Why has return to School has been much better than people thought it would be ?

[worzelsnurzel123]

Prior to the return to school, there was a feeling in the media and on here that it would be awful for the children, sparse classrooms, social distancing and bubbles would all affect the children negatively? Now it seems as though the reverse has happened. Children are reported to be coming out of school beaming, having loved their time to reconnect with peers. Aibu to think that this is only because of the amazing effort put in by those heads of schools and teachers who are doing their best, and not because it was a case of “ see there was nothing to worry about after all”. The worry in my view wasn’t so much about the children but about teachers being exposed to the virus by children. Aibu to think that some parents feel that now the kids are back and happy there’s an element of “ and they all lived happily ever after” at play here. This isn’t over and I’m not one of the doom sayers. I’m desperate for this thing to be over but I can’t help but feel some parents are being a little over optimistic after the first day? ( I’m not a teacher by the way.

The environment being portrayed in the media was never one that I recognised for our school.

And i would be shocked if our head would ever have supported to school opening in that way.

Perhaps because its not under LEA control?

I don't pretend it's as good an experience as it was before but my child seems happy enough.

For me its all about a gradual transition for him back to school.

His bubble isn't very big and he's getting a chance to slowly settle into the new normal without the chaos there will probably be in September.

There is minimal risk to all being involved in his bubble.

If I thought the return in September would be normal then I would have not sent him back.

Because there's a lot of misinformation, histrionics and silly predicting going on.

Because teachers put in a lot of time, thought and preparation into the return of their pupils, and genuinely enjoy teaching them. You'd be forgiven for thinking all teachers are lazy, incompetent arseholes who hate children from the way they are presented in the media (and often on mn), but that is far from the case in the majority of schools.

My Y6 dd has enjoyed her first days back and I put that down to the teachers having planned it all very well. Friendship groups have been kept in the ‘bubbles’ and they can play freely with children in their group. Lots of outdoor time and picnic lunches. They made the safety talks fun when demonstrating the PPE etc. Very happy with the way the school have handled the situation so far.

I’m quite aware that the virus is still ‘out there‘ but I’m working in a nursery so my exposure and hers is similar and with the same local families. We are still getting food deliveries and avoiding wider contact out of the home/work/school environments.

Because of scaremongering. My dd has been in throughout and it's remained a warm welcoming school throighout

Our school return has been good, and it's definitely the warmth and planning of the teachers that made it that way. The provision for kids who are off has been a bit rubbish, but in school is great.

I also think that the smaller class sizes are hugely beneficial and add to the kids' enjoyment - maybe this will help parents pressure the government for more resources into teacher numbers and retention (though with the savings that will need to be made post lockdown, this is probably very wishful thinking!)

My daughter is loving it but I'd sad that so many other children aren't able to have the same experience as it can't possibly be done for every year with the space and staff available. She's in a bubble of 9 children with a teacher and a TA and loves it being quieter and able to concentrate. With those numbers (of well behaved children) the staff are able to keep to the guidelines but obviously it can't work for every child.

I've not been overly impressed with the comms from school over the last few months but I'm impressed with what a great experience they're giving the children who are in now. I feel they're happy to have them back and have worked hard to be creative and imaginative with what they are able to do to engage with the children.

I’m really happy to hear it’s going well. Mine are desperate to go back. I’m just conscious that we should be really saying such a huge thanks to the teachers tgat are making this work so well for the pupils. It must be an anxious time for the teachers dealing with their own fears and those of the children . I just don’t think it’s as simple as a people think “ it’s all fine, the kids are so resilient “, but instead it’s really in large part down to the teachers’ warm welcomes, planning and positive attitudes.

Well let's see... Maybe because of the scaremongering that was going on and the small but loud minority of hysterical catastrophisers? There's been no scary chalk circles, no desks facing walls, nothing like that at all.

The teachers have made it as nice as they can and you can tell they were so happy to see the DC back in school. They have put a lot of thought into how to make it fun but still with minimum social contact. I can't fault them.

It's been so good for my DC too - she's been more engaged and willing with reading, numbers etc since she's been back and she was starting to suffer not seeing her friends.

Media is too resource constrained to actually do journalism, so people with agendas find it easy to portray their agenda. Before schools, the people with the agenda of "The virus is the only thing, we must stay locked up regardless of risks elsewhere" would talk about it. Because no-one else could rebut this with actual facts and no-one had the agenda to go against it, it was the only narrative.

As soon as schools actually were back, actual experience could be obtained, so the agenda voices were no longer the only ones talking about it.

