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?

Schools in France are back full time on 22nd June and attendance will be compulsory.

echt: F - M evening at earliest, returned Thurs, all in school. We can shorten the return to children if needed through a complex handwashing process, but it works for our purposes, mostly more extended writing.

No work from children can be brought home under any circumstances.

@CrumpetsAndPuzzles

France only has 1 metre social distance and PPE in schools for staff and students over the age of 11. Both significant factors.

They are going back in HK only half day all children's temperature taken out arrival and they must wear face marks. They have been off a lot longer than here

@Duckfinger I wish my children were at your acho 🌈

*school

I feel, strongly, about our children being sacrificed in this way. The cash rich can supply with tutoring but many many children will really struggle to catch up. I’m devastated at the attitude of my child’s Headteacher is who flat out refusing to open, to even try. I feel like the children are in the middle of all of this and they are paying the price. My work can not sustain this if things are not back to normal in September. My husband has already lost his job. There are very many of us, paying a very very heavy price.

No work from children can be brought home under any circumstance

Eek. As I have to teach from home, the work comes to me.

[quote Sarahbeans]@CrumpetsAndPuzzles

France only has 1 metre social distance and PPE in schools for staff and students over the age of 11. Both significant factors.[/quote]
So if children are back / going back full time in france (and HK per pp) why cant UK? By just changing the rule to 1m or where practical for schools? We are at pretty low level of daily deaths just like France and I think France reopened schools partially with no major spike in infections?

@Lndnmummy

I feel, strongly, about our children being sacrificed in this way. The cash rich can supply with tutoring but many many children will really struggle to catch up. I’m devastated at the attitude of my child’s Headteacher is who flat out refusing to open, to even try. I feel like the children are in the middle of all of this and they are paying the price. My work can not sustain this if things are not back to normal in September. My husband has already lost his job. There are very many of us, paying a very very heavy price.

The cash rich have always bought advantage for their children and it’s never been fair. All this current situation is doing is shining a spotlight on this. And suddenly you realise it’s not a level playing field? Your difficulties with work are down to your employer and the government’s mismanagement of this crisis. Why are they even allowing employers to act like this? You are paying a heavy price, I agree and I’m sorry. But it’s not the fault of schools or teachers. We support you.

@Zoomzord

The 1 metre social distancing is throughout the whole of France, not just for schools. In the UK we have 2 metre social distancing. This is a huge barrier and makes the two scenarios not at all comparable. I have previously posted about the impact it has on my school. 2 metres means the most we can have in is 1/3 of the school at any one time.

Of course, it is up to the government to decide whether it is safe for us to be 1 metre or 2 metres apart, countries vary on what they do. But what they do has to be the same rule for everyone. Teachers / Schools don't write the rules, and they don't get to change / break them either.

Most countries that are cited in the news for their schools going back have reduced the social distance to 1 or 1.5 metres. Such as Denmark.

And as to why you can't just change the rules for schools - well schools, as employers, have a duty of care over their employees. They have to ensure that the school is a safe place for teachers to work, and for students to attend. Bearing in mind that many 14 - 17 year olds are fully grown adult sized. If the government has dictated that 2 metres is a safe distance for people, then that has to be accepted.

I am a middle manager but I recently had to complete the risk assessment for my part of the school to be able to go back. I had to demonstrate that we have met all of the governments guidelines for safety in the workplace. I can't just ignore that because there are children at school. I have to consider the well being of the staff on my team and adhere to the rules as laid down by the government.

Other countries are also supplying PPE for staff and students. Again, our government has decided that this is not permitted for schools. This is another factor when considering the two metre rule.

Tbh personally I'm more worried about my children's lack of healthcare than their lack of education. I can do some school at home but I can't do anything about my dc's glue ear. He has lost so much of his hearing and we are relying heavily on sign language at the moment.

Should add that I appreciate that some people are struggling a lot more with their children not being at school.

@sarahbeans yes absolutely this is about the (shambles of our) government not schools. There doesnt even seem to be any resolute will on their part to want to get children back to full time education compared to other things on the economic agenda.

I know it varies but my DC's primary is doing a fab job for the most part and they seem to want to resume things normally full time as much as I do.

