"UsforThem" Get Schools Back to Normal campaign

[twomonkeys2]

Just found this online and I think it's brilliant. Importantly, I think, it's not about a scientific debate - it is about a moral argument that we should not expose all schoolchildren to further harm by keeping them home without planning their return. AIBU to think this needs more attention??

There is a petition and Facebook page.

And the starter salaries for teachers are low compared with other jobs these qualified students can go into. Try getting a Physics teacher.

Has there been anything stopping people working in the private sector from training to be teachers? If they didn't want to before, what will make the difference now?
Oh maybe they'll have seen how much positive feedback they'll get on mumsnet

Once the word gets out highly qualified Physicists from the private sector will be stampeding towards teaching.

@nosnugglesforyou The private sector is completely different, and most private school teachers don't want to work in state as they know how a difficult job is made impossible by endless government interference, paperwork, standardised testing, curriculum interference and chronic underfunding. As someone has previously said, they end up funding resources out of their own pockets as they can't teach the kids properly. They'd also be dealing with shorter holidays, and double the class sizes of private. Not to mention lower salaries. There's no way they want to go and teach in state.

just because pupils are being taught doesn’t mean it’s by the schools. There’s a lot of free resource out there - Twinkl, BBC Bitesize

Both resources established and advertised as a way to support teachers and address some of the workload issues that they were facing, if they/their school chooses to make use of them. Thank you for pointing out that they were utilised as a solution to a very real problem.

but means that teachers should stop pedalling this rubbish that they’re working so unbelievably hard (not) teaching children whilst the rest of us are working trying to teach our children and keep our jobs.

I just want to be clear here - your knowledge of one head of year, who as a head of year already has a severely reduced teaching timetable, making a comment about an afternoon nap means that you can say with complete authority that all teachers are lying when they say they are putting in equal or more hours then they were pre-lockdown?

Teachers are also in the same boat regarding their own children and their own jobs. If a teacher wasn't being effective during this time, in the eyes of their school, it could still cost him/her their job.

Shame about the wording.
Children have the right to an education this does not have to be in a school.

Teens are at risk and have died btw.

No mention about those who won’t be able to access school. Suppose they will just have to deregister.

Mine like others have mentioned are thriving. Possibly gone Ed the final two years, less disruptive.

Schools in other countries have had to close since opening because of new cases including students.

If someone can do a petition that leaves no child, mentions facts not someone’s opinion about the risks, then I will sign.

Teens are at risk and have died btw

How many?

Teens also get stabbed to death and run over. I have a ds at a state secondary in inner London...I have many fears when he leaves the house without me, covid is the least of my worries. But I balance that with his need to be educated.

No chiodren are advised not to attend school because of risk of stabbing or being run over etc

They are however being advised by the Government not to attend school (or indeed any other place , other than for necessary medical appointments) and only in the last fortnight has going outdoors for exercise/leisure been OK'ed and then only with own household (unless you live alone)

Those DC are in tough circumstances and should not have their schooling removed as well. Or their school community, even if they can not access it on site for the time being.

Neither Twinkl nor BBC sitesize covers full GCSE syllabus, let alone A level

They are however being advised by the Government not to attend school

This is hilarious.

Advised? So, if I take my dc to school on Monday, they'll accept them?

No, we haven't been advised. Our children have effectively been banned from the premises.

I thought it was clear I was talking about shielded DC

And have now realised a missed quite a key point in my post

Yes, shielded people of all ages have been advised by the Government not to leave their homes
(Have to put it that way, because of the number terms with ill loudly point out that it's 'only' advice, as if the shielding community did not already know that)

And yes, that's an effective ban on the every other building. Indefinitely

@TiredMummyXYZyou're speaking for yourself. We have no health issues in our family, and my children aren't getting the level of education they would be getting at school while we try to juggle working and home schooling. Why should your family's needs trump mine? And vice versa of course. We can't just starve all children of a formal education because some may need to stay home. It needs to be more nuanced than that.

Exactly this. It is also an issue for working women who will in the vast majority of cases be the parent whose work life is most effected by the lack of/ inconsistent provision of Schooling.

There's a separate FB group for Scotland as education is devolved.

www.facebook.com/groups/205702040479534/

Everyone outraged about the plans for part-time school, which could mean as little as 25% of time in school for some pupils.

