Scottish Govt saying PT home schooling is likely for the full school year

[YeahWhatevver]

Scottish Govt is saying that blended learning (part time in school, part time home schooling) is likely to be in place for the full academic year.

Honestly, if I'm trying to juggle work and teaching 2 primary kids this time next year I'm going to have a nervous breakdown.

Funnily enough, UK govt at pains to reassure people that it's safe to start shopping on Monday, if its safe enough to shop, how isn't it safe enough to open schools?

For anyone that missed it, the following was announced on Mondays daily meeting by the first minister:

“While we of course have a duty to be open with parents, none of us right now have a crystal ball, and that the path this pandemic will take in the months ahead remains uncertain, it is absolutely not the case that we are planning for blended learning with children learning at home for part of the school week to last a year or anything like it. On the contrary, we do not want blended learning to last a single moment than is absolutely necessary and so we will be working with councils to return schools to normal as quickly as we can. We want young people to be back to face to face teaching for 100% of the week as soon as it is feasible....”

I think this makes it pretty clear that they want the councils to get arrangements made ASAP for a return to school by as many pupils as can be safely accommodated by the planned date. She also said (Paraphrasing) that there’s money for councils for getting classrooms sorted, and if councils plans weren’t good enough they’d be speaking to them to get them sorted.

The government are doing their best under incredibly difficult circumstances and they know the difficulties that parents face as many ministers and civil servants are trying to work and provide childcare, so they are well aware of the issues they need to resolve, and they are effectively ‘short staffed’ themselves and trying to keep the wheels turning. The same as councils. They have a couple of months to get things sorted so that should be enough time to make improvements to the current plans. One day a week is a joke and I don’t see that being allowed!

I'm honestly not convinced they do understand the childcare challenges especially for school age children. I run an osc service and the lack of guidance, engagement or even acknowledgement has been a total joke since day one.

I'm sure if either sturgeon or swinney had a 6 year old to home school and another toddler running around whilst trying to do their jobs full time from home, they'd be much more understanding than this!

They may not have a child themselves, but they have PAs, secretaries, assistants, heads of departments, ministerial colleagues, civil servants whom they need to speak with, not forgetting family members, and these people may have a number of small people at home with them demanding attention during their conference calls so I think they will be well aware of the difficulties these people face and may have to work around these! Meetings held in evenings as by then a partner is home to look after dc or once dc are in bed etc.

I doubt, considering who their boss is, that man (if any) of those staff members are speaking up about education.

Furthermore, they are in more secure and understanding jobs (public sector) than the rest of the Scottish population!

I'm sure if either sturgeon or swinney had a 6 year old to home school and another toddler running around whilst trying to do their jobs full time from home, they'd be much more understanding than this!

Or a couple of older children constantly whining about how much their friends and asking them questions about Advanced Higher Computing or Nat 5 drama when they haven't a clue?

Anyway, massive backpedalling today with Saint Nicola trying to gaslight us all into believing that part time school was always a contingency plan anyway.

People are up in arms about the Edinburgh model. One day a week in school, for each child. It's pretty much professional suicide for many working mothers who will no doubt be the ones to end up shafted

I’m sticking my neck out here and saying it’s not going to happen. A friend who works for the BBC up here says the govt mandate to prep remains in place but today the SNP plan has been effectively put to the side, confirmation of this to come start of July.

I hope he’s right.

I really hope you're right gerbils. Part-time learning isn't good enough for anyone.

My DM and I will be watching the briefing today to see if we will finally be allowed to see another household indoors.

Being able to see grandparents or another relative will definitely calm the school situation down in terms of childcare issues.

So surely Nicola will see that herself and use it?

(I know not everyone can rely on grandparents though)

Only for primary school age pupils. For a lot of people it's not about childcare it;s about exams and specialist help. This won't go away until there's a firm commitment to reopening schools.

yes sorry I forgot about exams.

DD is in S2 and my DM will not be able to help her with her school work as DM is not academic.

DF is a retired teacher but that's only science and he retired 15 years ago so things may have changed. Plus he's a crabbit bastard in his old age and DD hates asking him for help lol

So even with GPs kids could still suffer.

I've looked into tutors as I said earlier but DD having a meltdown about using a stranger.

Spoke to my pal in another council, she says parents there have gathered together to complain too. She doesn't have any siblings or GPs to rely on.

Good news re phase two starting tomorrow

Bubbles, visiting indoors, use of family’s toilets, staying overnight with boyfriend etc.

All good for the weekend.

Make sure your contraception is sorted and buy your razors to shave your legs now as they will be sold out by tomorrow........

The latest stage helps single parents (who must be on their knees by now!) but no other parents. The Scottish schools provision is an absolute shit show just now. I can’t work out if NS and JS are either so breathtakingly out of touch they cannot see the immense strain working families are under or whether they just don’t care as kids don’t vote. Either way I really hope they get hit in the ballot box for this shambles next year.

how can they not?

Don’t know how I’m supposed to homeschool my children when I’m out teaching other children 5 days a week (like a vast amount of working parents).

Schools being deep cleaned - that’s a joke it’s been an extra clean surfaces wiped over, in our school there’s still dust in corners nothings ever pulled out and cleaned. Don’t know how much has been spent on tape and laminated signs, we put a load up then got given another load the exact same. And I bet all the stay 2m apart ones have to come down come August too? All the “extra” furniture has had to go into storage so at some point it will have to all come back. All soft toys and furnishings are gone too.

Now there’s talk of no exams for next year! My DD1 has already had no Nat5s now she would also have no Highers?

Sweetkitty she will have national 5 is she is estimated to pass them, try not to worry about that at least.

@Mistressiggi I know but she didn’t do that well in her prelims and wanted her exams to redeem herself but I’ve said look it’s an estimate let’s put it behind you and focus on Highers now.

I think there’s no way they can expect young people to complete a higher course with only 2 teaching days a week.

I’m thinking maybe October for full time but it’s a stab in the dark really isn’t it? Depends what Covid does in the community as restrictions are relaxed.

Sweetkitty I think higher students will find online learning easier than most other years. The classes I have are doing well and there's a lot of reading and written work we can do via online stuff, and then go over it or introduce new things in the time at school. I accept it would be very different for a practical subject. What kind of things is your dd doing?

My council have said it would be reviewed in October.

I see the unions are saying all NQTs, supply teachers, retired teachers should be utilised.

So are we getting 1 day a week of teaching, schools putting up signs, rearranging timetables, furniture, layouts, cutting class sizes, just so the unions can get every teacher a job?

That's a strange perspective. Why would unions want retired teachers to come back to work? I'd be interested to see where they have said that

On twitter - EIS