To think this procrastinating about school reopening is going to cause more deaths and long term issues than CV

[whenthejoyreturns]

Credit due to all the schools that have worked hard and found inventive ways to open this week. I know of some that have sent positive messages to parents and managed to reassure them that their dc won’t be traumatised by the experience.
What’s preventing all schools doing this? Our local primary has sent an email basically telling parents they will be committing murder if their dc step anywhere near school. Unsurprisingly they’ve decided they’re not ready to open yet. This is a modern school, all classrooms have doors to outside and are large and airy. The deputy head’s dc has diabetes and I believe she doesn’t want to open because of her personal circumstances.
AIBU to think schools are not thinking about children and the negative impact this is bound on thousands. I believe many will never recover from this.

School is not childcare it is there to provide formal education

Yes and I'd really like my DC to receive some formal education now.

Me too, formerbabe

Schools have not be closed. Most have been open throughout, caring for the children of key workers and vulnerable children. This has included during the holidays and over bank holiday.

Most schools have been providing home learning activities during this time. I know I have an I know my school is not alone. Our teachers and TAs are still working hard and not in a six month paid holiday 🙄Every teacher and TA I know would much rather be teaching the children normally.

Our vulnerable children are being monitored and called throughout. They are invited into school, with the learning mentor following this up and trying to persuade parents of those children that it would benefit their children to return.

Schools won't be the same during this widening of access. Of course it won't. Any school or parent who claims it will be are talking nonsense. It can't be if you follow the government guidance. Soft furnishings and toys which can't easily be cleaned have to go, classes will be much smaller - 15 maximum. Logistics means that some won't go to the same classroom and some won't have their normal staff. That's obvious. Normal routines won't happen - it's impossible. It also means many schools can't reopen for all of the year groups eligible - schools rarely have any spare capacity when it comes to staffing or room.

Various experts have claimed it's too early.some LEAs have reacted to that and schools have to follow their advise, if they are maintained, we were due to widen our access from the 8th but this has been pushed back to the 15th at the earliest due to scientific findings which say the risk is reduced by waiting two weeks.

Individual teachers, even head teachers, don't get to decide if schools are open or closed. That's not how it works.

It would be nice if this thread could not turn into a teacher/school bashing thread but somehow I doubt it. It was already starting.

I’m sure a lot of teachers are working. My dnephews (Reception) school have been sending work sheets and doing a couple of live lessons a week. Our local primary have sent links to BBC Bitesize. Twinkl etc each week. Nothing submitted so no marking. Only a few key worker dc in. Make of that what you like.

*canigooutyet
Parents could volunteer to keep the couple of classes open. Shouldn’t be hard to manage 15 kids and keep them away from each other.
That's what teachers are paid for.

@PeskyEdith actually, that isn't what teachers are paid for* 🙄

I’m bored of hearing schools have never been shut. To the vast majority of dc they have.

And unfortunately formal education will still be a long wait and very disruptive. Look at the schools with lower numbers than us, they are opening and closing within days because of new cases.

Parents could also get together and open up their own private school and do as they wish. Create a proper home schooling network for formal education.

Our school isn't opening until September and I fully support them. My elder two have SEN and are hard work, but they are my children. I really don't see the outrage about having your own children at home for a few month. Sure, home schooling and wfh is hard to juggle but we just make the best of it. I find it a bit sad people can't cope with their own children in a crisis and want to send them back to school when the advice is unclear if it is safe to do so or not. Teachers would not be this against opening up schools if it was safe and in the children's best interests. I trust my school will open up when it is safe to do so. Weird some of you have no trust in your school to make these decisions but you hand your little ones over to them everyday to teach and look after them.

@Ginandbearit1

I agree OP. I think schools thought closed until September, six month paid holiday.

Ahahahahaaaaaaa!

Just shows you know NOTHING about schools.

Op If your children's primary school is closed I am sympathetic.
Have they said when they will open?
Can you post the bit of the letter which implies " parents they will be committing murder if their dc step anywhere near school"? I would be interested to see it.

Our primary school is open for reception, Yr 1 and Yr 6 - and key worker children.

If some schools are managing so well they all should be.

Schools aren't all the same as each other.
I'm also curious as to how you think the schools being shut is going to "cause more deaths than CV*, OP.

