3 │ INVOLVEMENT OF PUPILS IN DISTANCE LEARNING Distance learning in basic and upper secondary schools in the Czech Republic 14 3 INVOLVEMENT OF PUPILS IN DISTANCE LEARNING One of the most important topics of the distance learning period in the spring of 2020 was a relatively high proportion of pupils who were not involved in distance learning in any way, for various reasons, mainly due to lack of digital equipment or connection or due to insufficient motivation and support from their families, as well as a high proportion 4of pupils who participated in distance learning, but only for receiving assignments and handing them over after completion, not through online lessons and similar forms of communication through digital technologies. 5One year after the outbreak of the pandemic, i.e. at the beginning of the second half of the 2020/2021 school year, it appears that the situation in terms of the number of pupils who are, for various reasons, completely out of education and who are not involved in education in any way is most likely not better than in the spring of 2020, even though the schools visited by the Czech School Inspectorate as part of the thematic inspection activities in January and February 2021 declared there was a positive change here as well. However, according to other sources and the findings of the Czech School Inspectorate, it seems that the number of such pupils varies depending on a number of different factors, including the success of the school’s communication with their parents. 6In addition, the level of pupils’ uninvolvement varies depending on the school’s situation; while in some schools an uninvolved pupil is one who does not respond at all or does not collect assignments, whose parents are unable to visit school, etc., in other schools an uninvolved pupil is one who only participates in synchronous learning to a minimal extent, handing in assignments only exceptionally. For this reason, it is always necessary to take into account the actual situation in education, as well as the experience of teachers. CHART 1 | Comparison of the proportion of schools with the participation of almost all pupils in online distance learning (situation in schools visited by the Czech School Inspectorate in January and February 2021) The change in the number of involved pupils is also evident from the evaluations by the principals of the visited schools – they relate their evaluations to the situation throughout the spring of 2020. 4 In the spring of 2020, school principals estimated the number of such pupils at around 10,000. 5 In the spring of 2020, school principals estimated the number of pupils involved in this way at approximately 250,000. 6 More detailed information on the numbers and structure of such pupils will be available after the evaluation of the comprehensive questionnaire survey conducted by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports during February 2021. 0 %10 %20 %30 %40 %50 %60 %70 %80 %90 %100 %neúplné ZŠúplné ZŠ gymnáziamaturitní SOŠ nematuritní SOŠ duben 2020únor 2021non-Maturita STSsMaturita STSssecondary general schools complete BSsincomplete BSs 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% April 2020 February 2021