To ask how you would feel if the decision was made to adopt blended learning to allow for social distancing in schools

[livevomitlaugh]

just that really?
Yabu- I would be fine with that
Yanbu- I very much wouldn’t be fine with that

No it doesn’t require more staff.

1/2 on rota at home
1/2 in school.

Teacher delivers same lesson. In person to students in, via Teams to students at home.

And they have to stay in same seating plan irrespective due to track and trace. They aren’t ‘forcing’ them, they are following rules.

Presume you and those supporting this don't have to work OP.

No I’d not be happy with this, my kids have additional support needs, they need the structure and routine of school. They really didn’t do well with home schooling - they need the separation of home and school. They are both in primary school, there have been no Covid cases and none of the children have had to self isolate - the school are meticulous about following guidance and cleaning regimes. There’s no need to compromise their education even further.

How long would you want this to go on for though? Children aren't going to get vaccinated so, unless we manage to eradicate Covid through vaccinating adults (not going to happen in our lifetimes), it will spread amongst children until they've all had it.

And can we stop with "blending learning" and call it what it is? Part time education. Part time education for millions of children who are too low risk to even consider developing a vaccine for.

Many children don’t have access to Teams or Zoom either because they have no internet or they have no device at home. I read an article during the first lockdown about a family with seven children who all had to share one smartphone because it’s all the family had. You will definitely find a major disparity between the children with resources at home and the children without. Not only that but some parents genuinely don’t give a fuck, they’d just let their kids play on games all day.

So no, I don’t think this would work. My eldest DC had to self isolate for a fortnight last month due to a positive case in his class. He had two half an hour zoom lessons in 2 weeks and 2 or 3 worksheets to complete a day. He finished it within an hour max and then what? I had to make the rest up!

Also, if KW children can be there all time it means less time at school for the other children, again not fair.

Yes, I think the impact of having keyworker children in full time is often underestimated. When the schools were partially opened to reception, Y1 and Y6, the school I'm a governor at were unable to get Y6 in due to the number of keyworker children attending. And had all the reception and Y1 children wanted to attend, they wouldn't have been able to.

1. Many children don't engage with online learning well. Theres a reason school takes place in person.

2. It's too much screen time for them.

3. on a population level (not talking about specific risk to vulnerable teachers or the very small proportion of teachers who are over 60) the risk to both teachers and students from Covid is very low even with no social distancing at all. This is why you are seeing media reports about cases in schools but not thousands of dying teachers or pupils, despite there being over half a million teachers in the UK. In my opinion it is absolutely not worth the damage to education to reduce this already small risk

My eldest DC had to self isolate for a fortnight last month due to a positive case in his class

Two of my three secondary children have had to isolate. The youngest is 12 and his whole class had to isolate for 2 weeks. No online provision, no teaching, no video. Despite the fact the entire class was off and the teachers weren't dealing with some kids in school, some out.

My other child is back today after his 14 day quarantine was cut to 10 days. Again, no video.

All our Council will give the kids is the ability to send the teacher a message through the chat function on MS teams. The teacher may then reply, or may not, at some point over the next week.

It's UTTERLY SHIT and not "online learning". It's "uploading worksheets and not checking whether they're done or not".

It's not blended learning, or online learning. It's part time school. Or in the case of the first lockdown, bugger all school.

Also, DH is working full time, at home. I'm working part-time, at home and trying to study for my Masters, at home. We cannot do all of that AND try to educate three children.

Would be hell on earth. Also completely derail my vague hopes of getting a job. 5yo would very much miss her classmates and I'd spend my entire time trying to stop 2yo from shredding all of 5 yos work.

Any working parents would be screwed completely, "keyworker" provision doesn't help people who need to earn a living either.

Not convinced the government would help employers or parents stuffed by this so would be a disaster at primary level. Could possibly work for y8-10 and y12, if desperate but I am not convinced that giving teenagers more time out of school will reduce transmission...

Not in favour. Not so against that I would push back if this is what was decided to move to, but I would prefer it doesn't happen.

I'd love it. I'd love having my children home more.

*No it doesn’t require more staff.

1/2 on rota at home
1/2 in school.

Teacher delivers same lesson. In person to students in, via Teams to students at home.*

What about the many poorer students who cannot access Teams?

I wish teachers would just bloody accept it, now that it's clear the risk to adults under 60 and children is hugely lower than to older adults, there is not going to be anyone agreeing to widespread moves to part time schooling.

Retail workers havent kicked off like this, only teachers have and even then it only seems to be the ones on mn. I know loads in real life who are happy to be back at work & have no problem with it at all.

