Connection
No, it's not about talking to each other but about the internet connection we have to deal with. I tried everything to have a decent internet connection. I don't care if it's slower than promised but if you cannot even load a search engine, it takes over 20 hours to upload 35 Mb there is something seriously wrong.
It's nothing new providers fool their customers. It's easy since once you are used to internet a new world is visible for you and it's hard to do without. Doing without is hard anyway. Although the nation in Netherlands started late with computers it was introduced fast. Employers gave their employees the opportunity to buy one and pay fewer for it and courses were given to the elderly.
Schools found it quiet normal you have a computer at home plus printer and this was hard about 25 years ago and to many it still is. No school, not one single teachers cares if a child doesn't have all this luxury, parents cannot afford to buy it. Strangely enough there are no projects to buy cheap computers for your children.
Computers? Indeed. Most families need more than one especially now we deal with homeschooling. Teachers are not smart enough to give tasks for a week or higher classes a month. No, everything needs to be done online, it's about showing your face, team, meet, discord and many more sites. Sites my children can not load! They work with a phone because a phone connects to the internet easier than a computer but... A phone is useless if a provider does not provides in a connection.
Stress, that's what homeschooling and everything we need internet for, causes us. A lot of stress. I feel bitter because I pay, I pay exactly the same as others but I have nothing.
I am angry at the teacher of one of my children. The child wrote about the bad connection, asked for help, wrote what can make it easier to receive the homework and she ignores it and pretends as if my child is too lazy to join.
The providers... I am sick about hearing about their great network, the 5G while they are not even able to realise 3G!
It's a few years ago the law forced the providers to let people know exactly how much speed they will receive at their address for real. It's a fact we all pay the same but do not receive the same. If you live at the end of the row, if there are no senders you can forget about a decent, workable internet.
Still, the providers lie, make you believe the internet is possible and fast where you live and... It is for those first two weeks. Those weeks you are allowed to cancel. As soon as those two weeks are over suddenly the connection slows down to a minimum.
The facts are we can no longer live without an internet connection. Even if you do not google, char, ignore Facebook, Twitter and newspapers online you still need it. For what you may ask? Online banking for example. We no longer have banks. Every payment you need to do yourself. The ATM can only be used to get some cash. You cannot use them to top up your phone, send money to someone or deposit cash.
The government wants us to use the internet. Their letters are sent with help of a special app, you need an extra app to sign in at one of their sites. No way you can call, e-mail or visit one of their offices. No matter if it's the city hall or the tax bureau.
Your annual tax form needs to be filled out with help of an internet site, it's the same if you need social help, want to trace a parcel, make an appointment at the doctor's office.
Insurances, the gas and electricity company and the water company... You can only reach them, check your account via the internet. Bills... they are sent by the internet too.
Internet... It's no longer a luxury product. We all are forced into using it, having devices and connections at home. Connections that save enough to use which can't be said of those some libraries, banks and supermarkets provide us with but if that's the only option left you feel happy.
Communication
It's hard to explain to someone with great access to the internet how we struggle. How many hours we keep trying to connect. The biggest part of the day we keep trying because we need certain information and for sure it effects the mood if it takes you two days what others can load and watch at once.
Like said I feel bitter about that teacher. How many children offer to show up at school, travel two hours, ask for permission to use the school's internet? How many children are willing to study from 7 a.m. till 8 or even 9 p.m.? Not at my child's school. Most don't care.
After the last e-mail was sent and we read what this teacher wrote we decided not to communicate with her anylonger. It's clear she didn't read what was written. She offered a computer from school but not the computer is the issue but our connection. I went to T-mobile, I wrote the prime minister, his office told me to write to a different department which I did. No answer at all. T-mobile shrugs it's shoulders and doesn't care. The question is should I still care?
Caring
My children had a terrible time at former schools. It's no fun if your 4-year-old is being raped, molested at school. If the principal, teachers, the school doctor keep silent (they knew) and pretend as if your child is the only one. We visited doctors, hospitals and if one mother at the schoolyard didn't open up and told what her child said we would have never known. Since I care about my children's wellbeing I searched for a different school, I even moved and with that my life changed. We had to leave to start somewhere else a new life. A life where my children have a fair chance and receive an education. The former school threatened us for a long time but it was not the right place for my children to be.
My children like to learn and have no problem with homeschooling. They invest time in homework and do get out of bed at 6 a.m. We talk about homework, the low level of education and the laziness of the teachers. Most hardly care since homeschooling started again. Homework is not corrected and I have strong doubts about the notes given.
Perhaps it's better to switch education and do everything online. Homeschooling/education for adults exists for nearly 100 years in the Netherlands and by now they educate children too. Schools, teachers could learn a lot from those schools. There's no need to invent something new, it is possible to teach those with a bad connection too if they are willing to.
A bad connection sucks and is extremely frustrating, looking at the screen not loading, or voices and pictures lagging. I wouldn't last for 5 seconds and maybe 3 tries. After that, shut it off and do something else that doesn't require internet. But pity your kid who is penalized for bad network.