7 │ CHANGES IN THE ORGANISATION OF DISTANCE LEARNING Distance learning in basic and upper secondary schools in the Czech Republic 43 CHART 20 | Average daily extent of online synchronous learning at the 1st stage of BSs CHART 21 | Average daily extent of online synchronous learning at the 2nd stage of BSs CHART 22 | Average daily extent of online synchronous learning in USSs Although a higher extent of synchronous learning is not forbidden, the extents stated in the Methodological Recommendation that was issued are considered to be the upper limits from an educational and psychological point of view. Perhaps the well-intentioned effort of both school managements and teachers to replace in-class learning with synchronous learning as much as possible resulted or still results in low learning effectiveness, a high degree of exhaustion, and mental problems among pupils and teachers, as well as entire families. The main reason for the higher extent of synchronous learning was the decision of the school management in agreement with teachers. Schools often pointed to the experience with the spring period of the previous school year and the inadequacy of the lower extent of synchronous learning. In the case of basic schools, the decision in about a tenth of the schools was either influenced by the pressure from parents for a higher representation of synchronous learning, or at least by an agreement with parents on a higher extent. The length of synchronous learning lessons in basic and upper secondary schools was most often around 45 minutes (most in 82% of lessons in secondary general schools and least in 63% of lessons in non-Maturita fields). Lessons of a shorter duration of about 35 minutes also had high representation (most in 26% of lessons in non-Maturita fields and least in 6% of lessons in secondary general schools). Lessons exceeding 45 minutes only occurred in a few per cent of cases (the length was often 90 minutes in upper secondary schools and 60 minutes in basic schools; there were also occasionally lessons lasting 3 or more hours). It was only at the 1st stage of BSs that lessons with a length of about 25 minutes had more significant representation. Neither the extent of synchronous learning nor the number of lessons automatically means ineffective implementation of online distance learning. Among the schools visited were also those that stated a longer extent of synchronous 30%37%3%2%0 % 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 5 %10 %15 %20 %25 %30 %35 %40 %45 %neúplnéZŠúplné ZŠvíce než 90 minut a méně než 180 minutinutes ve stejném rozsahu jako v prezenčním rozvrhu59%0 % 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 10 %20 %30 %40 %50 %60 %70 %80 %90 %100 %úplné ZŠvíce než 120 minut a méně než 240 minutve stejném rozsahu jako v prezenčním rozvrhu48%49%44%10%18%13%0 %10 %20 %30 %40 %50 %60 %70 %gymnáziamaturitníSOŠnematuritníSOŠvíce než 150 minut a méně než 270 minutve stejném rozsahu jako v prezenčním rozvrhu0% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 0% complete BSs incomplete BSs non-Maturita STSs Maturita STSs secondary general schools complete BSs more than 90 minutes and less than 180 mto the same extent as in in-class learning timetable more than 120 minutes and less than 240 minutes to the same extent as in in-class learning timetable more than 150 minutes and less than 270 minutes to the same extent as in in-class learning timetable