This government don’t give a shit about schools or your kids

[noblegiraffe]

AIBU to think that the government have fucked up literally everything to do with schools and education this year?

Evidence:

Chaotic school closures and keyworker provision (couldn’t decide what a keyworker was until the very last minute)

Forgot that kids on free school meals would go hungry so heads had to go round delivering sandwiches while the DfE put together an utterly shambolic voucher system that crashed and was pretty unusable.

Issued no guidelines for minimum education requirements during lockdown leading to vastly different provision between schools. Even Ofsted said they couldn’t judge schools on lockdown provision as there were no standards to judge them against.

Had to be shamed into u-turning on their insistence that free school meal children should go hungry during the holidays by a celebrity footballer (well done Marcus Rashford you absolute star)

Fed stories to friendly newspapers about schools re-opening in May to judge public reaction, leading to anxiety and uncertainty among parents and school staff

Announced that primary schools would open to all pupils before the summer holidays, an announcement that had surely not been run past anyone who worked in schools given that under the government’s own guidelines for schools for bubbles of 15 and no rotas, this would require double the classrooms and double the teachers available. Then backtracked on this a few weeks later (getting the friendly press to blame the unions) again creating uncertainty, anxiety and disappointment for parents and pupils.

Ignored education select committee questions about Ofqual’s algorithm when they raised issues in July

Lied and said they didn’t have early access to the data from Ofqual’s algorithm

When Scotland u-turned on their use of an algorithm, instead of making a considered response, came out with the bizarre notion that kids could use their mock grades - a suggestion that had obviously never been put past anyone who worked in schools. Again.

Took 5 days to realise that their mock suggestion created more problems than it solved, then u-turned on awarding CAGs creating problems for Y12 next year.

Fed stories to the friendly press that the unions are blocking the re-opening of schools in September so if it goes tits-up, they can blame them again (unions are asking for a ‘plan B’ in the case of local lockdowns, and for working conditions comparable to those of all other workers, no strike action has been proposed or balloted for so they couldn’t block re-opening even if they wanted to)

Blamed Ofqual for the algorithm they were told to create (prioritising statistics over teacher assessment)

Branded a teacher payrise that was agreed back in January a ‘reward for work during lockdown’, knowing this was incorrect, and deliberately fuelling outrage that they themselves had caused by having no minimum requirements for education in lockdown leading to vastly different provision.

Not funding this payrise so teachers probably won’t get it as otherwise it will lead to redundancies for other staff members due to having to fund it from already dire staffing budgets.

Issued guidelines that said that schools should reopen with increased cleaning schedules, increased handwashing, hand sanitising but providing no extra funding for this.

Instructed heads not to take any measures that would improve safety but would require more space (e.g. use of village halls) or not have pupils in full time (rotas, staggered timetables).

Didn’t realise that kids wouldn’t be able to get to school on public transport under current social distancing requirements as there aren’t enough buses until three weeks before schools reopened, and decided to throw £40 million to LAs to sort this (what? buy more buses?) so that they could blame the LAs when it inevitably goes wrong and kids can’t get to school.

And these are the people currently running a campaign to convince parents that they are capable of re-opening schools safely.

YABU: I have full confidence in the government and am perfectly happy with how things have gone so far

YANBU: It is mind-boggling how incompetent they have been, and how little thought they have given to the education of the nation’s children.

Privileged, not wealthy, middle class.

The whole of Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire education was built on the principle of Village Colleges : large schools in rural communities serving multiple small towns and villages. Nearly all the children are bussed in many of these schools, including one bus serving multiple 'bubbles' - sorry, schools.

@KenDodd

Clav - why are you just repeating govt propaganda?

There is NOTHING this gov could do/not do that Clav wouldn't support. As evidenced by multiple threads.

Exactly. Why continue to engage? It's a pointless exercise - like playing chess with a pigeon.

I do wonder whether it is actually her paid job, given the work she claims that her husband does.

Oh, and the private schools rely almost entirely on transport too, both public and school provided.

