Schools fubared till November?

[Clemmieandareallybigbunfight]

Disruption to schools could continue to November, MPs told www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-52895640

Is this a dystopian joke?

Are we actually trying to fuck up our kids?

Schools need to be instructed to open fully five days a week with enhanced on day cleaning, increased buses to allow distancing, staggered start and finish, covered but open refuge areas allowing distancing whilst outside in all weathers for breaks and no assemblies. Relatively low investment needed, huge gain economically but more importantly for our kids education and mental health. Some of these kids will never get back to school if they are out for so long. Some will fail to achieve their potential. And all for an illness with a tiny mortality rate overall?

[OneJump]

Have you ever worked in a school?

[Thighmageddon]

And what about the teachers that are shielding, are they expendable? Lessons need teachers and not all are currently able to teach.

[megletthesecond]

Personally November isn't as bad as I feared.
Mentally I'm geared up for next Easter. Winter flu season might send things a bit crazy again.

[AdalindMeisner]

@megletthesecond

Personally November isn't as bad as I feared.
Mentally I'm geared up for next Easter. Winter flu season might send things a bit crazy again.

Yes this. If schools are back to relatively normal functioning by November (or even all kids being able to access part time by then) and all done safely for the kids and teachers then I think that will be pretty darn amazing.

[Clemmieandareallybigbunfight]

No I work in a hospital.
We are dealing with issues of shielding staff (a relatively small number and working from home on alternative tasks) and large numbers of people through the doors too. We are looking at providing as much as we can to as many as we can, in far more risk laden circs than a school is.
Shielding teachers can still work away from the classroom, relieving those who normally have significant admin burdens but can do face to face teaching.

[LockdownLou]

Completely agree OP. The ripple effects on kids is going to be enormous. I’ve seen our local authorities stats on how many vulnerable kids they have had in throughout this pandemic and it is TINY!!

Outrageous.

Vulnerable children aside, kids NEED to be educated, this is simply not good enough and I speak as someone who works in education, and has experience of working within primary and secondary! Now I am not saying I am an expert, but I am more than happy to return ASAP.

Fingers crossed they ALL get back in September. This has to end for the kids sake.... surely??

[GinnyStrupac]

I think this is the reality of the situation.

Whether Boris ignores it and tries to plough ahead, as with the recent rushed-out-to-make-us-all-move-on-from-DC-and-like-Boris-again lockdown easing, is another matter.

[SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito]

I agree OP. We are throwing children under a giant fucking bus. It is appalling.

[0v9c99f9g9d939d9f9g9h8h]

I'd rather a hospital than a school. Patients don't lie like sardines and hug each other/share food. The buildings are bigger and people are more obedient in a hospital.

Your measures for schools may make little distance and the mortality rate is not tiny in any sense of the word.

[tessiegirl]

You haven't got a clue

[0v9c99f9g9d939d9f9g9h8h]

difference

[LaurieFairyCake]

It is appalling

But that's because of MASSIVE underinvestment

They can't pass safely in corridors, you can't cram 32 in a classroom and have the teacher even move round the outside of them, they can't travel on public transport without putting the public at risk.

We have tiny classrooms, tiny corridors, frankly no money for great cleaning or soap or sanitisers

There is no money that the governments will give to fix this

[Uhoh2020]

And what about teachers that are shielding

Something has to give at some point for anyone is shielding not just teachers. There will be nurses, care workers, nursery staff also so shielding are they going to have to shield forever? And does the rest of the world have to stop whilst they do?

Children are at minimal risk of yet they're being treated as maximum carriers.... pubs and restaurants will soon open theres no way they will have such restricted measures put in place like our schools at are now. Teachers will have more chance of catching anything from the pub on a Friday night than school

[Clemmieandareallybigbunfight]

Hmm regarding investment in hospitals and space available I think you'll find hospitals and schools are very similar and patients with dementia are very challenging to restrict in terms of movement. As are the ones needing a fag......

[Thurlow]

I try not to think about it too deeply because it really saddens me, but I agree with a PP, we are throwing 8 million school children under the bus.

Our school has been setting plenty of work but for an 8 year old, it's not learning really, it's just going over stuff they've done before, because that's all that can really be done virtually.

