To be pissed off that secondary school are doing next to nothing about Covid?

[MushyMushi]

Despite the huge risk assessment, reassuring letters, promise of bubbles and social distancing, segregated classes, coloured badges, separate entrances and staggered times for year groups, masks in corridors etc...

Absolutely none of this has been enforced.

Small class bubbles have become bubbles of full year groups of 150 pupils. The segregated break areas have been mixing with all year groups with no enforcement by teachers. Masks aren’t being worn. Pupils are entering and leaving school whenever they feel like it.

Not to mention that if one case of Covid hits, the entire year group will be expected to self isolate for 14 days!

AIBU to think this is really poor or is this the reality of secondary schools now? They’ve only been back two days and it’s all gone to shit.

Parents tweeting pictures of their childrens busy secondary schools are causing further unnecessary alarm for nervous parents and stress for schools. These are probably the same parents that were calling for schools to open ASAP and calling teachers lazy and work shy. How did anyone think this was going to work? What is the alternative? Perhaps they should spend their time contacting their MPs or canvassing Mr Williamson to ask for more funding for extra facilities for schools.

I SD whilst shopping, I WFH as does DH. DH's office is beginning to open up, but only to reduced number of workers at a time so they can SD and they have a ventilation system.

I'm not a teacher, but I would like a rota system, which is what the Government are proposing if schools are in lockdown areas, but I would want that in all Secondary schools. Obviously this would involve funding from the Government to provide technology to pupils who can't access it. If there are children who wouldn't engage at home, for whatever reason, they could get priority for being in school. DS"s school provided live timetable last term, DS really engaged and actually got on better than he does at school, so we would willingly let him stay at home for more days to give another child priority to be in school. Again there might be clinically vulnerable children who would prefer to be at home, the same with teachers, who could help with remote learning (maybe using a National scheme rather than just their own school)

@beenrumbled

YABU -The government distracted parents with talk of "bubbles" etc in secondary, and the media were happy to go along with some strategically filmed clips in schools; but the reality was always going to be this, as they have no extra space, staff or funds. How else are they going to do what they were told and get all pupils back on a full time table?

Any one raising concerns about how the reality would pan out was shouted down as defeatist, workshy etc.

DS2 is back in school from today - year group bubble of 300 odd- they have put a 1 way system in place, and managed lunches/breaks and altered the timetable, but the school as over 1600 pupils and staff - the reality is corridors will be packed, classes have over 30 in them etc.

The problem is government. Schools will do what and as much as they are being advised so they won't be liable for anything if things go sideways. If they put in diff measures then they open themselves up.

I told our son's school that he will not be in at least until half term (until we have a really safe system or vaccine - either is fine) and they have called me up to talk to me about attendance. It seems that gov doesn't allow parents to keep kids at home for health reasons.
I'm going in to talk to them early next week. They are happy to give him work and mark hi homework and such, but they can't let him not be in physically.

We are still quarantining mostly, because it's not an issue for us* and I have an autoimmune illness already, don't want another lifelong thing to deal with. So in our household our kid would be the only one mingling with 100s of kids without masks.

*we don't do pubs/restaurants, our friends and family are in another country and my husband has been wfh for 5 years and I can easily wfh as well. Kid has an active social life and chats/videcalls for hours every day. Now I get that this is quite unique that we are okay with this and I don't want to say that this should be the normal for everyone, but when there is a real reason to act like this and school would be happy to help out as they understand -- I am more than angry for gov to endanger my life for exactly nothing!

For months shop works, bus drivers, NHS staff, have all had to work - through even greater risk levels than now. It's a balance - you can't keep schools shut, you can't shut down the economy, indefinitely.
Shielded people weren't out there in general though. And a month after shielding was paused they or their dc are back in school.
I'm not expecting you to have answers, it's just the glib 'they need to shield' you included in your post that I had issue with.

@NotAKaren

Parents tweeting pictures of their childrens busy secondary schools are causing further unnecessary alarm for nervous parents and stress for schools. These are probably the same parents that were calling for schools to open ASAP and calling teachers lazy and work shy. How did anyone think this was going to work? What is the alternative? Perhaps they should spend their time contacting their MPs or canvassing Mr Williamson to ask for more funding for extra facilities for schools.

I'm glad they are. I guess if I did it I'd get done on a safeguarding issue and lose my job. Teachers can't post these pictures, the truth needs to be seen quite frankly but we can't do it. All teachers I know are praying for kids and parents to show the truth.

@PamDemic

No, it's not teachers fault at all. I never said that. I asked what teachers think should be happening? In their ideal world, what would be the situation?

We don't have any choice. We can't socially distance in any area of our lives. We need to work, we need to shop, we need to travel, we need to educate. So what is the alternative? It's not shutting down for another 6 months. So it's not teachers fault. I'm very clear this mess is largely down to the govt. But what's the alternative right now?

Tell me because I really want to know what teachers think should be happening.

For me a rota is the only COVID secure system really (or the obvious, all back to remote learning).

