To think secondary school parents are more likely to be happy about their dc going back to school and they should have been first.

[sunshineanddaffodils]

It’s annoying for me to hear all these parents of children at primary school aren’t going to send them back. It’s their choice though and that’s that. But I don’t know anyone with a child in secondary school who’s not worried about their education and desperate for them to be back even for a day a week. God knows when the current years 7,8 and 9 will have any time in school and the educational impact on them will be far greater than primary dc. I know logistically it’s more difficult at secondary but that’s got to be sorted at some point.

It would be really easy for the local secondary schools to send a couple of year groups to each so that they had space to educate the rest in the schools. Yes there would need to be some extra cleaning, and maybe some forms would need to be juggled so the pupils all had the same options, but it seems very doable.

Why would universities let school children on their campuses? They aren't letting their staff on at the moment and they will be first in the queue when they do decide it safe, not schoolchildren.

The guidance still hasn’t come out for Secondary schools yet so I am assuming the Government are struggling with the logistics of it, never mind the actual schools trying to implement it! Having the bubbles like they are in Primary School will be very difficult.

I think the Government and Secondary schools should be looking at the provision of remote learning, there is such a huge disparity between schools, this should be the priority.

I don’t have secondary age children (got primary) but if I did, I wouldn’t be sending them back. This is because I feel any loss educationally is more than outweighed by safety concerns.

Secondary children can work online and work independently. Although this isn’t ideal, it’s hardly devastating IMO. They can communicate with their teacher for input, share ideas online with their peers, etc. Obviously children without internet access are a different matter and they should be helped to access learning.

The reason for getting young kids back to school first is economic - getting the parents back to work - rather than any real concerns about education, otherwise they’re be focusing on Year 5 who have SATS next year and the GCSE and A level groups. Year 6 could easily do transition towards the end of July. They have no exams so there’s no real point to sending them back.

I LOVE the idea of sending secondary kids to universities to study. I’m also in a relatively small town with two unis, including some wonderful facilities, and that would enable social distancing as well as giving at least some of them the opportunity to learn in a high quality environment and hopefully encourage some to become familiar with and think about Uni when they might not have otherwise.

@Comefromaway that’s interesting. I know no one else with a year 10 or 12 who don’t want them back in ASAP.

@BreatheAndFocus when you have a dc approaching a critical exam you may feel differently.

I LOVE the idea of sending secondary kids to universities to study. I’m also in a relatively small town with two unis, including some wonderful facilities, and that would enable social distancing as well as giving at least some of them the opportunity to learn in a high quality environment and hopefully encourage some to become familiar with and think about Uni when they might not have otherwise.

Why would universities allow school children on the campuses when they aren't allowing staff to work there??

I think whether you want them back will also depend on what work they are currently getting and what work they are doing.

My DS is Y10 so one of the critical years. But is getting a live timetable with live classes, marked work, tests, homework, collaborative working in groups, feedback. I would rather he stayed home with this set up than have to go into school part-time with the restrictions that social distancing will bring. If your DC is only getting a couple of worksheets which aren’t even being marked I could understand you would want your DC back in school even if it is only for a couple of hours.

My ds is year 10 and the headteacher has stated that the plan so far is for year 10 and 12 to go back after 1st June but only on a part time as and when needed basis, apparently 3/4 of all work set has been returned by the students so he's happy that the home schooling is working and just wants them to see their teachers if really needed. We'll know more in the next week or 2. The HT seems sensible so at the moment I'm happy that they're making plans for them to go in.

Lol lol at the idea of educating secondary children on University campuses. I bet that would go down well with the University students (and their parents) who can't even access those facilities even though they are paying approx £300 per week for the privilege

Lol lol at the idea of educating secondary children on University campuses. I bet that would go down well with the University students (and their parents) who can't even access those facilities even though they are paying approx £300 per week for the privilege

Yep, staff can't access the facilities either and it is causing a lot of problems. Fat chance that schoolchildren will be allowed on. I don't think people realise that these are private businesses and the land is private too.

Secondary children can work online and work independently. Although this isn’t ideal, it’s hardly devastating IMO. They can communicate with their teacher for input, share ideas online with their peers, etc.

It difficult enough for 18 year olds to do that let alone 12 year olds.

