Learn how at Total Garden Rooms, we can try and tackle the current NI schooling crisis

‘Under-funded classrooms, poorly resourced and failing school systems’ (Jacquie White, General Secretary of the Ulster Teachers’ Union, Jan 2023)

A serious issue Northern Ireland is facing currently is the current school crisis. At Total Garden Rooms we are very aware of this issue and know that it is affecting you, your family or someone you know. We will be discussing the current issue, giving advice and tips and showing how a home schooling garden room could be the answer.

With 2023 seeing the potential of more continued teacher pay strikes, all children are vulnerable to a disrupted and inconsistent schooling.

Northern Ireland’s education system is also facing substantial budget cuts. This is determintal for not only parents and teachers but children, who’s education is vulnerable.  When delivering a budget for Northern Ireland in November, the Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris warned the Department of Education that it needed to make significant cuts to its “current spending trajectory”.

So as we go into 2023, Jacquie White has warned that Northern Ireland’s “entire education system – from pre-school to third level – is braced for unchartered waters as the crisis in the sector deepens”. We believe there is an opportunity for all parties to take control of their own futures, whether it is a child’s education or a teacher’s job and pay. At Total Garden Rooms, we have come up with 6 reasons as why a garden room classroom is worth the investment as “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” —Malcolm X.

We have 6 reasons why a garden room is a perfect solution to an unresolved problem

Since the beginning of lockdown in 2020, home schooling became the only option for most people to get an education. It has increased in favour as more parents see the advantages of teaching their kids at home. Home schooling is adaptable, engaging, your child can benefit from one-on-one instruction, and you are not constrained by the curricula of the school. Because of this, the majority of home schooling activities let your child explore as they learn, making science, art, and nature play excellent daily options for them. The lack of space in your home, lack of storage, and other issues might be a drawback to home schooling, which is precisely why a garden room might be a better option.

Teaching and Tutoring

A garden room classroom is not only a good idea for a parent but also a teacher. As we said, the current schooling crisis is affecting so many, whether you are a teacher or a parent. The underpayment of teachers has become a real crisis, especially since Covid-19 and has forced many teachers to strike and constantly worry about the position of their job. “Teachers have been driven to these lengths, left with no option, in a bid to give our profession the recognition it deserves and thus ensure the best educational outcomes for our children.” (Jacquie White, General Secretary of the Ulster Teachers’ Union, Jan 2023). Building a home schooling garden room is a great alternative for teachers to do their own private schooling, particularly for after-school tutoring. This is a great opportunity for teachers to make extra money outside of school hours, which is especially relevant due to current under-funding of teachers across Northern Ireland. So, take matters into your own hands and build a designated teaching area and keep educating the next generation!

The freedom to learn

Your children will feel completely free to do anything they need to in order to learn if you have a space that is only used for home schooling rather than just your kitchen table or playroom. With a garden room, all of these issues are resolved and your children are free to utilise their home school however they see appropriate. Inside the home, we are constrained by space, by others needing to move around, and by the mess caused.

Separate educational space 

You and your children will have the designated space you need to conduct your educational activities and lessons if you decide to choose a garden room as your home schooling environment. Your home schooling room might be fully furnished with everything you require, provide you with lots of floor space, be designed to meet all of your needs, and keep school in one location.

No more school runs

You can maintain a separation between your house and your home school once the school day has come to a close. Being able to shut the door on your garden room home school and go across the garden back to the house will keep your home for resting and school for studying.

A garden room can be the ideal environment for home schooling, and there is a room for every sort of garden thanks to the vast choice of types and sizes that are accessible to you. The simple idea of having a separate educational space right on your door step, eliminates any school runs or morning traffic.

Storage

With home schooling comes the necessity to stock up with all of the art supplies, paper, crafts materials, books, science equipment and so on but if you have limited space inside your home, it can prove challenging to store all of this. All of this and more may conveniently fit in a garden room. You will have all of your storage options if you combine cabinets and storage bins, bookcases and workstations, tables and shelves. A garden room classroom allows you to always keep your own living space clean and clear of school books.

Classroom to Playroom

Once you have had your classroom garden room built, you have an extra space that can be multi-functional and used for everything and anything you desire. This outdoor classroom can double as an after-school tutor room, for any extra learning. It can also be used as a space for your children to enjoy with their friends after school or on the weekends, a space that they can enjoy and you do not need to worry about their fun getting in your way.

Check out our website for further information on some of the popular uses of our garden rooms and how you can use this space to invest in your child’s future.