I love that term 'playing chess with a pigeon'

Even Clav must realise that the government has failed the stakeholders within the educational sector. Plenty of 18-year-olds now have a pretty low opinion of the current government.

Any 'miss why don't we' comments will be answered with it's the fault of the Big Gav (who was on holiday during the results day shambles) and the DfE muppets who have had since March to sort things out.

Oh, and the private schools rely almost entirely on transport too, both public and school provided.

Dozens of mini buses and coaches to private schools where I live - I have every confidence in them - the same pupils will travel together every day and wear masks.

given the work she claims that her husband does

I don't think I've given much away actually.

DfE meeting in progress

Have you not grasped yet that not everyone lives where you live?

@StaffAssociationRepresentative

I always imagine it like this

In some ways the Private schools rely on buses even more. Schools like Abingdon School bus children in from as far away as the south of Newbury, 22 miles away or Goring/Pangbourne.

The local comprehensives still bus a lot in because Oxfordshire is predominantly a rural county but all the main towns have at least one comprehensive. Even so, a substantial number are still being bussed about 6 miles each way.

I lived on the edge of the Peak District when I was at Secondary school. Probably 2/3 rds were bussed in.

At the secondary school in my village (I don't work there), only that village's children walk. Every other village, even if 1.5 or 2 miles away, the children are bussed in by the council because there are no footpaths on any of the roads. It's just not safe to walk. So, it's probably 90% of the kids on buses. Doesn't seem unusual for a village school?

That Independent article is really good.

I am not really sure what Clavinova is trying to prove - that the crumbs thrown from the Government are generous, when we can work out that they are not?

Contrast this with the money they have wasted on putting Contracts out without tender to their friends, who then fail to deliver.

YANBU. This government doesn't give a shit about ANYONE except themselves.

Danglingmod
So, it's probably 90% of the kids on buses. Doesn't seem unusual for a village school?

I think you are underestimating the percentage of secondary school pupils arriving at school by car, particularly in rural areas and in the current situation;

National Travel Survey 2019 -
Usual mode of travel to school by age; 11-16

Walk 34%
Cycle 3%
Car/van 27%
Private bus 12%
Local bus 19%
Surface rail 2%
Other transport 4%

Well they - government and dfe and phe - have a few more propaganda days left before lots of us have INSET.

If they had put as much effort into education as they are doing now a couple of months ago maybe we wouldn’t be in such a mess.

Shambles!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-53900825

And England are not going to review face masks ? Just wait for the U turn from our muppets

I can tell you for a FACT that 67% of students at my school are bused.

Oh, OK. So, because the national average is different, my local knowledge is wrong/irrelevant...what's your point? You can't catch Covid on your full school bus because in other parts of the country, more people get driven to school?

33. are pre-blaming teachers for any outbreaks in schools by saying that teachers need to be extra vigilant with safety outside of school (what does that even mean? No illegal raves, or no trips to Asda?).

This is one of the most despicable things, the fact that they are constantly, constantly throwing teachers under the bus. They are treating us simply as pieces in what is clearly a game to them and not as real people with real lives and families that we are worried about.

If there are outbreaks in schools it is because the government has failed in its moral duty to provide any kind of effective mitigation measures for staff and pupils, but particularly for staff.

And finally the BTEC students get their grades today. So they can now clamber to get their places confirmed. So much for equality

And at my niece's school, 80% come by train (full of other adults). Oh, wait, that can't be right because of Clav's stats.

dangling you realise I wasn't having a go at you , right?

Is Clav a part of Public First? Or some media/strategy bod?

If so, Clav, you will never be able to convince that the DfE is fit for purpose. It needs a total re-jig to bring it into the modern age

*what does that even mean? No illegal raves, or no trips to Asda?)

Dammit.

I’m honestly livid about this - how dare the government say that we have to be responsible for not carrying the virus into school, but they are doing nothing of note to protect us, and stop us carrying the virus back to our families.

It’s real straw that broke the camel’s back stuff.