most convenient way to go on with school without handing out the risk of contamination with the virus, some parents find it a burden on their end.
Some parents complain that they are having problems with the internet connection they have at home, having less knowledge about social media platforms, a clogged up public portal, and difficulty in balancing work with guiding their children from home school.
Given the circumstances now in France, the Ministry of Health might extend the suspension of classes indefinitely.