Are we ready for online classes?

(Patria) - Isolation due to the coronavirus and online classes have caused uncertainty among parents and teachers across BiH. There is evident fear among parents about the new school year and the re-establishment of contact with peers, given that children have been socially distanced from each other for a long time. Even greater is the fear of how the continuation of online classes will affect the quality of children's lives.

Online classes have brought many challenges and dilemmas that parents and teachers have resolved as best they could at the time. The new school year is approaching, and it is increasingly certain that many cantons will opt for the online teaching model. Are we ready to bravely embark on a new online school year?

One of the challenges of online teaching is certainly the insufficient social contact among children. The focus has been placed on children's academic success, while socializing, playing, fun, and acquiring social skills have remained in the background. To bridge the gap of the absence of physical, and for some children, social contact, teachers are beginning to use various digital tools in their work.

Acquiring life skills through an online summer school for parents and children

"However, we at the Association 'DUGA' are aware that, in addition to good academic success, it is very important for parents that children have a quality and fulfilling life, that they can navigate school and society, and that they can successfully find their place in the labor market in the future. That is why we organized an online summer school for parents and children, where we offered a series of concrete tools and strategies for developing children's social skills in a closed Facebook group.

More than 40 parents received instructions on how to work with children on developing life skills: building good habits, setting goals, discovering successful learning techniques, establishing quality relationships with peers and parents, and developing self-confidence," it was announced.

Their goal is to support a successful return to (online) classrooms, to help you navigate the new conditions of work and life more easily, and to provide support to children in the virtual world and online learning.

"More than 8,000 educators, parents, and government representatives have attended DUGA's training programs. Our programs are based on many years of experience and knowledge in the fields of pedagogy, modern psychology, coaching in education, and neuro-linguistic programming. The growth and development of DUGA has also been supported by CARE International Balkans within the project 'Improving Social Services by Strengthening NGOs in BiH', financially supported by CARE Czech Republic and the Government of the Czech Republic.

In an energetic, stimulating, creative, and positive environment, through the online program, children and adolescents will have the opportunity to participate in 4 interactive workshops lasting 90 minutes each. The program is intended for the development of life skills and is conducted entirely online, so children and adolescents can participate from their homes. For more than 25 years, 'DUGA' has been operating through various support programs for children, youth, parents, and teaching staff throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. To date, over 5,000 children and young people have participated in our programs," the statement emphasizes.