Completely agree OP. My DD's school is part of an acadamy Trust and the board of trustees has made the decision not to open. So not one of the 4 primary schools in the acadamy is able to open for even 1 year group? That is not based on individual schools looking at what they can do, it's political point scoring plain and simple. It's the negative "can't do" attitude that pisses me off, why not just try ffs. DD's teachers (reception) have been amazing throughout lockdown, setting work every day, responding quickly to every single piece of work I've uploaded and they've made it clear that they want to get the kids back in school. Can't fault the teachers at all but I've lost all faith in the Acadamy.

I believe our school is also trying to ensure it doesn’t open to many phases before the summer holidays. Year 6 are going back on 11 June (would normally be 8/6 as we get 2 weeks off) - it’s part time until 22/6. On 22/6 it’s year 1 part time, and then reception ‘potentially sometime after that’. So no doubt it won’t be until at least end of June.
And no, it hasn’t had loads of keyworker children in.

The home schooling provision hasn’t been great - some work sheets, often with links in them that don’t work. 8 weeks before any teacher even sent a video of them reading a story to the kids. Not a single online lesson. No, I don’t mean interactive online lessons but a pre-recorded one is easy to do

My son’s kickboxing club have done a daily live lesson. Every day M-F, without fail

WW2 analogy
Many children were evacuated away from the bombs. That is surely the equivalent of lockdown - an extreme measure taken to save lives.
They had varying experiences but it was traumatic for many. The host families were not always kind, were often shocked by the inner city children, and some were physically or sexually abused. Doubtless some people thought the evacuation was an overreaction to the threat, and many did return home before the war was over. Then lots of them died - around 4,000 were killed in the Blitz.

So your WW2 analogy is just not helpful.

Parents volunteering in schools
This could be done, but you need to be clear, it would be purely for childcare and socialization reasons. Babysitting is not teaching.

I know mature entrants to teaching, with challenging careers behind them, good management skills and lots of experience with children, who are incredulous at how hard teaching actually is.

To engage groups of very diverse children, manage behaviour and teach the right material pitched at the right level is complex and skilled work.

Those schools in "requires improvement" and those teachers who are managed out of the profession are rarely lazy or uncaring. They generally just haven't been able to put in place the rigorous systems and ruthless attention to detail that is needed to teach a class effectively.

We all think we have it in us to be Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society. The reality is that there is a lot of boring procedural stuff that has to be mastered before you can inspire and motivate children to learn.

If you are in a complex managerial job, think about how effective a parent volunteer would be standing in for you with no training.

So yes, consider using volunteers but don't kid yourself those children will be getting a normal education.

In Cheshire the LEAs are not opening schools except for key workers children. I don’t know when this will change.

[quote whenthejoyreturns]@canigooutyet who makes the decision then if not the heads? It’s not the parents. There’s plenty around me that are keen for dcs to get back to normal.[/quote]
Schools have to follow the guidance. If they can’t, then they can’t open. Our school is a 3 form entry but really only has space for 2. They have said there is no way they an offer full time places to all children while the currently guidelines are in place.

Talking from personal experience...

Accessing hospitals and care homes have not been a problem for essential maintenance.

Schools are making a big fuss demanding there own interpretation of how people can enter the building.

It feels like they are making a fuss and been very difficult.

Schools are making a big fuss demanding there own interpretation of how people can enter the building.

What does this mean?

Why do you want your children to go back now OP?

Because of their education? Because of the missed socialisation? Because you need unpaid childcare? Or because you're fed up with them being at home?

I know the layout and size of my local modern primary - big classrooms all have access to outside, 3 separate toilet areas plus sinks in each classroom yet they're not opening???????????

@Bishybarnybee
For some parents the lack of formal education won’t be an issue because it’s childcare.

On a regular day classes can be hard to handle, now they will be a nightmare and very little formal education will be happening.

I was one who suggested parents volunteer to open the schools that cannot if it’s so easy. Or political scoring. Lazy teachers etc.

One of the schools here to minimise the risk and reduce cleaning can open one building. And if that route is taken, a quarter of both school years can attend a day/week. And even then when learning finally starts, a lot of subjects won’t be allowed.

Then contact your local authority, and offer to do it then.

Yeah, how dare those pesky diabetics dare be worried about their safety and/or that of their diabetic children. I mean they are only 3.5 times more likely to die than anyone else.

How dare schools be worried about how they keep their staff, students and wider community safe.

@happinessischocolate socialisation mainly. Plus I think we need to start gradually getting all dc back to prevent/minimise the potential long term damage that will effect some dc if this doesn't happen (especially some older secondary dc). Primaries need to begin this process now or the consequences could be dire.