to feel beyond annoyed every time someone says 'schools have never been closed'

[thisisthebestoftimes]

Because to the vast majority of children they have been. I feel it completely dismisses how serious this is for most dc and their families. Schools may have been open to 15 or so keyworker dc throughout this, and now to a couple of years worth of dc in years which seem completely illogical (except for the few hours years 10 and 12s have been afforded which is essential).

It’s hugely annoying when it comes from the government and unions in response to parents wanting to know why their child still isn’t in school.

I hadn’t been remotely annoyed at the teachers until I read teachers on mumsnet using it in the same context. There’s a difference between ‘I’m actually still working’ and ‘schools are open.’

I agree OP, in practical terms schools are closed because pupils ( other than low numbers of key workers DC) werent going in . Now selected year groups are meant to be back but year 10 have been offered 4 hours a week. There is plenty of space in large secondary school and teaching staff for them to go back to normal school pattern. For most pupils and parents in every practical sense school is closed with only very limited lessons and support offered online.

@HelloMissus

"HelloMissus Sun 21-Jun-20 22:27:49
Am I meant to guess what stage my foster children are at educationally?
Since I am not their permanent carer and their mum can’t tell me and the schools WONT tell me, what am I meant to access for them?"

That is terrible - as vulnerable children should they have a place anyway? I hope you get a reply from the school soon and a place. Best wishes

Runnerduck34

The problem isn't the space for year 10s possibly not even staffing.

It is the government that has set the numbers and years that are allowed to go back.

@GuyFawkesDay

Feedback is really tricky. I teach 200 kids a week and the only way I can realistically do it at the moment is whole class feedback unless I've done a quick test.

I'm not defending the 2 worksheets thing at all. It's not good enough. But that's not an issue with all teachers but you do generalise. Wait until you're doing the job, not as a TA but as a teacher, then come back and tell us if you've got a different perspective.

And what is this idea only parents have kids at home too? Teachers do as well. We too are trying to look after our own mini mes and home school them (and it's a bloody nightmare even with 15+yrs experience in a classroom, they just don't listen to parents!) And do our jobs too.

We totally get the pressure because we have it too!!!

We were told that the teachers at my kid's school would not be available as they might be prioritising home-schooling for their own kids, ill, looking after their ill families or doing something else...our kids were the bottom of the list.

I don't think that teachers prioritising their home life is wrong, only if they're not actually making any reasonable effort for work as well.

Our perception on how the school managed the last few weeks will also depend on how they've been before- so if the school has a history of iffy decisions (or the parent believes they do) then you're not going to be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

This doesn't apply to the two worksheets a week as that's obviously appaling on its own and even a good relationship would be damaged by that.

But even when I disagree with some of the measures my son's school has taken, I tend to assume that there's some sensible decision making that has led to it. It would definitely be different if I had no faith in them to begin with.

LittleBear there is plenty of stuff available online for primary schools. Every primary school in the country (aside from Laurie's of course) has sent links to these. Most have sent or delivered paper packs of materials if families don't have online access (not Laurie's school or course).

I do think Laurie's son will be fine. Yes, she's fitting in home schooling around her job (she's the only person doing this in the country), and has no time at all to say the same thing over and over again on MN.

Laurie I haven't said that you're not interested in your child's education or are lazy. Quite the reverse. Your child will be fine. He has at least one parent who is on the ball.

Neither you or I have any idea what input your school is having with other families. You have said that the the teaching staff at your school don't give a fuck about the children's education. I've said that that's probably not the case.

And if you really believe that, I'm surprised that you're not de-registering your child today.

@CheshireChat

I don't think that teachers prioritising their home life is wrong, only if they're not actually making any reasonable effort for work as well.

Our perception on how the school managed the last few weeks will also depend on how they've been before- so if the school has a history of iffy decisions (or the parent believes they do) then you're not going to be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

This doesn't apply to the two worksheets a week as that's obviously appaling on its own and even a good relationship would be damaged by that.

But even when I disagree with some of the measures my son's school has taken, I tend to assume that there's some sensible decision making that has led to it. It would definitely be different if I had no faith in them to begin with.

Well many of them didn't make a reasonable effort. One email a week with instructions to read and make notes on Chpt 13 - that's the biology A level work every week, just change the Chpt number. No marking, no feedback, no teaching, no follow up when work isn't done. You could have a robot setting the work - we wouldn't notice the difference.

Maybe it's because I live in a small village with a very tight knit village school community - but - our school has very much been "open".

Daily work set over Google Classroom, feedback given from teachers for every piece of work submitted, weekly video and phone calls from both my sons SENCO and my daughters teacher and weekly emails from the headmaster with updates.

The impression I get from the communication is that the teachers are very much engaged and are hating this as much as anyone else.

I really wish people would stop saying 'well, you become a teacher then', it's incredibly reductive.

I mean, I'm not a teacher or HS my kid because I am realistic about how well I'd do it and that isn't fantastic as it's not that balanced.

As a side note, a lot of the material online seems to be for kids like mine- 5, good vocabulary and able to learn from videos or for quite a bit older. There does seem to be a gap for later primary, though admittedly I haven't specifically looked for them.

