AIBU that the government doesn't care about children's education?

[User158340]

They had to be dragged kicking and screaming to take any measures with schools and when they finally did they made the guidance so broad that pretty much everyone can qualify as a key worker.

Therefore schools stay open and busy but with no real lessons. Schools are now essentially child minding services and that's all.

It's never been about education. It's all about keeping the parents working for the economy. Fair enough, that's key as well, but i'm sick of hearing the government talk about children's education as if they give a shit. Nor is this a lockdown when schools are still busy and everyone is still going out to work every day, or wfh with less sympathetic employers.

I’m not defending the government in their approach to anything, but they have been quite clear that schools are not child minding services.

The curriculum has not been suspended for this lockdown and schools are expected to deliver it, whether that is face to face or remotely. Their expectation is 4 hours for KS2 children and more for older ones.

Therefore schools stay open and busy but with no real lessons. Schools are now essentially child minding services and that's all.

Well, that’s not true. What type of school do you work in?

Childminding? Nope. All getting proper lessons where I work.

Therefore schools stay open and busy but with no real lessons. Schools are now essentially child minding services and that's all.

I almost wish this was true because it would take the pressure off of home schooling and mean another national catch up, but it isn't the case, the curriculum hasn't been paused this time. I am incredibly worried about how my children will fare with the educational disparity about to be experienced, our school is supplying excellent assignments and tools but I work full time, I have broken down in tears 3 times today unable to manage it all.

We start teaching via zoom at 9 and finish at 3. Children in school and children at home get exactly the same teaching provision, except for PE as we've found it rather tricky to include children remotely in a football lesson- they get the delights of Joe Wickes instead! It is different for those that don't have any access to zoom, we provide hard copies of all the worksheets, explanations and powerpoints but obviously they don't have a teacher on hand to help- although if the can upload the work it is marked and commented on.

YANBU. Our school is teaching children that are in as normal. Those at home get a weekly list of work to do and that's it. It's shit. How the disparity can be allowed in don't know. I thought the government had said schools had to teach those at home this time but they're not.

Schools here are lessons in the classrooms via zoom that is also accessed by those at home. All led by the class teacher.

YABU. In my secondary school I have to teach live lessons via Teams. It's hard enough teaching Music during a pandemic where we can't sing or use a specialist room. I spent hours this week devising schemes of work that students can do remotely.

In my primary school, I normally work 2 afternoons per week. Kids have been in since Wednesday. I have done some music, some MFL, some Science and dance with them. This week my remit was to keep them safe and if they learned anything, that's a bonus.

Given Gavin Williamson's ineptitude and the ridiculous timing of BoJo's announcement on the closing of schools, if you want to moan about the quality of teaching, come and do it in person with me. I'd like to see anyone else do a better job. FFS cut us some slack. If we'd known before Christmas, we could have planned effective teaching. Until 8pm on Monday, I thought I had full primary classes, 2 weeks of remote learning for yrs 8, 9, 10 and 12 and 1 week for yrs 11 & 13. To put effective and meaningful lessons in place at such short notice is impossible.

They care about children’s education, it just isn’t the #1 priority because we are in a pandemic.

@Thislittlefinger123

YANBU. Our school is teaching children that are in as normal. Those at home get a weekly list of work to do and that's it. It's shit. How the disparity can be allowed in don't know. I thought the government had said schools had to teach those at home this time but they're not.

They should be!! Just printing lists of stuff or suggestions doesn't cut it in this lockdown.

Legally, schools have to provide 3 hours per day for KS1, 4 hours for KS2 and 5 hours for KS3.

I am teaching remotely from home this week. I expect my class to logon every day and then I teach lessons. The lessons are also broadcast to KW children who are physically in school. That way, everyone gets the same content coverage. It's working well so far.

Teacher and TA in school with KW/vulnerable children, teacher and TA also working online. That way, it's also fair.

State primary.

If the Prime Minister cared about education then a capable minister not someone such as Gavin Williamson would have been appointed.

I tell you what Gavin Williamson definitely doesn’t care about - stopping covid spreading in schools.

He didn’t lift a finger to make schools safer in September meaning rampant covid spread and even now in lockdown he is intent on cramming as many kids into school as possible with the same lack of care for infection control.

He’s also trying to hide the fact that he still hasn’t delivered all those laptops he promised in March and has just had to withdraw a letter that he expected schools to send to parents that lied about the mass testing.

Can see where you're coming from but to me YABU. Economy and education are important. I would like there to be a somewhat healthy economy left for when my children and students need to get a job. I don't want my DC suffering from the effects of even more trillions of pounds of debt so it's a terrible balancing act.
The govt kept schools going for so long because of the economy but also because of education and socialisation so to say 'they' don't care about it is not accurate to me.
My DC are in school doing work so i don't think it is childcare ime though I think it was more like childcare last summer.

