DC are going to have to repeat a school year

[bigbananafeet12]

They finished school in March, there’s more chance teachers (and frightened parents) might be willing to get back into schools by next March. I know some dc are getting full school days on zoom, but for most their home learning is no substitute. Universities are planning on doing online learning for the first term too so loads will defer potentially causing problems for the current year 12.
You might say you’re dc are fine now but if things carry on like this in September, October, November and so on enthusiasm for home learning is going to decrease massively. It’s just unfair on dc. They need a chance to learn properly in the normal way. I honestly see no other satisfactory solution.

We could all stop this and relax about it.

Finding out that schools wouldn't be opening until march 2021 would not cause me to relax....nor the millions of other people who need to work.

I imagine year 6 will say the children will be well outgrown for primary biologically .... something to ponder.

That's a bit of a strange argument. In most countries, kids actually start secondary school at age 12 not 11 as standard. I personally think kids benefit from an extra year in primary.

Not saying that the OP's plan would work, mind you.

Realistically pre 7yo primary children can catch up, many of the best educational systems dont move away from learning through play into formal learning until children are 7 and they pick it up much quicker.

One of the biggest problems in the UK is the arbitrary curriculum changes which the dfe have kept making over the last 5/10 years, ramming as much content into gcses as possible. It would for some part be possible for schools to continue once they are able to open if there was some flexibility and changes made to the curriculum, maintaining learning objectives and outcomes, but lessening the ridiculous workload and variety.

Universities on the other hand are currently receiving no government bail out. The reason they are refusing to refund students who have.missed out of learning for the final term is because the government has decided they should use the student finance they receive to prop them up regardless that this is not enough.
Is many people defer for Sept 2020 intake they will find it much harder to get places in sept 2021 as they will be competing with current year 12s and will not get priority of spaces, likewise if too many students including international student defer then it's likely many universities will close down, resulting in even less places for the defered year and current year 12s.
I personally think deferring university is shooting yourself in the foot, as your more likely this year to get in better institutions due to the numbers deferring and them lowering entry requirements at clearing to fill spaces, for potentially a term or so of online work, when you have 3+ years of university.

I can't understand why people think that children will need to repeat a year. The teachers have been working all the time to ensure that work is covered - worksheets, links, calling pupils. No, this won't be a problem - a little catchup at the start and off you go!

@SueEllenMishke but they’re likely to be part time for a while to come so that will be an issue anyway.

@SoTiredNeedHoliday thank you I’ve signed it.

Yes I know...and that's stressful enough but no school at all until March really isn't feasible.
It certainly isn't a relaxing experience for everyone.

The government can prop up universities for the year

The government has explicitly said it won't do this. Of course nothing any minister says can be believed, but there is quite a lot going on to try to ensure that universities can recruit adequate numbers of students this year with the clear intention of avoiding a situation where major financial propping-up is necessary.

I can't understand why people think that children will need to repeat a year. The teachers have been working all the time to ensure that work is covered - worksheets, links, calling pupils. No, this won't be a problem - a little catchup at the start and off you go!

Do you really think all the kids will have been doing this? I don’t.

The teachers have been working all the time to ensure that work is covered - worksheets, links, calling pupils.

Except for the ones who haven’t

so you are thinking of the least settling way forward for your dc exactly like me.
Why am I such a terrible person for that?
It's fairly obvious me contemplating the childcare arrangements for my baby is not the same as wanting a whole system changing around my child and my preferences.

Do you really think all the kids will have been doing this? I don’t.

so you want to punish the ones who have?
why do we always have to do a race to the bottom in this country?

In the Uk that would actually benefit the youngest kids - going to school in the year you turn 5 ( so many 4 year olds in reception) is FAR too young. An extra year in nursery would be beneficial for a whole intake - funded by the government before anyone starts in about working parents...

Strange thing is my son is so far behind he year group as he has learning problems I am going to request he re does the year because he need it he is also a high risk child due to health why should he not get the same chance of learning everyone else has he has has shit teachers the last few years sub teachers different one evry week so yes I believe it should be a parents choice if they re do a year not be forced to catch up

'The teachers have been working all the time to ensure that work is covered - worksheets, links, calling pupils.'

Not at our school they haven't. We've been sent a load of links for 'optional' home working and that's it.

No I don’t want to punish the ones who have. But I don’t want to penalise those who haven’t - for whatever reason. I don’t agree with the op that the whole year needs repeating for all. But I do think it’s unrealistic to think all the kids at home are diligently doing the work set. Mine have done virtually none of it.

why are you so adamant I’m trying to wind you up.
I don't think you're trying to wind me up.

I think your whole thread and your repeated assertions about what 'teachers want / teachers will or won't do' is deliberately being done to create us Vs them between teachers and parents.
Everything about your approach seems to be grounded in asserting that staff are just refusing to work, don't want to do their job, shoot ideas down, there's no discussion by teachers about how to go back etc.

In reality, most staff want things to go back to normal in an appropriate and responsible way that keeps everyone as safe as possible. Just because it's not the plan you want, doesn't mean people don't want schools back.
In fact, the approach of "the plan isn't how I want it therefore schools/teachers are being crap" is a horrible vocal minority view that's been evident throughout this crisis on everything from key worker opening to how remote learning has been organised.

I understand the difficulties the uni face but at the end of the day it’s students who suffer and still get to pay full price for it. It just doesn’t seem fair to me that other sectors are getting help yet universities and their students are just expected to take the hit.

An extra year in nursery would be beneficial for a whole intake - funded by the government before anyone starts in about working parents...

Where do you propose to put them?

There will be a very significant attainment gap opening up between the children who’s parents have been able to plug the gap of school closures and the ones who haven’t (for whatever reason).

For those in the second group, particularly if they were behind to begin with, that will be a big concern.

I think with unis the funding model isn’t working anyway and that whole sector is ripe for a radical rethink.

I believe it should be a parents choice if they re do a year not be forced to catch up

As lovely an idea as that would be for children that need it, it would be totally unworkable. As am example, what would happen if in one year 10 parents wanted their child to stay back a year? You’d have one class with 40 children in it, with a large percentage being lower ability (assuming that’s the reason they’ve been kept back) and another class of only 20. The classrooms wouldn’t cope, never mind the teachers and the fellow students that were suddenly stuck in a huge class.

No I don’t want to punish the ones who have. But I don’t want to penalise those who haven’t - for whatever reason.

It's impossible to please both sides, that's the problem. People will have to take responsibility and do catch up work at home after school if needed.

Some countries are far ahead, some schools in this country far ahead, I don't want to drag my own kids even more behind by wasting their time, and completely put them off in the process. What's the point of doing anything now if they were to repeat the year? (which they won't)

I do agree that schools starts too early
and that the insistence in the UK that no kid ever repeat a year makes no sense. But forcing everybody to go backwards is not helpful either.

As lovely an idea as that would be for children that need it, it would be totally unworkable.

we should look at other countries where it actually happens. somehow they make it work. it's not going to happen here anytime, but we should research it, in theory it's not a bad idea.

People will have to take responsibility and do catch up work at home after school if needed.

What about parents who do not have the skills for that?