Nothing had actually changed, but with a media too poor (or themselves biased) to be able to avoid the agendas, you're stuck with it.

Because the staff made it so.

Teachers here have been absolutely phenomenal, despite a lack of actual support from the government regarding implimenting measures. My friend usually teachers year 4 but is currently teaching half of the year ones who have returned, and after Monday the school recieved loads of phone calls from parents who had said they were keeping them off asking if they could go in because others had said how good the first day back was. Unfortunately no room at the moment, but hopefully this gives a bit of confidence into the wider opening.

Aibu to think that this is only because of the amazing effort put in by those heads of schools and teachers who are doing their best

Yes. YABVU to think this is only because of their efforts. Their efforts will have contributed a great deal, but at the same time, there never was as much to worry and go full on doom and gloom about as some wanted to believe.

I hope whenever my dc's school see fit to reopen it will be similarly positive.

Because children want to be social and care about seeing their friends in person.

And learning in front of screens takes its toll, ds said it was so much better to be back learning properly.

The signs up re 2m apart or sparse desks didn’t matter to that much against the former.

worzel nice wee dig there. I guess you are sugggesting that any parent sending their child back doesn't care about the teachers?

Not true at all. We are incredibly lucky at my kids school. The teachers are amazing and we have a brilliant head.

The teachers have also not been forced back. Only if they were happy to go back. And are.allowed to wear PPE if they wish.

And the bubbles will be no larger than 6. In fact DS has less children than that.

These were all things I discussed with the school beforehand. If i had been concerend about the safety for him or indeed his teachers i would not have sent him.

We will make sure we continue to flow all guidelines on socjal distancing so that we are not increasing any risks.

The children I know who’ve gone back in have loved it. Thank goodness.

@Hadenoughfornow. No. You’ve misunderstood my point. It appears to me that some parents think one day of success in school means there’s nothing to worry about and it was all a storm in a teacup. The worry is that the virus is still around and the risk is that it can be picked up by parents and teachers. I will send my kids back, I’ve already said they are desperate to go. I’m conscious that a day’s success on the pupils’ part doesn’t just make it all fine. So no. I’m not having a wee dig or saying parents that send in their kids don’t care about teachers.

OP, I agree that the media were very 'doom and gloom' beforehand, and that teachers have worked hard to give the kids a nice experience.

However I'm more positive about the future than you. The virus hasn't gone away but the lack of a second spike in the countries that are a few weeks ahead of us seems promising.

@epigram - I am really hoping we follow same pattern as those countries. It would be wonderful to get some normality back in our lives!

Yes. YABVU to think this is only because of their efforts. Their efforts will have contributed a great deal, but at the same time, there never was as much to worry and go full on doom and gloom about as some wanted to believe.

^this. Some people, including the media and a significant number of others, are thriving on as much drama and doom'n'gloom as possible and were positively wanking over the idea of grim prisonlike schools, which was always total bollocks and a huge underestimation of children, who are resilient and flexible, and of teachers, who do in general care about the children.

Because headteachers and teachers plus all other school staff have worked their arses off to make it so. With constantly changing guidance from the government (often released late at night, on a weekend), abuse from parents and a media portrayal of them slacking off and doing fuck all.

I hope everyone who's sent a child back this week, or who is impressed with how children have gone back so well considering all the fear, chooses to thank a teacher or send an email thanking the school.

But most won't - they'll save their thoughts up for school holidays when "see, they only work 9-3 half the year".

I think part of the reason the children are so happy to be back is that a less crowded environment with a better child teacher ratio is much
better for them. Unfortunately this has only been achieved because most children are not in school. In an ideal world all children could go to school in small groups with the level of adult interaction that children are having at the moment. They would learn so much more and it would be much less stressful for the sizeable minority of children who find school very difficult usually

I think some people were saying it would be awful because they were looking at it through their adult eyes rather than the eyes of children

I think it's been a bit of both. Teachers have worked hard to make it possible but people were also being a bit over the top about it and underestimated just how much children miss socialising with other children even if its in a different format to before.
My son is almost 4 and desperately misses nursery, we're in Scotland so think it will be another month at least before he's back sadly.

I ignored all the media hype about it.
I also think people are being very over dramatic about children having to sit alone at a desk or in a different classroom. So bloody what? Additional needs aside, children can cope with change and are very adapting. My 5 year old starts again next week and I’ve told him straight that it will be different. He’s fine and he will be fine. Oh and I have a older child with ASD so please no patronising lectures.

I still understand the concern over the potential risks about catching the virus though. But what’s going to be different in September and beyond to now? Nothing.