Young cancer patients and their support group are appealing to the education authorities to continue online schooling in hospital now that the COVID-19 experience has shown the opportunity to resume studies is possible and positive.

Life feels “that little bit more normal” for 14-year-old cancer patient Rebecca Zammit Lupi since she joined her virtual classroom when the outbreak forced schools to shut and introduce remote learning. Her treatment has kept her away from school for six long months.

Besides bringing about plenty of disadvantages to someone in her vulnerable condition, some good has also come out of the pandemic, and the possibility to continue her schooling has really made a difference.

Not only did she miss seeing her friends, but also studying and learning, Rebecca said from her hospital bed in the Rainbow ward. “Going to school is part of a teen’s lifestyle and being away for six months was quite upsetting.”

The cancer patient has expressed hope that this will continue once the schools reopen, adding that data protection issues had prevented her from joining the class when all she wanted was to see the interactive whiteboard and hear the teacher’s voice.

Rebecca may not always feel up to it, but at least she can follow the recorded lessons later. It also means she will not have to catch up on topics covered in the last term during the summer.

Her father, Darrin Zammit Lupi, also believed the one positive thing to come out of the pandemic was the hospital schooling, saying circumstances had forced education authorities to adapt when they had previously been totally against it.

According to Puttinu Cares Foundation, the child cancer patient support group that has called for a change in the system, one of the first and major concerns parents face when their children are hospitalised, usually for long periods, is their stalled education.

Something good has been started here and we would like it to continue

Being immunocompromised means they miss up to a year of school, and even two if they have to undergo a bone marrow transplant, says foundation vice president Angele Cuschieri.

Online schooling would also benefit those patients who have to travel overseas for treatment.

Puttinu Cares, as well as other parents, have written to Education Minister Owen Bonnici to keep it going post-coronavirus because of the ‘beautiful opportunity’ this has opened up for patients and the huge difference it makes to their lives.

It is seeking a way forward and suggested the setting up of laptops and cameras on the empty school desks to live stream lessons into the wards.

“We are talking about a couple of pupils from every school for a limited period and not necessarily the entire school day. The focus could be on the core subjects,” suggested Cuschieri, who is also charge nurse in Rainbow, the paediatric and adolescent oncology ward.

Over the past weeks, she has witnessed first-hand the impact on the children, who need routine, have something to look forward to and no longer feel isolated while undergoing treatment.

Having more structure in their day and keeping in touch with friends and teachers lifts their morale and actually helps their recovery, she maintained. “We hear them talking to their friends and laughing.”

Most of the eight patients in the ward have followed their online lessons, and those who had difficulty hooking up to the systems were assisted by the staff.

Due to COVID-19, there is no teacher in the ward at the moment, and this is also the case every summer, Cuschieri pointed out. Moreover, these teachers are “not superhuman” and can find it hard to cope with the varying education levels of patients aged up to 21.

These teachers could follow up on the daily online schooling programme and complement it, Cuschieri added.

“We institutionalise patients the moment they enter hospital. They are now sick, so they stay in bed and forget about school. But they should feel that life goes on. They should feel integrated.

“It is bad enough they have to go through the illness. All they need is to be separated from their friends and lose out on months of education.

“Something good has been started here and we would like it to continue.”