Sorry depressing thread. Are the Government deliberately drip feeding us on schools? So sick of it.

[purplerain2020]

I think I read somewhere that there is a schools review on 11th August. A while ago we were promised summers schools, not that I believed but they never happened. They promised laptops for those that needed it, only a few get it.

We've been promised that schools will fully open in September. I believe they will open and they won't back down on this. But, I think they are fully aware that within a few weeks, schools will be closing left right and centre and working Mums are going to be scrabbling around looking for someone to look after their children while they work and praying for the goodwill of their employers. The Government will have done what they promised, got everyone back in September, after all, they didn't say how long it would be for did they? Surely they must be getting advise by the Scientists of what is likely to happen with the procedures or lack of them for schools in September?

I keep hearing Mumsnet poster say but how can we work? How can we pay our bills? How will we keep a roof over our heads if the schools don't open full time? I am beginning to realise that it may well be the case that indeed, we won't be able to work and we won't be able to pay our bills and there is nothing we can do about it. It will be down to us to step up and educate our children when schools are shut because the government has been underfunding our schools for years. I work part-time from home, 25 hours a week, even that is looking rocky at the moment. DH's job is ok but I feel like he is hanging on by the skin of his teeth. So sick of our lives being turned upside down.

I'm in my early 40s, I was a child in the 80's and my family was hit hard by the recession. I've got a sick feeling in my stomach that the future is going to repeat itself.

[Bluewavescrashing]

It's a crap situation. I'm a teacher and desperate to go back to normal but I don't think crowded classrooms and shared toilets will allow for more than a few weeks before closures. It feels pretty bleak tbh.

[noblegiraffe]

I’m not sure that they’re dripfeeding so much as incompetent.

They react after the fact instead of plan in advance. And they’ve had all the major decisions wrong, fudged or delayed so far.

[flumposie]

I'm also a teacher. I think schools will possibly close on an individual basis. I'm dreading it. I hate the thought of teaching from home again. My mental health was not good working from home as a single parent.

[Barbie222]

Unfortunately I do think we are being prepared for something. There's a lot more suddenly appearing about transmission in children - including under 5s - in the MSM. I think the government will take the credit for opening schools successfully in Sept, and then when they close it will be a mass of "local lockdowns" which will be just as much inconvenience but won't be the fault of number 10.

We're being told as teachers to prepare to switch to virtual teaching at a days notice.

And yes, I do think peoples lives and setups will change, with lots of jobs lost - but in a recession with high unemployment there are plenty of childfree takers for every job :(

It's going to be a painful time.

[ListeningQuietly]

THe Government are not deliberately doing anything.

They are running around like headless chickens
punting ideas to the tabloids
sticking their fingers in their ears shouting la la la
and actively avoiding listening to anybody with any real expertise

its an omnishambles clusterfuck
that will change from one day to the next

[purplerain2020]

@Barbie222
Unfortunately I do think we are being prepared for something. There's a lot more suddenly appearing about transmission in children - including under 5s - in the MSM. I think the government will take the credit for opening schools successfully in Sept, and then when they close it will be a mass of "local lockdowns" which will be just as much inconvenience but won't be the fault of number 10.

I think you've hit the nail on the head there. I've also noticed the gradual increase on school-related transmission and yes, the local lockdowns won't be the fault of number 10.

[nellodee]

You might get lucky. That's the best I can say about the current plan.

[ColouringPencils]

I feel similarly, OP. They have funded Oak National Academy to run for the full year. My DD is at secondary school and they have said all years 10 and 11 will be provided with a school laptop, years 12 and 13 asked to find their own if possible (I assume school will provide if not). To me, this sounds like both the school and the government don't expect 'full time school' to last very long and we can expect some form of blended learning. I might be misreading the stats, but I can't get my head around the idea that returning to school wouldn't see the virus return at a much higher level. So unless the government decides that that higher level is now okay, then surely things will need to close?
I would much rather be told there are various scenarios and what me might expect in each of them, than that there is only Plan A until there isn't.

[sunseekin]

I think they know the unions won’t allow it so are hoping they’ll come out like the bad guys. What’s the point in being in a union if they don’t make sure you are offered the same protection as other occupation.

A right to life trumps a right to an education.

Yes the numbers are low but exponential growth is fast and who knows how fast in an autumn classroom.

We need a cautious approach, building numbers slowly through finding out needs/wishes of families.

But as other people have said on other threads this would throw up things that cost money so best just to have a last minute cobbling together of plans. Then they can pin the disorganisation on teachers.

At best they are drip feeding us because they know that we aren’t as a society ready to hear it. At worst it’s more devious. Either way it’s currently bonkers.

[MarshaBradyo]

They’ll open and worst case locally close. But not not national closure is my guess.

