The BBC is putting on its ‘biggest education offer’ of all time, after pupils across England were told to stay at home until at least mid-February.
While teachers will continue giving online learning, parents will still have to juggle homeschooling their children with work.
To help these families, particularly ones with limited access to the internet, CBBC will feature three-hours of primary school shows every weekday from Monday.
Announcing the corporation’s biggest education programme in its history, economics editor Faisal Islam tweeted: ‘My BBC colleagues are putting on its biggest ever education offer including, as many asked for on this thread “significant airtime” on terrestrial BBC Two, as well as CBBC, Red button, Iplayer.’
BBC Two will put on programmes for secondary school students, helping them study for their GCSEs for at least two hours every weekday.
Its schedule will be based around Bitesize Daily secondary shows, complemented by Shakespeare, classic drama adaptations, as well as science and history titles.
CBBC will show BBC Live Lessons and BBC Bitesize Daily, as well as other educational programmes including Our School and Celebrity Supply Teacher, Horrible Histories, Art Ninja and Operation Ouch.
Bitesize Daily primary and secondary will also air every day on BBC Red Button and will also be available on BBC iPlayer.
BBC Director General Tim Davie said: ‘Ensuring children across the UK have the opportunity to continue to follow the appropriate core parts of their nation’s school curriculum has been a key priority for the BBC throughout this past year.
‘Education is absolutely vital – the BBC is here to play its part and I’m delighted that we have been able to bring this to audiences so swiftly.’
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden said: ‘The BBC has helped the nation through some of the toughest moments of the last century, and for the next few weeks it will help our children learn whilst we stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.
‘This will be a lifeline to parents and I welcome the BBC playing its part.’
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