[quote nosnugglesforyou]**@cantkeepawayforever* @iamnotthe1* some schools may have delivered remote learning well but very many have not. My son’s schools provide an A4 sheet each week with links to Twinkl. That hardly takes a lot of thought.

@flamingochill I keep hearing about saintly teachers who have foregone their Easter holidays. There are some teachers who worked - and thank you to them - but there are many more not working a full day and who haven’t worked a full day for the last 12 weeks. I have a fair few teacher friends and they are all working but at about 50% capacity.

Plus what about all the private sector workers who have taken salary sacrifices, losing holidays, losing jobs. I refuse to feel sorry for teachers for having worked a bit extra during a pandemic especially when the vast majority are not working full time.

I think people are starting to realise exactly how much teachers / schools moan and the extent of the Union stronghold[/quote]
You do understand that schools opening or closing is not up to teachers, right?

Since when do the general public, just because they happen to be parents believe they know how to operate and run schools? years Why not trust the professionals who do it day in day out for years on the best way forward? Because it doesn’t suit you and is detrimental in your eyes. Schools cannot be compared to shops or pubs because of the lack of social distancing and restrictions on numbers, that’s obvious. Would people go to work and in shops etc if you could have 30 people crammed together in a small space for 6hrs a day with less than 1/2 a metre between them? No they wouldn’t, and everyone would be jumping up and down about it but because it’s children that’s ok because SOME believe that children don’t catch/it/pass it/spread it when there really isn’t enough substantial evidence to prove that yet. Really, take a look at your self

The Edinburgh plans are a joke - schools only open 4 days and 33% of children in at a time. So likely 1 day a week, with an extra day every 3rd week. 4 days in school out of the usual 15.

Many, probably most, families can't support replacing that much teaching time. It was one thing when this was a couple of months of muddling through but this could go on for a long time - no confirmed timescales and talk of schools planning for the full year being like this.

@twinnywinny14
I do trust the school to teach my children - that's not my concern now. The issue is the lack of direction from the government about letting schools accept ALL children/teens back to school without social distancing - just into classrooms so they can get their education and resume their normal social lives.
There's more harm being done to the mental and physical health of many (obviously not all) young people by keeping them away from school that is not outweighed by the need to keep them safe from the virus.

There's more harm being done to the mental and physical health of many (obviously not all) young people by keeping them away from school that is not outweighed by the need to keep them safe from the virus

And you know this how?

Spot on @twinnywinny14

@echt

There's more harm being done to the mental and physical health of many (obviously not all) young people by keeping them away from school that is not outweighed by the need to keep them safe from the virus

And you know this how?

I can see it in my own teenagers. They are becoming quieter and more withdrawn the longer this has gone on . There's a few threads on here that I've seen where people are saying similar about their children and teens. However beyond this anecdotal evidence child physiologists are expressing their own concerns www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53037702

Why all the teacher bashing, they didn’t create the situation or make the rules? Our school has been brilliant in difficult circumstances.

They didn’t decide to lockdown too late, didn’t allow flights continuing in to the uk or allow Covid to be shipped out of hospital into care homes which is all partly why the lockdown has been so long already.

I do agree with previous posters though, the government throw so much money at furlough and nightingale hospitals standing empty, trying to get pubs and zoos open, I don’t feel that education is high priority at all. School closures were initially part of the lockdown/flatten the curve strategy but is now at risk of lingering on potentially for years. Children have paid a massive price for something that doesn’t really affect them in the main.

I would just like to hear some clear, creative thinking on this, backed up with investment/support for teachers, how to give kids in all years at least some input before September to keep them engaged with education. Ours have gone in as key workers when really needed and it’s made a world of difference.

I'm teaching in school full time now doing my bubble.

Not quite sure why there are people on MN who don't seem to realise that schools are open to half the year groups and teachers are in school full time.

Teachers around here are certainly not back full time!!!!! (South of England..)

drive.google.com/file/d/1zytNGOtnySo-YnyU7iazJUVQ0fS2PC1Z/view?fbclid=IwAR2C3Iu8IjfJ6yLjlJW68CQcM6mlmeyp00yu-4w9TnS7JtGE5VJxtzfqDE8

@loulouljh and how do you know that?

@loulouljh so you found a piece of ‘evidence’ That suits your argument? Sage and the government clearly not so convinced yet are they though?