The govt kept schools going for so long because of the economy but also because of education and socialisation

They didn’t keep them going. Covid was rampant and millions of kids spent weeks isolating. School attendance in parts of the country was appallingly low.

The press failed to report this.

Schools were not fine, they were limping along in a lot of cases and actually fully closed in others.

This is because of the complete lack of infection control. With better measures they might have been able to keep them open now.

My children are in school and get exactly the same lessons as if they were at home because all the work is online. There is a teacher there but not necessary one who teaches the subject.
Certainly not a child minding service, they are being taught
What do you actually expect the government to do? If they didn't care about education they would have shut schools earlier and suspended the curriculum. They haven't done that but there's only so much they can do in a pandemic.

I don’t think the government care about education really.
However I also think it’s unfair to say schools are just childminding. Our certainly are, they might not be doing the normal amount but they are covering core work.

I agree. They've had 6 months to prepare for this happening again and haven't issued any protocols as to what must be achieved. Or if they have they are pretty shocking as the variance in output between schools is wide reaching. Then of course there is the argument that if they had addressed some specific health concerns of teachers (ie put them on the vaccine list, give them some PPE) better it could have been handled better altogether.

They've also had months to think about GCSEs instead of just cancelling them.

Also all this about giving out laptops as though that solves the problem. It doesn't. How is it appropriate to have a child on a screen all day? How is my 6 year old who can barely read thanks to last years mishaps supposed to navigate her work by herself when I am working? And finally in any other circumstance you are told not to leave children unsupervised with screens for safeguarding. FFS.

I think that sly Gavin might feel he's got one over the teachers/unions at the moment.

He (initially) made teachers feel they had got their way but the current situation, with so many kids going into school, means it is hardly what you would call a win.

FWIW my child was in school last lockdown, it was childcare then. He's not going this time, too bloody cold in school!

They didn’t keep them going. Covid was rampant and millions of kids spent weeks isolating. School attendance in parts of the country was appallingly low.

Agreed. I saw this happen in my school. But they were open to the majority. I think they would have been kept open this term if the variant hadn't reared its head as it was a 'national priority'. Whether for education or babysitting to allow the economy to function is a good question.

YANBU. Many more children in school this ‘lockdown’ and all receiving lessons in class with teacher and ta. ( appreciate teacher is also setting online learning etc). However our school is currently not delivering lessons via teams or zoom as the internet is so dire it doesn’t work properly. (An ongoing issue for our rural area that has been repeatedly overlooked). School work for those at home is worksheets, workbook, PowerPoints and an odd video, completed work is sent via email or dropped off for marking. Those not in school are not getting the same education or social interaction. School are doing their best in my opinion but homeschooling this way is not giving them an education. It is unfair, and will worsen the attainment levels. The government and Williamson don’t give a stuff about it and will do nothing and put nothing in place to lessen this issue. Cue the growing resentment from many regarding kw places. And this will no doubt drag on for months.

My dc did 3 days of teams/online learning and I was pleasantly surprised. They had 3 or 4 online lessons each day and a bit of independent work. They’ve got critical worker places at school now, so following a time table, but it’s proper lessons they are doing. A couple of the lessons are also being taught to live to teams too, so exactly the same learning going on.
But, this school were fantastic last year during lockdown and sorted out their online offer extremely quickly. The primary school my dd was at were awful, realms of ‘ideas’ That were wholly unsuitable or unworkable for 5he average family and twinkl sheets. I’m told they are doing little better this time round and parents are desperately hoping it’s ‘teething problems’ rather than how it is going to be for the next couple of months.

If the Government cared about education they would give more funding to schools.

If the Government cared about education they would have provided the laptops they promised not drop schools in it by saying any child who doesn't have access to a laptop can go into school.

@noblegiraffe

I tell you what Gavin Williamson definitely doesn’t care about - stopping covid spreading in schools.

He didn’t lift a finger to make schools safer in September meaning rampant covid spread and even now in lockdown he is intent on cramming as many kids into school as possible with the same lack of care for infection control.

He’s also trying to hide the fact that he still hasn’t delivered all those laptops he promised in March and has just had to withdraw a letter that he expected schools to send to parents that lied about the mass testing.

This, with bells on.

I was absolutely dreading the prospect of homeschooling again and broke down several times before term began (we are Greater London so knew the schools would be closed in advance) but the school have been absolutely amazing. I’ve one DC in year 2 and one in year 4 and they are both being taught on Teams for 6 hours a day - with the teacher constantly online. I’m also WFH and have been able to get on with my own work.

I agree with your statement but not the evidence. I dont think you can judge on what's been going on in lockdowns. I think you can judge on the chronic reduced funding for education and the clowns that have been put in charge of it over the last few years. School resources have been decimated over the past decade.