Aberdeen is still opening schools I guess even though other restrictions.

[Shinygreenelephant]

@ListeningQuietly

THe Government are not deliberately doing anything.

They are running around like headless chickens
punting ideas to the tabloids
sticking their fingers in their ears shouting la la la
and actively avoiding listening to anybody with any real expertise

its an omnishambles clusterfuck
that will change from one day to the next

Exactly this

[ColouringPencils]

As an aside, there have been articles about schools in the last week or so. What is strange to me is how few there were before that. For weeks on end I watched the Andrew Marr show thinking 'oh finally he'll address the issue of schools' and yet it never seemed to come up.

It's almost like the media is run by middle aged middle class men for whom childcare is a distant memory or whose privately educated children are not faring too badly. I felt like the media massively missed the mood of most parents. Anyone else?

[Failingbettereverytime]

Secondary teacher here. I am spending a few hours a day through the holidays rewriting schemes of work for next term so they can be delivered remotely if need be. We will be returning full time in September but we are a huge school (14 form entry plus sixth form) on a small site. With 'bubbles' of 420 in cramped classrooms and narrow corridors I can't see us lasting fulltime in school past October half term.
Personally, I would be a lot happier if we split the bubbles in half and did a week in, week out approach for everyone except Y11 and Y13. We have done a good job during lockdown of teaching ourselves and the kids how to work efficiently on Google Classrooms and learned a lot about delivering remote teaching. I feel classes of 15/16 would be far easier to deal with in terms of infection control and might give us some hope of getting through the winter without going back into lockdown.

[sunseekin]

@ColouringPencils completely agree. Media as a whole seems mute about coronavirus. But I agree definitely quiet on education/schools issues especially. The world seems intent on ore tending concerns aren’t there at the moment. Maybe the economy is really on the wire and they’re hoping for a few more weeks of 💰???

At the start of all this I was clicking on the guardian and bbc constantly or news, now it’s mumsnet! Funnily enough I looked at mumsnet traffic today - it seems to be through the roof. People want information and we aren’t getting it from mainstream media. Maybe they’re hoping we will all just go out and get an icecream and a half priced pub meal out of boredom?? 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[manicinsomniac]

I think they're hoping that so many parents will think it's too unsafe and keep their children at home 'voluntarily' that class sizes will end up being small anyway, without them having to initiate it. So they can say they opened schools fully and it wasn't their fault not everyone chose to attend.

[itsgettingweird]

We'll go back.

Transmission may spread - especially areas of high cases.

Schools will close under bubbles and track and trace.

They'll find a way to blame the teachers or just Joe Public in general.

We'll all get a free Nando's delivery to cheer us up

[Beebityboo]

@manicinsomniac if that were true they wouldn't be threatening us with fines.

[MoreListeningLessChatting]

The government issued an education update on 27th July:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools

[willitbetonight]

Spot on op. My daughter is in an independent. They haven't released the plan for September yet. I think they know they won't be able to have all the children back but are waiting for that to be government mandated.

[ListeningQuietly]

The government issued an education update on 27th July:

THey issued multiple versions of the play areas guidance till they got to one that was not utter bilge.

Schools will be the same but MUCH worse.

Updates will be weekly by random tabloid headline I suspect

[cologne4711]

Personally, I would be a lot happier if we split the bubbles in half and did a week in, week out approach for everyone except Y11 and Y13

This is what my son's sixth form college is saying they are doing anyway. Y13 in the first week and then Y12. So one week on-site, one week online lessons. They are saying for September only and then full-time in college, but I can see it going on for the entire year. And of course it works for those year groups because you don't need childcare.

I just hope that they don't have blanket rules and lump FE colleges in with schools and at the other end with HE colleges.

[cologne4711]

Schools in Hamburg went back this week and schools in the Cologne area go back next week. Hamburg = masks in corridors etc but not in lessons; Cologne masks all the time.

The government has a couple of weeks to watch the German (and Scottish) experience.

[manicinsomniac]

Beebity I thought the fines issue had been reversed?

[Beebityboo]

No, fines will be issued for non attendance, even for those who have been shielding. I'm praying that they do a u turn but it seems highly unlikely now.

[lifeafter50]

They are running around like headless chickens
This.
Gavin is terrified of the unions snd letting them call the shots.
He should be saying that schools WILL back as normal -none of the SD/mask/'PPE' nonsense as the children all mix anyway outside their 'bubbles'
Any over/anxious halfwits Coronaphobes who want to keep their kids 'safe' from every possible scratch and sniffle can just de/register. School staff who similarly don't want to work with children should resign.
Most of both the whinging groups will grumble (to anyone who can still be bothered to listen) but will comply because they too cowardly to do what they claim to be the right thing.
And everyone sane else can get on with ensuring children get the education they deserve.