I would ask who is going to do mine and my husband's job whilst we are home schooling, or will the tax payer fund tutors?

@RaspberryCoulis

My eldest DC had to self isolate for a fortnight last month due to a positive case in his class

Two of my three secondary children have had to isolate. The youngest is 12 and his whole class had to isolate for 2 weeks. No online provision, no teaching, no video. Despite the fact the entire class was off and the teachers weren't dealing with some kids in school, some out.

My other child is back today after his 14 day quarantine was cut to 10 days. Again, no video.

All our Council will give the kids is the ability to send the teacher a message through the chat function on MS teams. The teacher may then reply, or may not, at some point over the next week.

It's UTTERLY SHIT and not "online learning". It's "uploading worksheets and not checking whether they're done or not".

It's not blended learning, or online learning. It's part time school. Or in the case of the first lockdown, bugger all school.

Also, DH is working full time, at home. I'm working part-time, at home and trying to study for my Masters, at home. We cannot do all of that AND try to educate three children.

That's been my DD's experience of online learning. Teachers on MN seem to think they are overworked but there are certainly some variation and that's the problem really. At schools where teachers are making the effort children will have an advantage compared with those where they do little when the children are at home.

My nephews school have been doing this since half term and it has worked well. They are planning on back to normal in January unless things worsen locally

@HmmSureJan

I'd love it. I'd love having my children home more.

And do they not have the right to be properly educated in school? If you think you can do that then why not home school them permanently?

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

And they have to stay in same seating plan irrespective due to track and trace. They aren’t ‘forcing’ them, they are following rules.

I understand that but common sense would spread them out rather than having them all sat together when they had so much extra space. Track and trace wouldn’t have been an issue in that circumstance.

Hmmsurejan

And you do your job how, with them at home? Or do you not have one? Nice for you but the rest of us are required to fulfill our obligations to our employers or we wont get paid.

My daughter's Belgian school have been doing this since half term and it seems to be working OK. 50 / 50 school vs distance learning. Some of the lessons are streamed and in other they are set work. This is for last 4 years of secondary school, though the whole school will move to distance learning after today for the rest of the week. They finish Friday for Xmas.

there are certainly some variation and that's the problem really. At schools where teachers are making the effort children will have an advantage compared with those where they do little when the children are at home.

Totally agree - I have a niece in a (state) secondary in the Home Counties. She's been isolating too, along with her class. Full timetable online, broken into blocks. So for example 9-9.45 English, 10-10.45 Maths, 11-11.45 History - with a 15 minute break each hour for them to take a screen break.

However I don't think it's just the individual teachers, or the schools. Our Council area (we're in Scotland) has said right from the beginning that they will not be doing live or recorded lessons so don't ask. Safeguarding, apparently. Other areas are doing loads and seem to have worked through the "safeguarding" concerns, if there are any.

And of course you have Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney who had pushed for part-time school for the entirety of the 2020-21 session, and only backtracked when thousands of parents let their views be known.

Also agree that teachers really need to look at what they're saying here - who needs teachers in classrooms when all you need is one Year 10 English teacher for the whole of England to deliver a lesson a zoom, and a few more to answer any queries? If it's just as good delivering education in this remote way, why are teachers needed at all?

I'd be ok with it for us, because my dc are sensible 12 and 15yo who actively prefer distance learning, and because I currently work very part-time. I don't necessarily think it should be done though, as it would be a massive nightmare for huge numbers of working parents who aren't in my fortunate position.

No way terrible idea

And can we stop with "blending learning" and call it what it is? Part time education. Part time education for millions of children who are too low risk to even consider developing a vaccine for.

Agree

On a personal level I wouldn’t actually mind it but it needs to be across the board and not just for secondary. Secondary education seems to be being treated as some sort of optional extra. The issue with primary as far as I can see is so parents can work. But aren’t we always being told by teachers on MN that school isn’t childcare?

I would be OK with it as long as it was consistent and for a short time. The EIS’s proposal of schools in tier 4 going to “blended” is completely unacceptable and simply going to disadvantage children based on postcode. But I am lucky as I wfh and both my kids are in secondary. My youngest has special needs though so while I could leave him for a few hours if I didn’t wfh there’s no way I could leave an autistic 12 year old at home with only his brother who needs to concentrate on his own work. It’s not only primary children that need lots of support. But then those of us with special needs children are used to the assumption that they don’t matter.

OP. My DD used to work very hard at school, with excellent attendance. However her learning needs are such that she struggles doing work online at all (even stuff like mymaths). Lockdown was been an utter and total disaster for her in terms of education.

Plus - think about practical GCSEs such as drama, food, art, PE, music.