Al those children at home with a single or two working parents aren't getting much time or focus on them (through no one's fault, we're on this bracket) and slowly slipping behind children at private schools that are teaching online and parents who have the time or skills to continue actively educating their children. And it's going to show in the future. And that's not even talking about the mental health impact on hundreds of thousands of children.

I don't know what the answer is. Perhaps there isn't one. But the thought that six months of education and life experience is just... gone. That's terrifying. Most, or at least many, adults are able to find a way to understand and live with this. But so many children don't.

[Chosennone]

I'm a teacher. I was saddened when my line manager told me today, that our current planning (for year 10 back partially on 15th June) will continue in the same vein into Autumn Term. When i expressed my surprise she explained that the DFE are lead by infection control and that schools are simply far far too over crowded.
They are. This is definitely true. Wr are packed in to our relatively 'new build' school.
I did think maybe the govt would throw money at this too!
I'm not sure how? temporary classrooms, handwashing bays, wearing screens?

[user1498572889]

Fubared. What a fantastic word. I had to look up what it meant. I will use this word often. 😂😁

[EnlightenedOwl]

How do they get away with this. The country is broken no going back

[SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito]

The mortality rate for school aged children IS tiny. Between 0 and 9 years old, no deaths. Between 10 and 14, one death. Crossing the road or getting in a car are significantly more dangerous to children than COVID-19.

The mortality rate for women aged between 22 and 50 is also pretty damn small, and that's the majority of the workforce.

2 metre distancing isn't recommended in most countries so it isn't the magic number that keeps us 'safe'. It can be reduced.

The government threw money at the NHS at the start of this. They could do the same with education if they prioritise it. Recruit extra teachers. Just like they did with doctors and nurses - with the appalling retention figures if the teaching profession there are plenty of qualified teachers out there. Put up temporary buildings in school grounds.

Everyone wailing 'it can't be done' needs to take a look at all the countries in the world where it is being done and ask themselves why we are so different.

12 years a teacher, by the way. Before anyone starts with the "have you even been in a school?" shit. Yes I have. That's why I want schools back. I know how important they are.

[Appuskidu]

Shielding teachers can still work away from the classroom, relieving those who normally have significant admin burdens but can do face to face teaching

We have 1/3 of our staff shielding-we can only open our school as normal when all of those shielded teachers are told to return to the classroom to teach (so we have a teacher for each room), and social distancing is scrapped (so we can have 30 children to a room).

I don’t think my school is that unusual.

[Grasspigeons]

I was surprised to hear the education select committee being told that too.
Although it took 30 mins to drop off one class today - hope that gets faster!

[Bollss]

It is disgusting that we're doing this to our children.

It also makes no sense at all. Kids going part time in bubbles... Mixing with loads of others when they're not there?

Sounds like a great idea

[Bollss]

I don’t think my school is that unusual

I think it's incredibly unusual that one third of your staff are shielding!

[FamilyOfAliens]

Fubared. What a fantastic word. I had to look up what it meant

So did I. It’s not a word, it’s an acronym. and I’m guessing many people will think it’s a typo.

[MrsSpenserGregson]

This issue is keeping me up at night now, tbh.

I have 2 DC at secondary school (state comprehensive). DH works in a private secondary school. I will also be working in a private secondary school from September.

If, as said above, our children are back in school by November, even part-time, I will consider that a win.

State schools tend to be massively underfunded and overcrowded. (A lot of private school are overcrowded too, due to having old buildings). Our private school has come up with a fantastic plan for Year 10 and Year 12 to have face-to-face time in schools later this month, and yes, it involved setting up covered areas outside etc. But this is a private school with plenty of money and fixed assets, lower pupil numbers, and incredible IT provision which allows remote teaching via Zoom etc which isn't happening in state schools. Our outstanding state comp just couldn't possibly match this. As anyone who's ever worked in a school, or sat on a PTA or a board of governors will know, "merely" organising one portakabin can take months and costs £££££££. And as for hygiene - you're lucky if all the toilet doors are still intact at the end of the day, let alone finding any hand soap ..... . It is surely much easier to control infection in a hospital, where staff are actually trained to minimise infection before they are allowed to go anywhere near a patient, and where PPE is routinely worn and hand sanitiser is everywhere, than in a school, where it just isn't available.