To be really angry on behalf of teachers

[Jessicabrassica]

I know mumsnet loves a bit of teacher bashing.
I'm really angry that once again the Department for Education has put out guidance for schools in a Friday night before a long weekend with some schools having already started and others back next week.
I cannot imagine how many iterations of risk assessments have already been completed to make schools as safe as possible given the constraints of staff numbers, building size and requirements to get every child back in school.
They are getting enough PPE to tick the box that it's been issued to all schools but not enough to be useful.
Teachers mostly haven't stopped working since the pandemic began. They have continued to teach, to support vulnerable learners, provided meals and good parcels out of school funds in lieu of FSM, they remained open through school holidays for key worker provision.
I really feel that they have been well and truly fucked over, left massively vulnerable and will be left to carry the can for community outbreaks.

I'm a parent and work for the NHS if it's if any consequence.

Dear God alive. SEN schools have been open throughout (we had ALL our children in throughout lockdown). No social distancing or PPE. I accept that we don't have the large numbers that secondary schools have but due to the fact that our children can hit, spit, soil themselves etc I would say our risks are pretty high! Do you know what, we have been fine. We will be going back after our summer break on Tuesday without whinging. Time you all joined us.

Trying to deny the fact that provision was wildly different from school to school is what sends people into a rage.

Nobles list was of course not relevant to the many schools who managed to get on line and teach or, give out proper work each week with available teachers responding to pupils!

The guidance from the DfE has consistently come out late on the Friday before it is expected to be implemented. Even the definition of a key worker was sent to schools with only one day's notice.

My friend knows someone who reports directly to Gavin Williamson and she says it is just like The Thick Of It in the DfE.

noblegiraffe 🙌🙌

The question posed by OP was about how late the government have published an update.

It's quite upsetting to see the nasty comments aimed at teachers.

I worked hard during lockdown and also went in voluntarily over Easter hols & also did for example a day for my year 9s going up into year 10 because I felt they had missed out on so much.

I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing my students and getting back to 'normal'.

I don't know why you all assume we don't want to be in school. We're just a bit worried about being with 5 x classes of 30 per day. Many people I know who work in offices are wfh for the foreseeable future.

I know NHS staff such as community nurses, health visitors who have worked remotely all through lockdown. GPs are still only seeing a handful of patients face to face.

I don't think teachers think they're special - I certainly don't.

‘However, not once has a teacher said they don't want to be teaching the children. Not once.’

Are you SERIOUS? 😂😂😂

I have a foot in each camp.

Teachers could be exposed to a massive viral load as young dc carry the virus without symptoms, older dc carry it like adults. Being stuck in a room with all these kids facing you, stuffy etc is not something to minimise!

But schools who didn't get it together have simply ruined it for everyone including themselves.

'So op starts a post about how ridiculous it is to put out guidelines again on a Friday evening , which was again changed within hours.
And people come on to say teachers need to crack on. What do they think teachers are actually doing ??
I cannot understand this level of hate and vitriol for those who you want to entrust care of your child 5 days a week.
Op sadly it was never going to go well thanking teachers , the hate from Mumsnet is unprecedented.'

I firmly believe that there is regular bot activity on these threads. I know it sounds tinfoil hat, and I don't think all those teacher-bashing are bots, but I think it's happening.

Posters who type words like 'moaning' or phrases like 'crack on' just sound like Express journalists. Or readers. Don't mind 'em.

I don't know why some teachers are so defensive. Those that worked surely see that many abandoned our dc throughout?

Just a question for teachers - how easy it is to recruit? I'm nhs and it's very difficult to recruit to any professional position. We are constantly hugely understaffed as any prof qualified person could easily earn more outside of the nhs. Those of us who remain do it out of goodwill or inertia to be honest. Then I hear the hatred from ignorant people who resent us skipping the shopping queue and say crap like 'suck it up' - they get the service they deserve I'm afraid.! Why the hell would we stay? Do people who blame the staff not the govt realise they drive staff out of the nhs.
I should imagine recruitment is difficult in teaching. Or it soon will be- what professional person with other options would put up with this lack of respect and complete shit show? I am so sorry this is happening to you all. I envisage teachers leaving in droves and with brexit etc no opportunity to recruit from overseas. But whatever...no one seems to care about this!

YANBU.
I don't know where to start before basically going off on one. But there are two main points I'd like people to consider. Firstly teachers didn't get a heads up. When Boris stood there and told the country that schools would be closing that was the first that head teachers were told about it. How many of you were at the school gates the following morning demanding to know what was going to be done about it? Secondly, I can only guess that those of you having a b**ch about teachers aren't desparate for your kids to be back at school by this point in the year! 😉

Agree, MilesJupp.

