The role of the teacher as facilitator of out-of-school learning

In some international education systems, the role of teachers and school leaders is seen as largely concerned with what takes place during the hours of the school day and contained within the physical boundary of the school. Indeed, in most societies there are individuals who share this view. They tend to argue that teachers should focus on delivering first class lessons in their subject, imparting the key knowledge of the formal curriculum. Whilst most would approve of the setting of 'homework' tasks, especially for older students, they see it as the role of parents, assisted by a range of external agencies, to take responsibility for children's wellbeing and wider 'education' outside of school hours. However, I suspect that there are fewer proponents of this view now than at the start of 2020, when COVID-19 struck. In September 1989, as an NQT about to start my first teaching post, I was sent a list of the children in my tutor group: 24 Year 7s. I was furnished with their first an