To think the idea that schools won’t be back full time by September is an absolute disgrace?

[LovingLivingInLockdown]

The government and teaching unions need to pull their fingers out. There should be no excuses.

The effects of 6 months out of school is going to be damaging enough, both educationally and mentally for hundreds of thousands of children. Not to mention the unnoticed abuse and neglect.

Teachers should be wearing PPE with spit screens if they are vulnerable and this should be being organised now. Temporary classrooms should be being built in playgrounds and school fields. Random testing routines in all schools should be being devised as well as guidelines regarding children’s contact with others outside of school and home. Whatever it takes, it must be done.

Our society expects parents to work while their DC are at school and if they want to get the economy moving again, schools being back by September should be non negotiable surely?

Yes I gathered that - I mean what is their reasoning re not allowing more years in secondary
Timetabling in part.
At GCSE we don't have more than a dozen students with the same timetable.

Just opening for year 10 means students are going mixed ability because we can't map all the options subjects and core subjects. Students are having to study a selection of their subjects on site, not all of them.

For all kids to return FT in September with social distancing in place is completely unworkable and the Government know this. So I fully expect that at some point between now and August "The Science" will tell Boris Johnson that social distancing can be scrapped altogether. The expectation will then be that all kids return to school in September, everyone can get back to work and we'll all be encouraged to go out spending money to get the economy going again.

Yes I gathered that - I mean what is their reasoning re not allowing more years in secondary

I think the reasoning from the govt was that secondary pupils have much larger /less easily contained social contacts than younger pupils and that in some areas secondary pupils have a massive impact on public transport.

There’s a whole guidance document if you want to read it on the govt website.

I think the lack of provision of education under lockdown is a disgrace. I have 1 dc in the independent sector and 2 at state. The dc at private school has had online lessons throughout, starting the day after lockdown. The dc one year below at a state school has had no live teaching, and has been set a list of work to do every day, which mostly isn’t marked. He has had no live or interactive teaching. He has had no contact from his form teacher. He has been sent a video from the head of year, and one from the head of ks3, and that’s it.

I realise that state schools are more resource-constrained than the independent sector, but the main factor was the teaching unions being attitude-constrained: coming in very quickly to prevent the use of Zoom lessons and the sort of teaching which has enabled dc1 to continue to make progress at the normal rate.

For all kids to return FT in September with social distancing in place is completely unworkable and the Government know this. So I fully expect that at some point between now and August "The Science" will tell Boris Johnson that social distancing can be scrapped altogether. The expectation will then be that all kids return to school in September, everyone can get back to work and we'll all be encouraged to go out spending money to get the economy going again.

Yep and does anyone else feel that posts like this one (of which there are several ones daily) bully teachers into feeling that we aren't allowed to consider implications on our own safety without being told we are just work-shy children-haters who should just 'take one for the team'. It stops real discussion about finding workable solutions in which we can all (parents and school staff) feel safe. We are told (by several posters here) that we think we are better than everyone else but we simply want to feel safe at work. Apparently being a teacher means I automatically have to give up that right because if I don't it means I hate children.

Yep and does anyone else feel that posts like this one (of which there are several ones daily) bully teachers into feeling that we aren't allowed to consider implications on our own safety without being told we are just work-shy children-haters who should just 'take one for the team'. It stops real discussion about finding workable solutions in which we can all (parents and school staff) feel safe. We are told (by several posters here) that we think we are better than everyone else but we simply want to feel safe at work. Apparently being a teacher means I automatically have to give up that right because if I don't it means I hate children.

Hear hear. And also the implication that we don't understand the feelings of parents when a huge number of us are parents!

As a teacher I want to be back. I want my children go be able to go back to school.

All teachers were in school at the start of this pandemic. When gov were trying to decide whether to close schools etc, we still went in and carried on as normal. Teachers were still going in every day when there was no social distancing in place. I wonder if most teachers have probably had it already. Maybe the gov should get some bloody anti body tests so people can know for sure if they have had it etc.

But point is, I'm sure most teachers just want to just get on with it and go back.

@Twinklelittlestar1

For all kids to return FT in September with social distancing in place is completely unworkable and the Government know this. So I fully expect that at some point between now and August "The Science" will tell Boris Johnson that social distancing can be scrapped altogether. The expectation will then be that all kids return to school in September, everyone can get back to work and we'll all be encouraged to go out spending money to get the economy going again.

Yep and does anyone else feel that posts like this one (of which there are several ones daily) bully teachers into feeling that we aren't allowed to consider implications on our own safety without being told we are just work-shy children-haters who should just 'take one for the team'. It stops real discussion about finding workable solutions in which we can all (parents and school staff) feel safe. We are told (by several posters here) that we think we are better than everyone else but we simply want to feel safe at work. Apparently being a teacher means I automatically have to give up that right because if I don't it means I hate children.