@ineedaholidaynow yes I'd like to see some sort of plan that actively catered for remote learning either for vulnerable children, families or those who liked it. On a rota, part time basis, whatever. Reduce the number of pupils in school to make it safer for everyone. It needs to be a national scheme rather than individual schools.

@PamDemic

No, it's not teachers fault at all. I never said that. I asked what teachers think should be happening? In their ideal world, what would be the situation?

We don't have any choice. We can't socially distance in any area of our lives. We need to work, we need to shop, we need to travel, we need to educate. So what is the alternative? It's not shutting down for another 6 months. So it's not teachers fault. I'm very clear this mess is largely down to the govt. But what's the alternative right now?

Tell me because I really want to know what teachers think should be happening.

I think what we have to consider is why some countries got on top of it, and some haven't, and see if there is anything we can change.

Our whole dialogue is 'we can't do x' 'we must do x' 'we have to do x'

We do have a problem as no reflection can happen because the government fucked up so badly they will not allow a lessons learned review.

Sweden has admitted their errors!

@SomewhereEast

I'm not sure what else is going to happen TBH. This is just part of a wider issue - you can have strict 24/7 social distancing or you can have a functional society, but you can't actually have both. I just wish we would all engage with that reality.

Easy to ask someone else to engage with that reality (unless you're a secondary school teacher, in which case you got your wish!)

They could have easily done remote learning for all ages and it would have been safer for all. Exams could have been done still as more space to spread out in empty schools.

Although it would have led to more complaints about wanting free childcare back...

@MushyMushi

Thanks. I suppose I just expected there to be an attempt at enforcement - that’s my main issue. There is no point in having rules if they go out of the window in the first 24 hours.

Would love to home school but I work FT and DD is in Y11 so her education has suffered enough without inflicting more disruption on her!

You and many others have been told time and again that this wouldn't work.

Yet here you are blaming the school.

You are part of the problem

@PamDemic

but people can't work and home educate. And people need to work now.

and in any case children lose out with home education. Those without access to computers, those without access to willing or able parents, those with SEN, those who refuse to learn at home, those who need extra support. Their mental health suffers. I know that. Home education can't continue.

Neither can school education if the teachers aren't well enough to teach.

I am pissed off because my child's school is doing exactly the things that others are complaining about being lacking - SD in classrooms, bloody masks in communal areas, year group bubbles, eating outside, staggered lunch and break times, I could go on. But there is no point in complaining about it as the whole fucking nation appears to be brainwashed. So unfortunately some schools seem capable of "being safe"/being totally OTT (depending on your point of view).

Wish people would wise up to the reality that the cure is worse than the disease then we could go back to normal not this crap new normal

@LindainLockdown what exactly would you be complaining about and why? Many, many people in this 'whole fucking nation' have died of this virus and many teachers and parents and even some pupils are vulnerable. It isn't OTT to take safety precautions during a pandemic.

My daughter went to secondary school today and it was incredibly strict. Staggered drop offs, segregated areas for form groups and they didn’t get within a meter of each other, this is in a low risk area. I was a bit gutted to be honest as I had hoped it would be a step back to normality for her, but she seems to have coped well and is happy to be back

the shielded can still shield
Look we're in agreement that the government have messed this up Pam but the reality is that if you're a child, school staff or a parent with significant health concerns that had you shielding until 34 days ago there is no way that can be done now. You could lose your job or school place. How many parents can live apart from their dc?

The govt guidelines have changed 6 times in the last month - including last week

And they're only NOW thinking about masks

Which the schools haven't bought, don't have money to buy etc etc

The whole thing is an utter SHIT SHOW

Dh is SLT - the only way they could bring the whole school back which the department of education INSISTED they must do was whole year group bubbles, one way system, no masks, no checks, no buses

To say the corridors are tight is an understatement

@LindainLockdown

I am pissed off because my child's school is doing exactly the things that others are complaining about being lacking - SD in classrooms, bloody masks in communal areas, year group bubbles, eating outside, staggered lunch and break times, I could go on. But there is no point in complaining about it as the whole fucking nation appears to be brainwashed. So unfortunately some schools seem capable of "being safe"/being totally OTT (depending on your point of view).

Thank God say all the teachers in that school.

It is not government policy to enforce mask wearing in schools, I personally think the misuse of masks (and let's face it 11-16 year olds are going to misuse them) adds to the spread of germs.

I don't want my child eating outside when it is cold, yes it was fine today but this is probably going to go on for bloody ages.

Anyway luckily I have a chilled kid who will take it in his stride, I am not communicating my annoyance to him. Thankfully his allocated desk, where he will get all his lessons is "fine" according to him. It would be a complete waste of time and effort to complain to the school so I won't be doing that, I just want to show that not everyone has the same point of view.

Of course it will go down like a lead balloon with the teachers and other usual suspects, so I'm off to do something more interesting than argue the toss with them.

Wouldn't it be lovely if @LindainLockdown and the other usual suspects had sufficient empathy to realise why their point of view might go 'down like a lead balloon'.

It's not government policy YET to enforce mask wearing in schools

But don't be surprised if it's on the way ..