Gairloch High School pupils share the ‘inspirational’ impact of in-person teaching
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PERSONAL experience of the sometimes dramatic limitations of online learning has convinced two senior Wester Ross pupils of the irreplaceable value of face-to-face teaching.
The two Gairloch High students shared their personal experience of the so-called ‘Virtual Academy’ in support of a growing campaign to ensure a number of rural secondaries get the support they need to make a life-changing difference to their communities.
Their comments come as a Freedom of Information request into online learning results in the Highlands, outlined in this edition of the Ross-shire Journal, strongly suggests the model appears to put some pupils at a disadvantage compared to their peers enjoying face to face teaching.
The two are able to share different perspectives with S6 pupil Iona McWhinney (17) being a Gairloch native, and friend Nancy Black (17) in S5 having recently moved from a large English school to the Wester Ross village.
Due to dwindling subject choices at the rural school, both have taken the only alternative option of online courses via the Virtual Academy for several classes. It emerges that lessons taken on a Chromebook cannot replace the “inspiration and encouragement” of their face-to-face teachers.
Nancy told how limited resources affected her subject choices, saying: “Most of my classes ended up being online with only one in-person subject – it isn’t ideal.
“I much prefer my lessons in school, they are more inspiring and encourage me to actually finish the course.
“While the subject choices and more opportunities were good in a bigger school, this school feels much more like a community.
“In my online classes, everyone has their camera off and we all just message in the chatbox.
“For some of my online classes, I’m the only one in the school doing the course, so I don’t have anyone to talk to about it. It means you and your classmates can’t help each other out or support each other through the course. Being on your own also limits how much project work you can do.”
Sharing her one wish for her learning at Gairloch High, Nancy said: “More time with teachers.”
Iona McWhinney’s experience reveals what she loves about the west coast school: “Everyone knows each other, I really like that. I’m really close with everyone. I know everyone’s first, last and probably middle name!
“You’re all just like a family, and the teachers care a lot about us all and our wellbeing, because there’s not that many students.
She said the way Gairloch High School teachers go the extra mile for their pupils have inspired her. She said: “My favourite teachers are my geography and my Gaelic teacher.
“My geography teacher because she’s always helped me while really pushing me too. When I was in S4, she encouraged me to do Higher Geography a year earlier than you usually would, and it worked out really well. Now I’m doing Advanced Higher Geography, and it’s just only me in the class, so I have one-on-one learning which is really nice.
READ MORE ON THE SAVE OUR RURAL SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN:
•Ullapool High School pupil shares 'detrimental' reality behind virtual learning
•Ross-shire MP backs 'abandoned' constituents as Save Our Rural Schools campaign is stepped up
•West Highland parents say their high schools "are beyond breaking point"
•Ullapool and Gairloch schools' crisis: Education Secretary responds to concerns
“My Gaelic teacher is so nice, and he puts on so many different activities like Gaelic water sports! He also encourages us to get involved in Gaelic outside of school – he’s always telling us when Gaelic camps are on.”
Explaining her experience of Virtual Academy learning, Iona said: “I was quite lucky that until this year all my subjects were taught in-person. I decided picking up Spanish this year would be fun, which was a class offered only as an online course for my school.
“Although my Spanish course is online, my French teacher at Gairloch High School has supported me through the course too.
“When you’re in a call with 10-15 people, it’s not like you can ask questions in the same way you would in a classroom. You don’t get the same engagement as you would with people in school.
“It’s also difficult when you’re at a screen all day at school, and then you come home, where you’re also looking at screens.
Iona also witnessed her year group size decrease by half. She said: “My year group went from 22 to 11. One of the biggest problems is that we don’t have a History or Modern Studies teacher – I think a lot of people wanted to go down these routes but couldn’t.
“We also have very few subjects that do Advanced Highers, which also puts people off studying until sixth year.
“I think our teachers seem to be a lot more stressed because they are all taking on more work that’s really not their job, since the school is so stretched.”
