April 7, 2020 – Online schooling in Croatia is the new corona reality, but what is it like? The first of two videos interviews though the eyes of two schoolchildren, TCN Junior and TCN Most Junior.
“Dad, you are working really, really hard. How can we help?”
The corona era might be a global disaster on so many fronts, but it does have its small clouds with silver linings.
One of them – for me at least – has been how the crisis has brought the core family unit of four of us much closer together.
My wife Miranda and two daughters, Hannah (13) and Taliah (11), make most of the important decisions in the family, as we explored recently in the division of the 20 rolls of toilet paper that the family went into self-isolation with. Read more on how many rolls the only boy in the family comes out with in Toilet Paper, Toilet Paper, My Kingdom for Some Toilet Paper.
When school closed down for a fortnight recently, we had a big decision to make. Did we stay in our house in a village in Varazdin, or head back to Jelsa on Hvar, where our previous home turned holiday home, turned cancelled bookings was a much better option. Dalmatian sun, the terrace, the Adriatic.
Of course, if we were to go to the island, we would have to employ strict self-isolation. The reality was that this was going to take longer than 2 weeks for sure, perhaps two months, perhaps longer. To be cooped up in the house in the village near Varazdin, or to at least be able to enjoy the sun, the terrace and the view of the Adriatic.
We held a family summit, and we all agreed – let’s go to Hvar.
And from that moment, family unity has been magnificent, and I am so proud of all three of them. Mum managed somehow to pack everything up and squeeze it into the car, not knowing how long we would be gone. We have everything we need. We drove to Drvenik to try and make the ferry to Sucuraj, and with Taliah’s GPS updates, we made it with 7 minutes to spare.
And since then, I have not met anyone outside the family, chained to my laptop on the couch for 16 hours a day on average, with 30 priceless minutes by the sea to rescue my sanity.
The girls have been magnificent, and it can’t be easy for them, especially now that online schooling in Croatia is the new norm – a totally new concept.
“You know, you could help. How about writing a blog about online schooling in Croatia, from the pupil’s point of view?”
“Hmmm, cool idea – leave it with us.”
I heard a lot of giggling and stop, start interview questions in the next room as I reported on the latest corona deaths in Croatia in real time.
And then, two audio interviews in my WhatsApp inbox – Hannah interviewed by Taliah, and Taliah interviewed by Hannah.
Not to be left out, Mum got the camera out and started to film some footage to turn the interviews into a video report worthy of inclusion on the new Rplus platform – the editing is all her own. A little translation help from star TCN intern Janja Sestak for the subtitles and all was ready.
All it needed now was Daddy Bradders to add the words to deliver the first truly Team Bradders production.
So how is online schooling in Croatia? Today, Taliah interviews Hannah, and tomorrow Hannah will interview Taliah.
Bravo girls, I am beyond proud.
For the latest on the coronavirus crisis in Croatia, check out the dedicated TCN section.