I'm more worried about my child's increasingly fragile mental health than education at the moment. Fuck anyone who tells me " it's only 10 weeks".
No. For my early teen it's from MARCH to SEPTEMBER with no friends, no school, no football club, no holiday, no day trips, no going in a shop, no parent most of the day because I'm working full time.
It's taking its toll.
And this fucks me right off:
Thousands and thousands of teachers have their own children too so have also had to do their job as well as childcare/teaching their own children so they would absolutely know the struggles of a working parent.
Can't teachers, as key workers, send their kids to school? The ones I know can?
They are also being told to enjoy the time away from school, not to stress about work too much and be with their families.
Noone at my work is telling me that. I am expected to be available and to be working.
We KNOW it's not the fault of teachers, we KNOW the government is shit and have starved schools of cash, many of us have complained, repeatedly, about funding cuts, but who listens to parents?
It's just...the attitude sometimes.
My boyfriend's restaurant is opening next month with spaced out tables, and no, the waitresses won't be wearing ppe.
That's 2 months before schools are even opening part time. But then, restaurant workers don't get full pay for being off work. (Yeah, going in one week in three to babysit 8 key workers kids doing BBC bitesize is not "school being open throughout" it's just not)

Chevy why are you allowing yourself to be gaslit into blaming these issues on other workers? Your attitude isn’t the best either.

@elliejjtiny The poor kid he must be in agony. Outpatients should have separated but stayed open when possible.
I was due to have dental surgery in March months of pain.

@ChevyCamaro

"Can't teachers, as key workers, send their kids to school? The ones I know can?"

No, At my teen child's school, I am only allowed to send my child into school if I am also going to be in school. If I am working from home, my child has to be at home with me. So yeah, I too am trying to work full time and juggle supervising my own children's school work too. We really are all in this together. I am having to do work late into the evening (I'm still working now) to fit my own work around my children.

If your child is struggling with their mental health, don't forget that they can meet up with friends outdoors. My eldest teenager has met her friends most weekends. They go to public parks, sit in back gardens and the like. Whilst the weather is good, my taxi is now as busy as it ever was driving my daughter to meet her friends.

As for the restaurants... again, please compare like with like. The restaurants will have 2 metres social distancing. The formal plans are not published yet, so you don't know yet whether waitresses will be recommended to wear PPE or not. And, the Government has said that at first, it will be outdoor eating areas ("gardens, terraces, marquees, and similar outdoors areas.") will be open only.

For a third time, if the 2 metre rule is in place for social distancing many schools (like mine) can only have a maximum of 1/3 of students in at any one time. For primary this is years R, 1 and 6. For Secondary this is years 10 and 12.

I will be back in school tomorrow, teaching half a dozen 17 year olds, in a classroom with poor ventilation and no PPE for 2 hours. I'm not complaining about it. But I'm just trying to say don't blame the schools. The govt writes the rules, not the schools. They just have to apply them. Until the govt changes the 2 metre rule, you just won't be able to have all students back. The only alternative would be for the Govt to provide more money to schools to pay for the extra staff and extra space to host these students (which to date, they have not done).

Talking about potentially next year around here

The Government has been disgraceful in its lack of planning over the last 12 weeks, for schools.

Pay the money, plan, get porta-cabins, pay for deep cleans, hire more staff (in an emergency, which this is, it doesn't even need to be a teacher, any caring person can sit with reception kids while they learn to read and write!) , pay for deep cleans.

And get all kids back to school.

How many weeks have they been back now? Key workers kids have been there since the start, so 12 weeks. And loads of kids have been back since 1st June, so 2 weeks.

It's been fine. No covid. It it was rampant in schools, we'd have heard about it by now. And there'd be uproar.

Lower the 2m rule to 1m. And get all the kids back!

Get a frigging grip OP. Schools where I am finish around the end of May beginning of June and don't go back to September in a normal academic year as it's so hot and my children are fine.

And both me and my husband are teachers.

It’s 5:30am, I’m up doing school work and ready to go in and teach FULL TIME this week, just like last week and the week before, just like usual. As are all the other primary teachers I know.

Schools have been open since March. We’re all back teaching already and schools are full until the government changes its mind. Mumsnet can hate us all it wants. We’re working.

Good luck to all secondary teachers going back for the first time today

Jillgoodacre and I expect your kids spend that long summer, depending on their age, playing with friends, doing activities, going to holiday club etc? If they don't I expect many do.

My kids have not seen their friends in months. They are now depressed in not engaging in school work in any meaningful way. I am working ft from home so cannot attempt to home school them. They are 8 and 11. This is not acceptable. They have a right to be educated.