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).

OP they closed because there is currently a pandemic on which has caused many many thousands of deaths.

Just because you and your children may be at low risk doesn't mean schools should have stayed open to all just to please you.
Death is it. The end.

Elderly and people with underlying health conditions are just as valuable and loved as you and your children OP.

Do you think we should just have let COVID rip through the population OP?

The thing is Laurie that the great majority of teachers do take their responsibilities very, very seriously.

The problem is that they don't have the resources to deliver the quality of education that they would like and that parents would like their children to receive.

That's what you should be focusing your criticism on.

Parents are directly affected by some teachers downing tools so commenting on it on a parenting site is surely not a surprise?

I can lie if it makes you happier “working tirelessly” “amazing” etc Not true for us sadly. Wish it was!

I think there's a big prob surrounding teachers feeling like 'victims' and well before CV19. And whilst I agree that in some respects they are I do aver that the main cause of their oppression is from their own ranks - SLT. Who were at one time teachers themselves.

It appears to me that the best don't rise to the top in Education - or indeed in most professions - just those who would rise to the top anyway, irrespective of the job they did. The psycopathic, self-centred types seem to do well - irrespective of their actual ability.

Best way to Stop Them is don't be Their Victim - and I address that statement to teachers everywhere - parents aren't your enemy or oppressors, you'll find them much closer in your work.

That's what you should be focusing your criticism on.

Is it? Was it really resources that limited my sons school to delivering two generic worksheets a week? There’s no way they could have done better than that?

Especially when the other school in the area, catering to an almost identical socio economic base, managed a varied combination of video lessons/live teaching/tailored set work/detailed feedback.

And one of the characteristic features of the public and third sector over the last ten years is that people are continually being expected to do other peoples' jobs for them.

People leave and aren't replaced. Job roles are merged with more responsibility and less pay. Workload has increased with no more time or financial remuneration.

I don't think you can tell teachers anything they don't know about picking up the slack tbh.

LaurieMarlow no, I expect you're right. The teachers at your ds's school just couldn't be bothered and are enjoying a nice jolly.

Do you think your time might be better spent sorting out some educational materials for your child as you seem to think they're very important, rather than posting the same things over and over again and comparing what is or what isn't happening at other schools?

Just a thought.

[quote Downton57]**@gazeboparty* you have no idea how it feels to be constantly insulted when you are working very hard and doing your level best. I left teaching last summer, and the constant disparaging comments on Mumsnet and in the media was a factor. It didn't matter how hard I worked, it was constant, and it's hard not to take it personally. @siennabear* It's appalling that you should find the fact that some teachers are vulnerable health-wise funny. And try being called lazy and workshy by total strangers on a daily basis and see how well you 'come across'. As for: "the majority of pupils have not been to school as it Is not open to them." Well, yes...the UK has been in lockdown, but started too late. The government fucked up and that isn't teachers' fault either.[/quote]
I feel bad that you have taken posts on MN personally but our experiences are personal and they affect our lives and our dc's live - they are not about you and I'm sorry you took it that way. But my views are valid and honest and I have a right to express them.

Do you think your time might be better spent sorting out some educational materials for your child as you seem to think they're very important, rather than posting the same things over and over again and comparing what is or what isn't happening at other schools?

And you think I haven’t been doing that?

I’ll say it again, no other profession during this crisis has been telling other people it’s their responsibility to do their job.

And if parents can and should field all this, and the materials are all there, remind us again what the role and purpose of the class teacher is?

And if parents can and should field all this, and the materials are all there, remind us again what the role and purpose of the class teacher is?

I don't think the remark was about what parents in general should be doing, just about you, in a jog on sort of way.

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?

Quite LaurieMarlow,

I think you should home school as you're obviously so much better at teaching than your child's teachers.

Actually, that I needed to do his job was exactly what my child's specialist optometrist told me (in a nicer way obviously!) when his apt was cancelled due to CV19.

Opened last week btw, after 3 months closed. Haven't seen any threads saying that opticians could be doing better.

just about you, in a jog on sort of way.

But why so much effort going into silencing me? I’ve been 100% clear that I’m talking about my own experience.

Is anyone going to stand up and say that the provision we’ve been given (2 worksheets a week, no further communication of any kind) is good enough?

HelloMissus that sounds very stressful and definitely not how things should be.

If the school won't engage with you, could you ask their social worker to contact the school.

In our area, TAT meetings are now running.