@MarshaBradyo

Guy are their teachers not able to use key worker schooling? Is it because the other parent is not a kw?

In Scotland (my area at least - I assume all the same) we need two key worker parents and you need to be unable to work from home - so a keyworker wfm is a no. Teachers can use the childcare provision when they themselves are in providing childcare provision, not at any other times.

Schools were open throughout. If you needed to work (key worker) then your Child could go

Really not understanding the issue ..is it so awful being at home with your kids?
Personally I've loved it

I guess the definition of “reasonable efford” is quite wide. for some schools its “please have a look at BBc bigesize and twinkle for your child, our teachers will not be available”, some at least recommend which worksheets from twinkl (but not feedback or contact), some provide sporadic feedback and contact with concrete worksheets (internet or printed), some go all out with a full online curriculum.
The last 2 I would consider the school to be open. The two others are taking the piss (especially combined with tone death facebook posts).

@maddy68 i guess you are a SAHP? If my only job would have been to Look after my kids, awesome. Most of us have to earn money to put food on the table, keep a roof over our heads, these sort of trivial things. We didn’t spend time with our kids. We desperately juggled work, childcare, housework etc

Schools may not have been open to all pupils, but most have remained open. I’m fairly certain our SLT, caretaker and catering team would be pretty pissed off if you said their school had been closed as they were in every day!

@MsTSwift

Paper explanations would be great! My expectations of dd2 teachers now at absolute rock bottom and yet still not being met. Yay.

We get a work sheet no explanation or even answers nothing submitted or marked and zero teacher contact.

Of course that's inadequate. So what steps have you taken to raise concerns and exactly what has the response been?

@maddy68 but it’s not just key workers that had to work. I am not complaining about my dc being at home, of course I understand why. But it’s incredibly hard working full time and homeschooling/ looking after dc at the same time.

@maddy68

Schools were open throughout. If you needed to work (key worker) then your Child could go

Really not understanding the issue ..is it so awful being at home with your kids?
Personally I've loved it

What?

Our school was not open, it was shut. Locked, lights off, empty. Shut. And so were all the other local schools.

I could not get keyworker places for my children at the nearest hubs because even though I count as a keyworker, I could work from home so didn’t qualify.

Plenty of people who are not keyworkers have also needed to work. Employers have not just universally said “Ah never mind then, have a nice break and we’ll see you back in autumn.”

And I love spending time with my children. I dislike dumping them in front of the TV and providing minimal supervision because I’m trying to do my own job at the same time!

It is the government that has set the numbers and years that are allowed to go back.

This

I do sometimes think teachers can't win. They send too much work and kids and parents feel overwhelmed. Dd2 especially.
Dd3s primary has produced the odd video lesson, plenty of work on Google Classrooms and virtual assemblies. Dd3 has struggled but has received nice feedback from teachers. Also ringing every two weeks.
Dd1 in year 11 and dd2 in year 9 have both been set work. Dd1 submitted more and it has always been marked.school have rung a few times too.
Dd2 has been out of school due to school refusing and anxiety prior to this and it really has been out of sight out of mind. Suspect autism PDA . Also dropped by CAMHS too. Tbh it feels like year 9 has been a right off. However I know the teachers are still working and possibly I should have chased school more. However I also need to consider the families mental health and I have been very grateful that their have been no sanctions fir nit submitting enough work.

Everyone has a different story and like most things people rarely comment on good service. Just bad. This applies in all areas of life.

If the restrictions had been introduced (so-called lockdown) when they should have been, at least a week before, we would probably be at 1 metre social distancing by now and schools able to open for half the children.

The schools open for key workers message may be government wishing to be accurate, as they have been rightly criticised over what the test figures are actually tests for (and posted).

It depends on the context of the conversation.

Situation 1: Parent is talking about how their child is really missing school since it closed, that their DC is missing friends and their teachers and routine. If someone says 'schools never closed' then they're being an arsehole because the fact schools have been open and operating differently is irrelevant to the parent who is talking about the effect of lockdown on their child.

Situation 2: Parent sits on Mumsnet bitching about teachers on every thread they can, deciding that teachers should be directed to work far in excess of their contracts because they've had 3 months off and should work delivering a timetable through the summer. If someone points out schools haven't closed then that's entirely reasonable because many teachers are absolutely fed up with the same old goady rubbish.

Exactly what Lola said

I honestly don't understand the complaining. Yes in an ideal world they would be at school but it isn't. Schools have been open where possible throughout. It's hard working from home and looking after children but it's tough really isn't it? I'm honestly sick of all the moaning. It's a pandemic. Deal with it best you can just the same as schools have been open as best they can

@maddy68 I’m not moaning about schools being closed. I think teachers have five a great job (not sure about govt!) although I do object to your post telling me I should be happy to have children home. I love spending time with dc, but I don’t love feeling I’m constantly doing a bad job of parenting, educating and working. Sorry if that makes me a bad parent in your eyes

Meanwhile

community.tes.com/threads/families-not-engaging-with-any-home-learning.804630/

If your school is unconcerned it needs following up. If they don't respond to concerns raised that needs to be followed up too.