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Original poster

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

322 replies

YeahWhatevver · 14/06/2020 15:30

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?

OP posts:
nextslideplease · 14/06/2020 17:40

That's why Scotsnet was created, because a lot of education threads started on MN forget its a devolved issue and we do education and many things differently up here.

Splattherat · 14/06/2020 17:45

I have secondary school age teens one in current year 10 and one in current year 11. I am fortunate that I don’t rely on school for childcare. We live in England.

But I am worried about my teens MH with the uncertainty around their education especially the 15 year old feeling her year group have been let down by the system, by her teachers and struggling to keep up with her school work from her bedroom with no online teaching support input from school.

FirTree31 · 14/06/2020 17:49

Government do not consider change polls in parliament, only gov. UK, although I will sign.

At a point where I've come to terms with losing my job (which I went through a masters for), I'll just claim benefits. I just want my children to have an education.

Lockdownlooks · 14/06/2020 17:51

I’m in England so not fully up to date. Is employment law a devolved issue. I know furlough isn’t but wondered if they can put in place rights similar to maternity leave for a parent (If a couple, couple nominate which one) for the coming school year. I know this would still seriously affect women’s employment but if government are taking the decision on school open they need to do something.

Whatisinaname1223 · 14/06/2020 17:55

Take a part time job at supermarket or food. Send kids full time then?

Whatisinaname1223 · 14/06/2020 17:56

I wonder how many will vote nicola sturgeon next time then if this is the case and conservatives send uk schools back in September

Tunnockswafer · 14/06/2020 17:57

I think the transmission at primary drop off and pick up would be a problem - so many adults gathered around together, that must be part of the concern.
In secondary that won't happen but the children themselves, going up to 17/18, will be more susceptible.

SockYarn · 14/06/2020 17:58

@Lockdownlooks no discussion on doing any of that sort of thing. Employers being asked to "be flexible".

GoldenOmber · 14/06/2020 17:59

But that's not all SockYarn! Employers also being asked to "be sympathetic". Yeah that'll cut it.

Tunnockswafer · 14/06/2020 18:00

Did independence happen and I missed it?

Bollss · 14/06/2020 18:03

@Tunnockswafer

I think the transmission at primary drop off and pick up would be a problem - so many adults gathered around together, that must be part of the concern. In secondary that won't happen but the children themselves, going up to 17/18, will be more susceptible.
Surely they will just stand 2m apart? Or pick up and drop off could be staggered? There are solutions here!
nextslideplease · 14/06/2020 18:04

devolution happened. independence will not happen during my lifetime, if at all.

Employment law is not devolved but some other laws are hence why you may struggle to work in law here if you did your law degree in England.

To all the Scots on this thread - how will you vote in the next scottish election as a result of this shit show? Sorry if that is turning this into a political topic rather than education but I think it is relevant.

I'll be voting labour as its either them or SNP in my LA.

ScrimpshawTheSecond · 14/06/2020 18:05

the legal requirement to attend school

But it's your choice. You can choose to tke your childrne out of school, so long as they're receiving an education.

Tunnockswafer · 14/06/2020 18:08

Well they didn't stand 2m apart in the days just prior to lockdown. I'm picturing some kind of supermarket/airportesque queuing system, with parents snaking around the playground.
It would have to be significantly staggered to get one lot out and away before the other came in, might work certainly in smaller schools.

DisobedientHamster · 14/06/2020 18:10

I'll be voting Labour.

Bollss · 14/06/2020 18:12

@Tunnockswafer

Well they didn't stand 2m apart in the days just prior to lockdown. I'm picturing some kind of supermarket/airportesque queuing system, with parents snaking around the playground. It would have to be significantly staggered to get one lot out and away before the other came in, might work certainly in smaller schools.
We didn't queue at the supermarket either but we're coping with that.

If it means kids get an education then it's worth it no?

