What actually is going to happen with schools next week?

[KindergartenKop]

I feel like Gove's statement today was an attempt to sow the seeds of doubt about kids returning to school. Anyone got any ideas?

@LittleFir, why do you say that? Those primary numbers look pretty bad to me too.

[quote CallmeAngelGabriel]@LittleFir, why do you say that? Those primary numbers look pretty bad to me too.[/quote]
Sorry, I don’t think my sarcasm came through! Primaries absolutely need to close but unfortunately SAGE and gov’t are saying they should open.

The cases per 100,000 are HORRIFIC.

My brother is a head teacher and a county councillor. He also sits on various committees related to health and education. I’ve texted him tonight to ask his opinion on schools returning. I got this:

“Fucked if I know. Dad says his hip is bad, will you ring him?”

That’s it. Nothing else.

Gove's statement was designed to blame whatever shitshow is about to happen on teachers and their unions. Don't fall for it.

Seems as good an approach to working out wtf the government are doing as anything else.

@Myothercarisalsoshit

Gove's statement was designed to blame whatever shitshow is about to happen on teachers and their unions. Don't fall for it.

Yep - these are the 2 statements.

"Schools have been offered mass testing" so if it's nit done it's the schools choice and nothing to do with not being able to meet the demand

"Headteachers have worked hard during Christmas break to set this up" so those who haven't managed to get it working clearly haven't worked hard enough during their holiday.

I can't believe having schools open is even an option at this stage, particularly in the higher tier areas. It is ridiculous. Non essential shops are too risky (where we must wear masks) yet it is ok for a group of 30 kids to be in close proximity for 6 hours a day?? I wouldn't blame teachers if they strike in January. The government are expecting far too much of them, they are being asked to put themselves at very high risk on a daily basis, and having a ridiculous amount of additional responsibility thrust upon them.

They should just close them until there are better Covid spread prevention measures in place.

School staff have done enough. Time the government put its hand in its pockets and paid for what is necessary.

I predict a steady drip feed in the press, a press conference called late in the day the day before term starts, a delay on that starting of at least an hour, and an announcement which contains few details but lots of platitudes and leaves us all - parents and teachers - scrabbling around in the dark.

I mean that’s what they’ve done with every other thing...

It is ridiculous. I’m not sure Gav is going to get his way when the rest of the cabinet work out that ‘some sacrifices to keep schools open’ is code for shutting all non-essential retail and hospitality and absolutely everything else.

We won’t know until Sunday 5pm.

I was surprised how many parents hadn’t twigged the secondary school plans, lots of people sharing Gove’s outing yesterday as ‘news’ when it was just a repeat of the same policy announced at the end of last term.

Yet you see other threads where parents just say schools should be open (I think people just see their circumstance and not the bigger picture. ) and teachers are blamed for not wanting to be in a room with 30 people all day in a pandemic.

I'm really hating the way the pro school opening rent a mouths are talking as if children would never ever go back to school. Surely we are looking at stopping that build up we had last Jan, Feb, March when the virus was running riot among us? With a new strain, how many more will die?

Surely we are talking a matter of weeks to get us over this hump of weather and new strain etc. To learn more about children being affected..

We are throwing lambs to the wolves and there is no guarantee of hospital back up.

The lack of clarity is infuriating.
If schools knew what was going on they could attempt to put measures in place and parents could make plans.
My concern is that the Government will leave everything to the last minute as usual.
As another poster said, it is a shit show

There’s one thread about a generation of illiterate children if schools don’t go back.

I’m a teacher- this won’t happen.

And l was at school in the during a time in late 70’s/ early 80’s where there were non stop closures. My dm told me we missed a 6 week block once due to snow, broken heating and caretakers strike. Plus loads and loads of other strikes.

The fact that l got a degree shows that poster is talking shite.

I'm starting to lean towards just not sending my kids back in (primary age). I found the first lockdown horrendous trying to homeschool and work, and I know work is due to be chaos in January, but I can't see how kids going back is a good idea at all.

I think they were expecting the Oxford vaccine to have been approved yesterday and at that point they will say that schools are closed for say January to allow them to roll out the vaccine.

However as it hadn't been signed off Gove then ended up waffling instead with no clear message.

I'd really like to know the answer.
I teach in early years and will spend this week finalising my planning for classroom based learning but also prepare for the switch to online.
There is so much to organise and consider.
To switch to online learning with just a few days or hours notice is farcical but we have come to expect it now.
It's sad that as a profession we are now used to being totally in the dark about what the government is planning.
I basically rely on news reports and twitter for information!

Children won't fall behind education if they spent time working out a curriculum.

If they insist on exams only on a whole host of topics and that's what their future depends on then yes, shutting schools is detrimental.

How about smaller exams on subject topics? Ones they would have covered. How about looking again at our system and looking at going back to coursework also being involved? How about looking at devolved nations who haven't insisted exams go ahead whatever in the midst of a pandemic and uneven school opening throughout the academic year due to isolation.

The issue is bigger. It's highlighted the real negative of our current exam system. You have to be fit and healthy on a largo year day of the year to inform your future. Pupils are already under great pressure to perform over a 4 week period. Time out whole system was reviewed and overhauled.

But as Give fucked it up originally he is nit the person to put out front discussing schools, years 11/13 and importance of exams!

My child has a specialist 1:1 just for him in his mainstream primary. He can’t access education without her. She is ECV, and he can’t manage online learning without another adult sitting next to him.

His education has just slid out of view.

People don't seem to be aware that the quick tests are around, 50% accurate (and possibly less so if self administered) so no point in testing really.

@PoptartPoptart

It’s going to be a shit show, that’s what. Primary, and secondary (years 11 and 13) will be back on the 4th, and all other secondary years (7 -10 and 12) will have remote leaning at home for a week before returning on the 11th. Schools will be responsible for mass testing, along with doing the job of track and trace, with little or no extra funding or resources. My son’s secondary school is asking for parent volunteers to administer Covid tests to pupils from 7.30am each day. I mean WTF? It’s an absolute shambles and a disgrace. Children need to be in school, of course they do, but only if it is safe enough to be there. How the fuck is it not safe for me to see other members of my own family at Christmas (tier 4) yet just a week later it is ok for thousands of children, teachers and TA’s to mix in school. This government need to make up their bloody mind. The scientists and medical experts are saying the only way to get abs keep the R rate down and avoid the NHS being overwhelmed is to keep schools closed for a few weeks, yet the government is pressing ahead anyway. I give it until Feb half term when hospitals are at capacity and countless more people have died before the announce inevitable school closures.

Agree 100%. No logic, no plan. Utter shitshow. I'm a teacher with underlying health issues and am genuinely scared about the prospect of going back. We have no PPE in school and for reasons I simply can't fathom, teachers aren't being vaccinated.

DS is in Y11 and has been told he's going back as planned, as is Y13. But we are in the North and our rate is 184 per 100,000 at the moment.

@MissMarpletheMurderer

People don't seem to be aware that the quick tests are around, 50% accurate (and possibly less so if self administered) so no point in testing really.

I suspect the government wouldn't even consider using them if they hadn't already purchased a massive warehouse full. They need to get rid of them somehow, and look like they're making good on the 'moonshot' promise. Suspect BoJo spoke too soon on that one before the crap accuracy of the tests was know.

Oh God we're all fucked aren't we.

@Myothercarisalsoshit

Gove's statement was designed to blame whatever shitshow is about to happen on teachers and their unions. Don't fall for it.

Haha, I am a teacher and I'd love to know what's happening so I can plan for next week. Including the care of my own children 😅.