'Blended' learning - two days per week in School

[FirTree31]

I know, another school thread, but I have just received an email from our Council stating that from August (we are in Scotland), primary children (of which I have two) will attend school two days per week.

I am devastated and angry about the governments handling of schools. How is it that I can travel on a plane and buy clothes from Primark before Children can be educated.

Has anyone else had this confirmed? I'm seriously considering my children resitting the year.

I have too op, for the email yesterday, it also said care for key workers would continue but god knows where

KW children will have priority and will be in a Friday Am but most children will be in two Monday to Thursday. I know I may be burned for this, but I really wish SD would be scrapped in schools and teachers given PPE instead. There are so many repercussions for suck a lack of education, it just isn't workable.

There are huge repercussions- some children's education will be damaged beyond belief, especially those from deprived areas or homes where education is not regarded highly. But it's noone's fault. Noone wants this virus. As a teacher in Scotland with a DC sitting 5 Highers I get your concerns, but I also have another very vulnerable DC and I would rather die than bring this virus home to him. I need to be protected at work- if this means 12 kids to a class for a short time, so be it.

It creates massive issues for parents- me included- but what else do you suggest when councils are abiding by government rules and the track and trace rules set by the owners of the buildings ( eg Amey).

We're going to be back only 33% of the time (primary school). Can't believe it, local council don't seem to care - refusing to consider alternative buildings to get it up to 50%.

@dreamwondering, so not even two days? My manager lives in Edinburgh and that is the email she has received, we live in Midlothian. Just, I'm so angry and upset for our children.
I posted a few days ago that I have accepted I could lose my job and end up on benefits, at least for now I am lucky enough to WFH. But as a single parent, how understating will employers be past August /September. Regardless of the work front, the lack of education is so wrong, it will continue to affect them for years. I am Masters educated, education is important to me, but I no longer expect my children to engage with an app with zero online face to face or even phone calls. I know we live in a capitalist society so economic interests always take centre, but leaving the young sick and elderly like this is sickening.

@Puffalicious I completely understand your justified concerns about your child, the approach should be looked at on a case by case basis. Children should be in education, and vulnerable people and their families should be given options. Very difficult for you.

I am feeling the same frustrations. We have been told what the kids are to wear in August when they go back but we haven't been told how many days they will be doing.
The work we have been given is laughable, very simple tasks of maybe 1 hour worth of work per day and no feedback for work handed in.
It does vary from school to school as a friend's child is getting lessons on Powerpoint and good feedback (same council)
I just worry considering that the quality of homeschooling work we have been set has been so low will carry on when they go back.

we have also been told we will get further information on 22nd June which is suspicious as it won't give much time to offer feedback or ask questions before the summer holidays.

John Swinney is doing an online discussion about this today. I'll try and find the link

I think kids should go back full time.
All kids- not reduced classes.

In our county there has not been a single new CASE in the last week. Number of cases per 100,000 people is zero.
But kids not allowed to go to school. It's ridiculous.

Here’s the link to the session tonight:

www.npfs.org.uk/2020/06/10/npfs-press-release-parents-qa-with-john-swinney-dfm/

I’m in the Falkirk area. DD starting p1 in August and won’t be getting any transition visits before the holidays. We’ll be the same, 2 days in school a week but haven’t heard anything else from the school.

I thought masks only stopped it from spreading? They don’t protect the wearer, more the others around from catching it from the wearer? If that’s the case, I can’t see how teaching staff would be adequately protected by just wearing a mask and not having social distancing. They would be thrown under the bus basically. I’m not comfortable with that at all.

I do think the problem Scotland has is that they have up until now been able to wait and see what happens in England and the early school finish gave Scotland some extra time. Now they have to be the lead and whilst Nicola Sturgeon has been impressive at times this is new territory.

We have been told that primary school aged kids will get two days a week but heard nothing about our dd who is in preschool and our son who is due to start preschool. We are in west Lothian. The school do not know anything yet so can't tell us anything which is beyond frustrating. We are lucky in that dh can work at least two days a week from home but it will be a struggle for so many parents. It does mean that he cannot do any form of learning through play with them except at meal times.

We have also been told that more information will come at the end of June but so far what we have has been woefully lacking.

East Dunbartonshire here. Had the letter about probably blended learning but no details when (yay, helps my job/childcare for DC2 hunt).

Plus side is my new P1 is getting 2 X 1 hour settling in sessions this week. Individual arrivals, some overlap with other pupils. Staff very friendly and helpful - my only concern that as she's had 2 terms in school in England and we've done some phonics/maths to keep a routine going she's probably done as much education as the new P2s...

I thought masks only stopped it from spreading? They don’t protect the wearer, more the others around from catching it from the wearer?

The thin masks you see people wearing in the street are like this. Proper PPE masks (like NHS have finally got) protect the wearer. But are very cumbersome to wear.

@minipie The ones we struggled to get even for our medical professionals on the front line? Plus even if by some miracle they became available, would be expect teachers to instruct classes wearing a heavy mask?

Oh I’m not suggesting that’s a solution, just clarifying re masks.

Personally I think schools should go back entirely as normal.

@minipie What would we do to protect teaching staff?

If they are fairly young and not in the vulnerable categories they are not particularly at risk. Many other workers have been going to work as normal, or are returning from this week (shops), without PPE.

So absolutely nothing then? Most other workers are not working in the same situation as teaching staff. I think as a country we should recognise that. 1-2000 students in one building changing rooms every hour, squaring through tiny corridors, touching everything. I would dearly love to see schools return ASAP if we can find a way of protecting their staff. Social distancing seems to make them feels safer for now so I think as non teaching staff we should hear them out. If we can find another better way then I’m sure everyone e would be onboard with that.

I remember my old school
Cantine with best part of 2000 kids eating lunch within 45 minutes, coughing sneezing everything all over the place, could barely squeeze onto a bench. Absolute germ fest. Not sure that could be resolved with timetabled lunches even because of the sheer tiny size of the canteen compared with how many kids to get through. All those queues everywhere!! Even to get into a room. Everyone on top of each other, cramp damp hot classrooms.

Get onto the UsForThem Scotland facebook group.

There are 3000 of us on there who feel exactly the same as you and are pushing for schools to be back in August full time.

Of course 2 days a week is unacceptable. Children in Edinburgh are being offered 4 days every 3 weeks - even less.

www.facebook.com/groups/205702040479534/?ref=nf_target&fref=nf

@FirTree31 no only 5 days across 3 weeks. 2 weeks of 2 days then 1 week with 1 day. Alot of keyworker parents as well who have been told if they've managed to avoid using the hub up until now they won't get a space in August. Even if both parents are category 1.

If that’s the case, I can’t see how teaching staff would be adequately protected by just wearing a mask and not having social distancing. They would be thrown under the bus basically. I’m not comfortable with that at all

The teachers are seeing the same number of kids if they are teaching 2 distinct groups 50% of the time, as if they are teaching the group as a whole. So a social distancing requirement that only applied to the teacher would provide the same protection for the teacher.

I cannot imagine the risk assessments have covered all the risks, have any of the schools published one? The risks in not attending are not nil of course.

But it's noone's fault

It absolutely is peoples fault, not the virus, but the response to it, options, information, discussion etc. Is the problem space (find other places to it, add more classrooms etc.) is the problem teachers (relax the rules on teachers, so teachers are only teaching half the time, but other less qualified staff support the other times - still better than parents of course? Or fast track trainees as with nurses when they were needed at the start, or ... )

The response is a governmental failure, don't blame the virus for human mistakes.