To feel like parents aren't allowed to criticise teachers anymore?

[velaryon]

I have the utmost respect for the teaching profession, especially the hard work and dedication of many teachers despite a pandemic and nationwide lockdown.
But at the same time, I've seen a lot of parents genuinely concerned about the teaching & communication at their DC's school who were immediately accused of 'teacher bashing' and being too lazy to teach their own children.
AIBU to think this is absolutely ridiculous?
I don't see anything wrong with questioning the level of teaching a school is providing, provided it's done in a sensitive and understanding way. IMO it's ridiculous how quickly someone is accused of teacher bashing for asking a legitimate question.

It is not a good use of teachers time to be delivering food to at risk pupils' homes. Surely this is the type of things volunteers should be doing or lower paid public sector worker?

So who is organising these volunteers or public sector workers to do it then?

Apart from free school meals being provided, we are also getting food from local food banks. Ours are not allowed to use volunteers at the moment so there is one full time organiser trying to do everything. We are collecting and delivering food because otherwise our families wouldn't get any.

Are teachers now getting a hammering for looking out for disadvantaged children?! Should they let them go without? Fuck me there is just no winning is there? Imagine the uproar if this service wasn't carried out by teachers? "Oh they let those children starve!" Jesus fucking wept some of you will sink to any level to have a crack. Here's an idea. Seeing as your so clever and wise how about you step up and get a job in education and show them how its done?

It is not a good use of teachers time to be delivering food to at risk pupils' homes. Surely this is the type of things volunteers should be doing or lower paid public sector worker?
Damned if we do, damned if we don't.

Unfortunately, a decade of austerity has obliterated many wider family support services. The answer year after year was 'put it into schools'.

I'm not sure if you're aware how much as gone into schools that was previously done by other public sector organisations. For example, many schools in areas of deprivation are paying their own family support workers and parental engagement workers out of school budgets, they're employing additional pastoral staff, mentors, counsellors from school budgets because hundreds of children can't access CAMHS. Some are paying for their teachers to do higher study to assess for specific learning difficulties because getting EdPsyc appointments is really difficult.

That has a knock on effect, fewer resources in school, fewer CPD opportunities for staff, fewer trips because school can't afford to cover staff, cuts to the curriculum, reduction in PPA time, allocating work that used to come with leadership pay to upper pay scale teachers for no extra pay and no extra time and so on.

There's a lot begin the scenes that people don't see

True.

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras you seem to be missing my point which I think we actually agree. The bit about their being dad jokes was to show that it dosent need to be a fancy video but just something that lets that child know their teacher and school are still here

I think Schools should be providing work which is personalised and appropriate to their Pupils by which ever means suits them and their particular circumstances. For some this is videos for others it’s emailed comments and for telephone feedback and for some printed workpacks and a face to face chat as they deliver a meal. Clearly many if not most schools are doing this in some form. Schools that are just putting some generic links to online resources and on a website are to me not fulfilling their duty (and I appreciate that the government has not made it a legal requirement for them to provide education at this point - I would argue they still have a moral duty to)

It sounds like your son is teaching secondary and doing a great job so maybe that’s why your not getting me, I didn’t make it clear that I was referring to primary children. For these young kids there teacher is massively important socially and to their emotional wellbeing for them to just disappear will feel like a betrayal. Social development Is a massive part of the EYFS curriculum. You say your sons pupils can email him and get direct support - clearly 5 and 6 year olds aren’t going to do this so In the case of primary then the teachers need to take the lead in reaching the students in an age appropriate way. Lots of sad confusing stuff is going on right now for children and contact from their teachers is something that can help them cope.

I fully agree that the core emotional needs of kids should be met by their families but the kids I work with are not having those needs met fully by their families (especially if support was provided by grandparents and extended family) and now their teachers have also gone and no one is meeting their needs. There are so many kids that are just above the threshold for social work involvement where school is a lifeline of normality. Schools may wish that there was not a need for them to also be part social worker and in an ideal world they wouldn’t be but they do play a vital role in the safeguarding and support of vulnerable children.

@pigoons

Do these volunteers have safeguarding training so they know what to look for when checking up on the vulnerable kids? Are they an known adult the kids trust that they would be able to disclose abuse to?

Yes the food had to be delivered but I’m sure it’s a lot more than just handing over some food that is going on.

As far as I know, our school found out via the same press release that we did, that schools were going to be closed.

So, not a shit load of time to prepare to go to a completely novel way of attempting to educate children with extremely variable resources at both ends of the equation - the school and teachers' end, and the family end.

Keep in mind, also, that many teachers are also parents, who are equally stressed and worried about their childrens' education, trying to juggle that with working fulltime teaching other peoples' children, and attempting to also do pastoral care with children they know are at risk and vulnerable at home.

My girls' first school was proudly mediocre. It would move Heaven and Earth for those who were failing, but were quite vicious in their refusal to perform any sort of extension (even to the point of refusing to use a higher level reading book) for the children that needed extension. Especially if they weren't the proud possessor of a penis.

One thing that taught me was that sometimes it's down to me to ensure that my kids got the education they deserved, you cannot rely on the school or teacher to either want to deliver or be able to deliver the education experience they need.

(That is no reflection on any teachers in here, or any school but the one I'm talking about - I ended up on the Board of Governors (equivalent) of that school, and got to know very well why the school had the challenges and attitude it did.)

I don't think we are not allowed to criticise but from my POV why would I want to?

DS's (state) school are doing a fantastic job in difficult circumstances.

We've had regular updates from the Head as things progress.

The teachers have put in a HUGE amount of effort to provide online learning materials, are setting/marking work as usual and offering a call in service if children need assistance with a specific topic.

All this on top of providing care for children of key workers and trying to plan how the school can re-open safely for both staff and pupils - with many teachers being on site to start re-arranging classrooms/setting up one way systems etc

Yet for some parents it's not enough and frankly some of the teacher bashing going on in this thread and others is disgraceful.

Many of you will be out clapping tonight and then come back to post negatively about teachers because they don't seem to garner the same levels of appreciation that other key workers do .

I'm not a teacher btw and nor is DH but I'm bloody thankful for the work they are doing.

Many many schools are delivering food. Being a teacher I have lots of teacher friends and family so access to many schools and all are doing this.
Just because you don't know of it doesn't mean your school isn't. Perhaps the school and the vulnerable families don't like to advertise their need?

@Viviennemary @pigoons

Its a good job that no one has told you about all the school PPE that was donated to front line NHS staff and carers from school supplies.

Or

The 400,000 + pieces of PPE that were made by various school DT departments.

How fucking dare teachers care.