With many schools across the globe now returning to some level of classroom-based learning, life as we know it, is returning to a ‘new normal’. 

During the COVID-19 shutdown, over 800 million students around the world had limited or no access to technology or the internet, making online classes impossible. Teachers in some regions also struggled to create content for home schooling, due to a lack of technology.

That’s reversed some of the progress that had been made to reduce the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their classmates. And for many already disadvantaged students, that means the transition back to school will be even more challenging.

BHP Foundation partner the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) are responding with solutions to mitigate the negative impact on disadvantaged students while schools are closed and compensates them to ‘bounce back’ when schools reopen.

‘We must focus on how best to support schools to support their pupils bounce back,’ says Professor Becky Francis, CEO of the EEF.

To make the most of home learning, EEF developed a set of resources, such as an online tuition pilot in the UK, for schools and parents. The resources came from a collective effort by current school leaders who understand the significant challenges facing schools and make decisions based on the best available evidence.

Through the UK-government funded National Tutoring Programme, the EEF will also make high-quality tuition available to state-maintained primary secondary schools, providing additional support to help pupils who have missed out the most as a result of school closures.

And EEF’s resources are being implemented globally, with La Caixa Foundation in Spain translating many into Catalan and EEF Australian partner SVA (Social Ventures Australia) adapting two of their school support resources for use locally.

Read more about BHP Foundation’s partnership with EEF.