I don't know why some teachers are so defensive.

Are you fucking SERIOUS??? Or just new to Mumsnet?

@janetmendoza it's difficult. We have a massive retention issue, lots leave the profession before 5yrs in it. Newbies do it got the first year or two with lovely monetary grants depending on the subject. Then quit after the stress and work life balance overtake. In the third year you're on a full timetable and you realise how hard it actually is.

Got should have been for

@Spiderseason

I don't know why some teachers are so defensive. Those that worked surely see that many abandoned our dc throughout?

And all the ones that taught my kids (in state schools) worked enormously hard to provide the best provision they could in very difficult circumstances. While the media appeared to do their best to attack teachers.

Bear in mind that teachers are also human beings who

• may have been ill

-may have been bereaved

• in many cases were working from home and having to look after their own young children at the same time etc.

It's a pandemic.Get over yourself and show some humanity to the poor teachers.

#parent-not-a-teacher

To be honest I'm more concerned that my children are going back to school to be taught by teachers who don't want them there. Kids pick up on that kind of thing and I don't think it's ok.

Well if that's the case it's certainly not ok and if I found that to be so with my own children, I would be looking at alternative schooling for them, which I assume you will be doing @tiredanddangerous.

What's also 'not ok' is the sheer hate shown towards the people that you send your DCs off to every single day and if you think that they don't pick up on that then you are mistaken. These children and young people will happily tell you that their mum thinks you're all arseholes/wankers/waste of space and their dad is going to 'wait for you and rape you'.

@tiredanddangerous I'm not saying that you say anything derogatory in front of your DCs by the way, I'm just giving you some examples.

"Did they give up their 6wk holiday to give the kids a boost?"

It's not just up to teachers is it, who do have their own lives and children. We as parents have a choice to boost the children's education if we wanted to. I certainly did. How odd to expect someone else to do that for your children when you don't yourself.

I should imagine recruitment is difficult in teaching.

I’ve been posting about the critical shortage of teachers on MN for years.

There aren’t enough teachers to go round already. They were already leaving in droves. The government has failed to meet its recruitment targets for years.

Parents don’t seem to care. As evidenced by the millions of posts over the last few months telling the few experienced teachers left in the job to resign.

Well if that's the case it's certainly not ok and if I found that to be so with my own children, I would be looking at alternative schooling for them, which I assume you will be doing @tiredanddangerous*.

What's also 'not ok' is the sheer hate shown towards the people that you send your DCs off to every single day and if you think that they don't pick up on that then you are mistaken. These children and young people will happily tell you that their mum thinks you're all arseholes/wankers/waste of space and their dad is going to 'wait for you and rape you'.*

Oh I completely agree @WhatamessIgotinto. I would never voice my concerns in front of my dc. My 10 year old has drawn her own conclusions based on the complete lack of contact from her school over lockdown. Unfortunately she's going into year 6 and the other schools in the area area have waiting lists. All I can do is send her back and hope for the best!

I fail to see what the issue is with the government approach - just make this BAU rather than exceptional.

Is that you, Dom?

@Spiderseason

I don't know why some teachers are so defensive. Those that worked surely see that many abandoned our dc throughout?

Do you think that shit schools only happened in lockdown? Do you believe that provision of education has been beautifully uniform and excellent right up till schools closed their doors?

Of course not. Do you know whose responsibility that is? The government.

But instead of improving schools they have run them into the ground with budget cuts and incompetence and have caused a massive teacher recruitment and retention crisis.

Were you kicking off about poor school provision before lockdown or is it only now because you’ve actually been affected? Or seen that you’re affected? A lot of parents seem wildly oblivious.

Another thread that descends into teacher bashing when the point was how useless the government are in giving last minute guidance. Yawn.

Who was going to pay for working over the 6 weeks @generalexpert? Schools haven’t received the additional funding for tutoring, which by the way equates to £80 per pupil and is being given in 3 phases over the year, so not overly helpful to schools.

Also where would this 6 week catch up take place? Most schools have essential maintenance done over the holidays as it is the only time work can be done safely without pupils on the premises.

I'm sure the teacher haters on here will be withdrawing their children from school and home educating them.

How can they possibly trust these dreadful people to teach their children?

If I had so much contempt for a group of people I wouldn't let them near my DCs. But they won't. They are incapable of teaching themselves and burning with jealousy of those who can. But just enjoy trolling.