@mrpumblechook my DS(15) is managing just fine doing that. In fact this method of learning seems to really suit him. So not all children will struggle with it.

As with Primary School I am sure the first phase of returning won’t involve a full timetable. They will just concentrate on certain areas.

I agree with the OP. Especially years 10 and 12.

@mrpumblechook my DS(15) is managing just fine doing that. In fact this method of learning seems to really suit him. So not all children will struggle with it.

I don't think that I said that all children will. However, many 18 year olds struggle so that idea that most children as young as 12 will be fine with online learning for months is naive.

Year 10 and 12 should be able to work
Independently. That is a major problem with the education system is that children cannot and will not work independently. If you have a child who is Self-motivated. They will do well. Because so many have to be stood over to do anything. As we are seeing time and time again in mumsnet atm with Exasperated parents of teens Who are refusing to work. The same happens in schools. The Efforts staff have to go to in order to get so many children to do any work is ridiculous. How does breeding this attitude create good employees? I imagine the government assumes that year 10-13 are capable of working at Home unsupervised.

The governments is focused on getting the small ones in because they cannot be left unattended at home.

The government is not reopening schools to continue the education of the state educated as they are worried about an achievement gap. They are opening up schools because they need the working classes working. For them.

It is purely for childcare.

I don't blame the parents of primary school age children who don't want to send the children back as they will get nothing from it apart from potentially infected.

I also think it could be very damaging for some. My dd is A very anxious Child. She would love to go back to school, but getting back and realising it is not the school experience she knows and is something completely different will really stress her out. She will be fine at school though. She will have a melt down at home.

I said id be tempted to leave her home when i have to go back i can be home for 4. but i was told by a family member that would be very Very wrong and dangerous.

The government hasn't even published any guidance for what they want to see at secondaries, so they are def not a priority. "Bubbles" like they are using at primary won't work at secondary due to setting, options etc, so they probably can't work it out

Its not just cities that will have issues with transport for secondary age kids. Rural areas have buses coming from all over the place, Our local secondary has over 1700 students. Different subjects split by year and ability. Not many here can walk to school especially those coming from over three miles away on narrow country lanes. Its not easy to figure out how this can work safely and to be fair to all students not just those who live a mile up the road.

Year 10 and 12 should be able to work Independently.

So why have schools? Do the teachers not contribute anything?

It’s a win win keeping secondary school children at home because they don’t need childcare, their presence at home doesn’t effect parental work output, they can undertake online learning as long as there’s enough screens in the house and their absence in school will lower covid19 spread. The only secondary children I’m concerned for are the vulnerable ones.

Personally I think all schools should shut till September and instead bubbles should be broadened to include another family so that child caring responsibilities can be shared.

ds1 actually raised an interesting point in that the parents of reception age children will be younger (on average) than the parents of secondary age children and hence be themselves of less risk of Covid-19 even if the children do bring it home and maybe this has been a factor in the decision as which children to bring back first.

Obviously remote learning doesn't replace actual teaching in the classroom, but I think it would be better than a couple of hours here and there in the school, not necessarily with your usual teacher and classmates. Like Primary school shared resources will be restricted, social distancing will be required. Transport might be an issue. We live in a rural area, the majority of Secondary school children have to use a bus to get to school. If they are only going in for a couple of hours, the school buses won't run and the public bus service is rubbish at the best of times.

Other countries seem to cope ok with online learning. I seem to remember a thread about the German system, where it was very strict and children were expected to do all the work set, no half hearted attempts were allowed. Not quite sure what the sanctions would be, but maybe the children just accepted they had to do it, and not have the attitude of some of our students.

Interestingly I have been talking with the Head at our local Primary and she has been wondering how online working could be utilised going forward when things go back to normal, or as normal as they can in the near future. The local Primary schools work together as a group, so whether a specialist teacher in one school could do lessons for the other schools online. Obviously not replacing all teachers but may help all schools make use of specialist teachers where they would not normally have the budget for them.

I have a Year 8 and I'm really pleased we've got some breathing space and won't need to make a decision until September.

I think secondary age children would be more likely to stick to social distancing. The only reason I am not willing at present to send my daughter back is I know it would be impossible to implement it in her school as the class rooms and hallways are tiny!