Further to our June 2020 article From the special-leave-for-parents petition to the social dialogue meeting and the closure of the corresponding petition for special leave for parents of young children in August 2020 with 2121 signatures, we continue to do what we can to ensure that your voice is heard and that parents of young children are not simply left to get on with it.  Your signatures helped to facilitate the relaxing of the telework rules to give us the option of teleworking from outside the place of employment for 2 weeks in the summer of 2020 and again at Christmas. While this wasn’t exactly what we were asking for, it was of some assistance to many and opened the door to teleworking from abroad being queried in a more general way in our October survey.

We understand that the schools have gone back [*] but we also recognise that the situation that gave rise to months of home schooling is far from gone: these are unpredictable times and  the situation can (and have!) change almost overnight.

As always, if you have questions or comments, feel free to contact us.

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[*] Update 4.2.2021 Luxembourg is closing primary schools (initially) for 1 week: Minister of Education Claude Meisch announced primary schools closed next week, Primary schools return to distance learning from Monday Generation 2004 is monitoring this situation.

[**] Update 17.2.2021 Home schooling during the pandemic: what did we learn?  JRC study looks into effects of distance learning

‘The reflection on the above findings led us to state the following nine policy implications:
— Access to good quality digital infrastructure and equipment is essential to guarantee effective participation in blended or full remote education for all students.
— Education systems should better exploit the full potential of blended learning.
— Schools would benefit from the development of digital education plans.
— Collaboration and exchange of good practices among educational staff should be encouraged.
— Greater investment in teachers’ competences is required.
— Students should be equipped with both digital and social and emotional competences.
— Parents need guidance and support in order to help their learning remotely children.
— Digital safety during online learning should receive more attention.
— Promoting students’ and teachers’ well-being needs prioritising during blended or remote education.’ Pp.5-6, What did we learn from schooling practices during the COVID-19 lockdown?

[**] Update 10.3.2021Covid meeting with HR: again a negative to special leave for parents  but suggestion that there might be the option of making  parental leave more flexible to allow parents to accommodate home schooling.

[***] Update: at 24.3.2021 XXI information meeting on coronavirus HR suggested that this could be addressed in part by allowing more flexibility in the already-existing parental leave can be used. We await more information on this.