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My wife and I both teach at a uni. I believe the jobs we do are hugely beneficial to society. Our workloads are v high right now, even without home-schooling our two young kids
But we should not be considered key workers for the purpose of our kids attending school. Here's why:
But we should not be considered key workers for the purpose of our kids attending school. Here's why:
1. We don't need to be in the workplace to do our jobs. All universities have suspended face-to-face teaching and that's a risk-based decision, not due to lack of staff on site.
Of course, we could do online teaching better if the kids were in school, but...
Of course, we could do online teaching better if the kids were in school, but...
2. The societal benefit from university education is long term. No-one is at immediate increased health risk if either of us is only doing our jobs at 50% capacity. Contrast that with health workers, delivery drivers, supermarket employees, etc.
3. The more kids in school, the greater risk of covid spread. And the greater risk that teachers and other critical workers will have to isolate. Which will have huge knock-on effects.
4. The more kids are in school, the less time and resource teachers have to devote to kids who are learning from home.
5. This certainly won't be true for all academics, but I can just about keep up with the teaching load if I ignore the other aspects of the job, most notably research. This is a not a natural prioritisation for an academic to make, but necessary right now
On that last point, what can colleagues who aren't home-schooling help?
Maybe take on some extra reviewing or opt-in teaching, such as student projects, even if it means putting your research on hold too.
HoDs: Take home-schooling into consider when assigning workload.
Maybe take on some extra reviewing or opt-in teaching, such as student projects, even if it means putting your research on hold too.
HoDs: Take home-schooling into consider when assigning workload.
In future, promotions, job and grant selection panels are going to have to think very carefully about how to deal with the inequalities* that covid and home-schooling have produced in academia.
*Full disclosure: My wife is 0.6 FTE and is doing more of the home-schooling than me.
*Full disclosure: My wife is 0.6 FTE and is doing more of the home-schooling than me.
Final caveat: My points here is about blanket inclusion of university staff (or even university teachers) as key workers. There will certainly be university staff that should be considered such.
And just to be clear: I tried to provide some constructive ideas. But from my own experience, non-home-schooling colleagues are already massively chipping and helping out. Huge thanks.
After my phone buzzing all day, can I also just say that - while Twitter in general is a hellhole - academic Twitter is a wonderful.
This is a contentious and deeply personal topic. And people have understandably disagreed with me. But all discussion has been civil and polite.
This is a contentious and deeply personal topic. And people have understandably disagreed with me. But all discussion has been civil and polite.
