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The BBC is launching a series of daily educational programmes designed to allow children to study key national curriculum topics while Britain’s schools are closed.
The hurriedly pulled together programming has been developed with the help of the Department for Education and private educational providers, earning praise from government ministers who months ago had been warning about the BBC’s future.
The daily Bitesize TV episodes, hosted by presenters including the Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse, with other famous faces expected to join later, will run for 14 weeks from 20 April, the traditional start of the summer term.
Six different daily shows, each for different age groups between five and 14, will be produced every weekday for the BBC’s iPlayer and red button services – with filming taking place in the unused Match of the Day studio.
After watching the 20-minute show, parents and children will be directed to the BBC website for an age-appropriate daily mix of videos, quizzes, podcasts and worksheets covering core subjects such as maths, English and science. The content, produced in association with the likes of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Premier League and Puffin Books, will be tailored for the syllabuses in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
There will also be daily educational podcasts aimed at both primary and secondary school children, while content for older children will be provided through live online Q&As with teachers.
Children who should be studying for GCSEs and A-levels will also be directed to BBC Four, which will show a block of programming between 7pm and 9pm on weekday evenings linked to their syllabus – such as classic Shakespeare performances or relevant documentaries.
“Our commitment is to be there for as long as schools are closed,” said the BBC’s children’s director, Alice Webb, adding that millions of British children were already turning to the Bitesize education service. “We are creating 150 new lessons a week.”
She said that while many schools were sending worksheets to parents, the BBC material was designed to help teach new concepts and ensure ongoing learning. The output has been developed with the Department for Education, which will ensure schools are aware of what is coming up so they can support pupils working remotely.
However, the public broadcaster may find that some homeschooling habits have already set in by the time the programmes launch, a month into the lockdown. Many parents have turned to existing online learning resources, while some schools are still providing material to pupils, and there has been a boom in educational material on YouTube. Wealthier parents are also increasingly turning to private tuition.
In a sign of the government’s fast-changing attitudes towards the BBC since the start of the coronavirus crisis – when ministers were still boycotting Radio 4’s Today programme – the announcement was accompanied by approving quotes from multiple cabinet ministers.
Government sources said the relationship between the government and the national broadcaster was now much improved thanksto its work during the pandemic. “The BBC were amongst the first to roll up their sleeves on coronavirus and it’s been good to see,” said one.
The culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, who will have responsibility for overseeing the recently closed consultation on decriminalising non-payment of the BBC licence fee, said: “This is public service broadcasting at its best and will make a big difference to millions of children across the UK while schools are closed. I’m delighted the BBC is working closely with the government to help make sure our children are educated, informed and entertained during these challenging times.”
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