I don't think the poster who posted that intended to make anyone feel bullied. I read it as criticism of the government.

Teachers were still going in every day when there was no social distancing in place.

That's great that you felt safe but it's become almost a source of pride among people. I hear it a lot- people scoffing at others for wearing masks, eye rolling at one another for taking precautions.

I agree with you about the antibody tests.

@TabbyMumz, I think yours is the first post on this thread that acknowledges the risk of transmission from children to others. So many think that it's fine for kids to go back to school regardless, because children seem relatively untouched by Covid.

"LakieLady

@TabbyMumz, I think yours is the first post on this thread that acknowledges the risk of transmission from children to others. So many think that it's fine for kids to go back to school regardless, because children seem relatively untouched by Covid."
Thankyou LakieLady. I'm sure a lot of these will be kicking themselves when their children bring covid home to them or their grandparents.

Yep and does anyone else feel that posts like this one (of which there are several ones daily) bully teachers into feeling that we aren't allowed to consider implications on our own safety without being told we are just work-shy children-haters who should just 'take one for the team'.

I think that people think of teachers in the same way as NHS staff and other key workers. They haven't been able to consider implications for their own safety. There should be a sense of duty that seems to be lacking entirely.

If the unions stepped in and prevented nurses or supermarket staff from engaging with employers and tried to prevent them returning for work, I'm sure you would be first in line to complain.

Those people have worked through the peak of this in the worst conditions. Many teachers and nursery workers stepped up and looked after their children so they could do those roles.

Logistical concerns about bubbles and staffing numbers is one thing. The teachers complaining about risk now, never mind in September are taking the piss.

Well said countchocula

I am sure many supermarket workers were scared/fearful but told to go in, especially at the beginning. Because most do not have unions to support them, and are not 'middle class' people got on with it

Schools were quick to close imo and will be slow to open

Schools were quick to close imo and will be slow to open angry

Who exactly are you directing that anger at?

countchocula

Teachers unions are/were asking for the same protections as everyone else. Yet this is something for people to have a go at them.

The teachers complaining about risk now, never mind in September are taking the piss.

Its good job that they are not complaining about the risk in September.
They/we are saying that we don't know what will happen in September.

Anyone saying otherwise is taking the piss.

Because it is the government who tells them when to close and when to open, it has nothing to do with the schools or the staff in them.

we simply want to feel safe at work

And I wholeheartedly support you in that @Twinklelittlestar1. Every employee should be as safe as their job permits while they are doing it. No-one's safety should be compromised by doing a job that doesn't in itself pose dangers.

Covid is the greatest public health emergency we have faced for 100 years, people seem to overlook that.

For all kids to return FT in September with social distancing in place is completely unworkable and the Government know this. So I fully expect that at some point between now and August "The Science" will tell Boris Johnson that social distancing can be scrapped altogether
It was on the news this lunch that pub organisations are lobbying the government to reduce social distancing to 1m despite the scientific consensus being this is risky.

Still I'm sure if that happens then it will please some mumsnetters who seem to pride themselves on who can be the most nonchalant about the whole thing whilst pushing a rush to the bottom. It won't be long before some people are whining that health and safety is really annoying Ree tape that needs removing as well, after all there's always some who show up on workplace threads telling posters to suck up workplace issues and be grateful they have a job.

Still, as long as the rich get richer and consumers can go consume, what's the harm? 🙄

The is at a government that over react when it suits and then ignores real risk and selectively applies 'science' and spreads fear.

Has anyone actually said they're not going to open ft or is it purely speculation?

I think that people think of teachers in the same way as NHS staff and other key workers. They haven't been able to consider implications for their own safety. There should be a sense of duty that seems to be lacking entirely.

So this is a race to the bottom is it?

They haven't been able to consider implications for their own safety.

hospital workers were let down terribly by the government who didn't provide enough PPE. Apparently instead of addressing issues like that we should instead be inspired by this negligence.

I’ve already had an email from ds’s sixth form to say that’s it’s unlikely that dc will be back full time in September. I don’t understand why though as the sixth form building is huge, almost as big as the main high school building. The number of students in year 13 is a lot lower than years 7-11 and I’d have thought 17 and 18 year olds would be the most capable of social distancing. My youngest ds attends a specialist school and we don’t know what’s happening yet with regards to September. He could have gone back in June but staff gently encouraged parents who are capable of keeping kids their at home, ie don’t work, are furloughed or people like me who are wfh, to do just that. Come September my dc would have been off six months like a lot of other kids and that has worried me. My eldest is taking A level exams next year and whilst he’s mostly managed independent study he’s also struggled with it at times as he learns best in a lively classroom environment.

Couldn't agree more.