COMMENT: Abigail Farrelly

THE world right now is something we never thought we’d live through.

Streets are empty. Hospitals are overcrowded. Schools are closed, shops have their shutters down and roads are desolate ...

But just because everything is different now, it doesn’t mean the world has stopped, so we must carry on!

Things can be and have been done to give us all a sense of familiarity and structure to our day – remote learning, new ways of working and new challenges can be daunting for students, but it might surprise you to learn that a whopping 87 per cent of students have been actively participating in online learning.

Although online learning is something we all have been struggling with since March, 2020, you can’t deny it – there are so many more benefits to it than we all realise!

For example, you don’t have to worry about getting up at ‘stupid o’clock’ to catch the bus.

You don’t have to worry what wonderful culinary delights the school canteen has in store for you – and you don’t have to worry about how neat and tidy you look all the time in your beautiful school uniform.

Sounds great, right?

As great as online learning can be, not everyone sees the good side, so we have to help them see that good side.

Yes, some people do feel alone and helpless because of the lack of communication between staff and students.

Yes, some students are not computer-literate – despite the urban myth that, “My three-year-old knows her way round the computer better than I do”.

Yes, bad Wifi can totally ruin your online experience if you’re unlucky – one of the few downsides of living in beautiful Fermanagh.

And, yes, there are some students for whom school is their best form of socialising.

But, on the other hand, we now don’t have to endure teachers whose lessons are less than an adrenaline-filled, white-knuckle ride through mid-twentieth century didactic drama.

We have also now eliminated the biggest distraction of all – our friends and classmates (you know it’s true).

You know the situation; someone says something funny, and you’re gone!

Fits of giggling

You’re in fits of giggling with your classmates whilst the red-faced teacher tries to stamp his or her authority, and to reintroduce a semblance of ‘order’.

Compare this with working in your own space at your own pace; taking a break when you need it; going for a walk or having a cup of tea; and you get to work from the comfort of your own home, dressed in whatever casual attire that your heart desires!

It can be difficult to find motivation to do work, and despite what I said earlier, often your classmates can spur you on. In the classroom, you’re part of a team, your own community.

But out in the land of remote learning, work can be a distraction from the uncontrollable events that are happening in the world right now.

Senior Conservative MP Sir Charles Walker has become an outspoken critic of the Government’s restrictions in the UK, and argues that ministers aren’t giving mental health the same consideration as physical health, and this is something that is frighteningly true.

He goes on to say that the effects of the lockdown will be with us for many years, possibly generations.

The Government’s debt may exceed £2 trillion by the end of this year. More than £200 billion of new borrowing could be needed. Much of this will be due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Productive thing

In many respects, these things are far beyond our control and, as scary as these facts are, I believe that the most productive thing we can do right now is to live our lives as best we can.

We must take each day as it comes; deal with the things that we can deal with.

We must ask for help, if we need it, and look for the positives in all situations.

If we focus too much on the big picture, it becomes too overwhelming; an indomitable, invisible, invincible enemy.

But, as the Chinese say, “A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step”. We should do what we can; smile, stay in contact over Zoom, Skype, or whatever.

Just don’t lose sight that better days are on the horizon, and we won’t always be working from home.