PickUpThePieces · 14/06/2020 18:13

Even if the SNP pulls it out of the bag and ‘miraculously’ schools return to something close to normal in August, the stress, anger and upset caused to parents, children and teens by the blended learning, part time, no exams approach, is unforgivable.

Coastercat · 14/06/2020 18:14

It irritates me so much that we (the parents) get no input into these education decisions. Have they asked us how our kids mental health is holding up? Have they asked us whether we think the Possible damage to our kids’ education and mental health is worse than The possibility of our children dying from COVID-19? Have they any idea whatsoever how unmanageable it is to try to educate depressed kids at home? They just don’t seem interested!!!

Tunnockswafer · 14/06/2020 18:17

There's space outside the supermarket and when you reach the head of the queue you go in. It would need a rather different system for parents. Is it worth it? If people don't socially distance and there's a new outbreak I'd say no - if distancing can be maintained then yes. Lots of people collecting at our school are grandparents.

TheMurk · 14/06/2020 18:20

Deaths in Scotland in single figures now.

In the next two months until schools go back that should be down at more or less zero, maybe in the next couple of weeks. So how on earth do they justify sending kids back part time in August never mind for the whole of next year?

Things have to get back to normal. They simply have to or society will break down. It’s already fragile.

We can’t be standing 2m apart for the rest of our lives, it’s nuts.

Schools should be able to go back as normal in August.

There’s absolutely no need to have kids standing in hula hoops while masked strangers rub chemicals into their hands.

There will be more kids with people in their families dying from cancers, strokes, heart diseases, other terrible illnesses, sepsis, flu... some kids won’t have any experience of coronavirus and yet their lives turned upside down for it.

GoldenOmber · 14/06/2020 18:21

@Coastercat

It irritates me so much that we (the parents) get no input into these education decisions. Have they asked us how our kids mental health is holding up? Have they asked us whether we think the Possible damage to our kids’ education and mental health is worse than The possibility of our children dying from COVID-19? Have they any idea whatsoever how unmanageable it is to try to educate depressed kids at home? They just don’t seem interested!!!
Nope.

Parents are represented on the Education Recovery Group by the National Parent Forum Scotland. NPFS have said very little about the negatives of blended learning or the effect on working parents, but have spent a lot of time patting themselves on the back on Twitter for running live numeracy and maths sessions to help parents with homeschooling, which they do at 10am on Tuesdays. Thanks!

Bollss · 14/06/2020 18:21

@Tunnockswafer

There's space outside the supermarket and when you reach the head of the queue you go in. It would need a rather different system for parents. Is it worth it? If people don't socially distance and there's a new outbreak I'd say no - if distancing can be maintained then yes. Lots of people collecting at our school are grandparents.
Is it worth it?? Are you bloody serious?

Oh no kids education isn't worth adults having to figure out ways of not getting to close to each other for more than 15 minutes. For fuck sake.

Oh and considering grandparents collect those kids from school where do you think those kids will be for the 3 days a week they aren't allowed to go to school?

More risk or less??

GoldenOmber · 14/06/2020 18:22

There's space outside the supermarket and when you reach the head of the queue you go in. It would need a rather different system for parents. Is it worth it?

If it's "queuing is a faff" vs "giving up on 60% of education for the next academic year", I pick the faff.

Tunnockswafer · 14/06/2020 18:27

Well you've left some other options out of that false dilemma I would imagine!
If something is merely a bother of course we should do it. If something leads to an outbreak and people die or have long term health issues as a result, then it's not so clear cut is it.
The gps having their dgcs with them for two days aren't at as much risk for that as they would be in the playground with 400 (or whatever school population is) adults.

GoldenOmber · 14/06/2020 18:28

Well I absolutely think we need to find ways that drop-off and pickup can be done with safe social distancing between adults in place. What I don't think we should do is say "well that sounds like it might be a bit complicated to arrange, so never mind let's just scrap education for the next year instead."