Invading their privacy? Haven’t teachers worked out they can put a blank backdrop on Zoom classes?

Weeks of home-schooling while the kids’ nanny has Covid have taken their toll, so Charlotte Cripps calls in her old cleaner

(Illustration by Amara May)

I got the shock of my life when a teacher abruptly ended Lola’s online class saying: “I think one of my children has fallen down the stairs. Sorry. Goodbye.” Homeschooling is tough for all parents. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for teachers up and down the UK teaching up to 30 kids “in their home” while they are looking after their own children. 

But when teaching unions complained that streaming classes from home “is an invasion of privacy”, I was gobsmacked. Haven’t they worked out they can put a blank backdrop behind them – even a photo of the Caribbean ? How can anybody in teaching not have worked that out yet?  

We are all in the same boat weathering the storm. My main concern is that I can’t keep up with all the online school projects. I’ve had to put my foot down. This week, we were asked to make homemade playdough for her maths lesson. I understand it helps Lola’s weighing skills, but as a working mum, quite frankly what is wrong with the pre-packaged stuff? I raided the kitchen cupboards for oats and flour to make a turtle that went straight in the bin, but by the time they asked us to bake a cake, even if I had the time, I had no flour left.