I think you should home school as you're obviously so much better at teaching than your child's teachers.

Well I certainly am better than an email account sending out the worksheets. There’s a chance I might feedback to DS if he got the right answer or not.

YANBU OP.

But this is Mumsnet, and any thread that isn't full of glowing positivity regarding the current school situation will be taken to be ",teacher bashing" and piled in on by angry teachers who feel no one should ever question anything they do, ever.

I actually think my kid's teachers have done a pretty good job and have no complaints, but I completely understand your point and think it's perfectly reasonable for parents to raise concerns.

Actually I’m really not criticising teachers. I’m sure dc’s teachers are doing their best. My year 8 I’m sure will be fine and catch up eventually. I am concerned about my year 10 and GCSES next year but I know that’s not his teachers fault and I’m sure they’ll do what they can to try to help him when they are back.
But I cannot stand it when people say schools have never been shut because they absolutely are to most dc. The talk of blended learning for the next year really doesn’t help with the worry. We all know a 13 year old self learning is no substitute for going to school and being taught by a teacher and the thought of that carrying on for another year is pretty awful.

avery TBF the key worker has been brilliant.
It really isn’t her fault the schools and teachers have been so crap.
In the end we just got on with things ourselves.
But I’m not going to let their class teachers, schools and SLTs off the hook. Their behaviour has been woeful.

My personal experience is that this is such a mixed bag! At one extreme (disappointment) I know from friends with children at supposedly a leading top 1% academically achieving voluntary aided Church selective state sector school in prime central London pretty close to a major European transport hub to be extremely discontented with ongoing out of school lack of remote schooling support and basic teacher communication let alone any video conferencing interactivity or timetabled class program. However at the other end of of the positive rainbow not all schools and teachers are the same nor do they hide as much behind the defensive shield of teaching unions and/or health and safety and data protection laws or exercise extreme caution and as uncooperative and unhelpful when this pandemic medical emergency is treated as a de facto pause in teaching (in or out off school). This voluntary aided top London state school’s teachers are not on paid holiday or furloughed but many have not been as forthcoming and otherwise enthusiastic and helpful as they normally are in regular pre Covid schooling. Contrast this to most if not all central London fee paying independent schools and the difference in approach is unsurprisingly night and day. At the £15-20k per year per child day primary schools you will naturally receive “complementary” tech usually some sort of Apple iPad preloaded with industry standard corporate grade Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Hangouts etc with their teachers at the other end as if in school but out of school! Classes are taught, discipline, moral and camaraderie Is maintained and enforced. So a real mixed bags as apparently throughout central London there are also apparently some state sector schools which have been more forthcoming and productive in remote home schooling support and of course so many that have just defaulted to government Oak Academy and called it a day with pretty much minimal support and hence the general overall negativity towards some (not all) teachers!

Good grief, LaurieMarlow no-one is silencing you. You're free to continue to post the same things until you're blue in the face. Honestly, knock yourself out.

I will metaphorically stand up and say that a couple of worksheets week for a child in KS1 that comes from a home where at least one parent is very vested and proactive about his education is absolutely fine. Especially as said parent is also sourcing educational materials.

You know as well as I do that the biggest factor in educational 'success' is socioeconomic background. I do agree with the poster who said that some children miss months or years of school for various reasons, and if they're supported at home, it's not the end of the world.

HTH.

If they decide to move to a 1 metre rule surely that means that schools can open up to more children? As I understand it the heads can decide to have other year groups back apart from R,1 and 6.

I have to disagree with a pp that said no other professions have been criticised on mn like teacher. There have been some awful threads on the police - some posters openly saying ACAB! You wouldn't get away with saying that about any other profession but police are apparently fair game.

HelloMissus If you aren't getting anywhere with the school I find the LEA's SEND team can be good if they have EHCPs / are on SN register. Ours are still operating, they got an Ed Pscyh in for my DS and put pressure on school to put a plan in place rather than just send him home. You can also go through school's complaints procedure, that took a lot longer to get help via - had to go as far as Dept of Education before things changed but sometimes it can work quite quickly once in writing. Hope you can get some help.

I will metaphorically stand up and say that a couple of worksheets week for a child in KS1 that comes from a home where at least one parent is very vested and proactive about his education is absolutely fine.

Really? What about those who don’t have vested and pro-active parents?

And for how long for? With all this talk of ‘blended’ learning next year.

Its disgraceful that that’s all they’re offering. I can’t really fathom why anyone would argue otherwise.