Why can't the government create 'Nightingale' schools.

[Jessy193819]

I may be in la la land here and I bet you any money it's all to do with funding.
But the nightingale hospital was open to help NHS (lots of controversy about how useful it's been I know).

How come the government can't use hubs and other unused buildings to create some 'mini schools' (per say) to help with social distancing and creating smaller class sizes during covid.

There are thousands of supply teachers and supply TA's out there who would probably jump at the chance to apply for these roles.

There probably is a reason why this won't happen but it'd help ensure all children have a full-time education whilst reducing class sizes.

Basically, money.

The DfE specifically released guidance that said heads weren’t to implement any plans for return to school that required extra space.

Because they're a bunch of cunts who won't do anything unless it benefits them and their mates.

I genuinely don't think they care.

I just find it a shame that education doesn't seem a priority in this country. You see other European countries who have around 15 children in a class, whereas here in the UK some classes have double that!
It's a shame education is underfunded here.

It’s almost impossible to get teaching staff at the moment. Unless you had to, why would you want to work in an environment where you are not allowed to use any of the standard PPE found in other workplaces?

You also can’t throw out safeguarding processes or health and safety assessments of premises now either; you’d need to fit out village halls with white boards, lunch facilities etc.

If there are so many teachers out there who would jump at the chance, why do so many schools struggle to recruit? I thought there was a shortage of teachers?

Whilst I really sympathise, the reason schools are closed is to get community transmission down. Having kids mixing, wherever it takes place, will not achieve this aim. Many people would also not be happy to send their kids with unfamiliar people to unfamiliar places to have lessons even in small groups.
The government could however decide that some part time schooling as we come out of lockdown would be better than no schooling. They need however to actually discuss this with school leaders to ensure that their plans are feasible. This would probably also mean that some remote learning would be sacrificed for more face to face.

@ReceptacleForTheRespectable there's a shortage of teachers in certain subjects, especially secondary, and in some areas of the UK there'd be more teachers than others,
In the North West/North Wales there are too many teachers than there are jobs, I can't speak for the rest of the country though.

Huge logistical issues I guess in ensuring students are placed in a location close enough to home, with siblings, with a teacher suitable for their age, with TA support for SEN needs etc. In a site that has to be risk assessed, have correct sized toilet facilities for children, outdoor space for playtimes, classroom resources etc. I think it probably COULD be done but they would be unlikely to do all that if it was only for a few months, I think.

PE, history and primary are not often classed as having a 'shortage'

It wouldn't solve the problems of mixing, as pupils do not all do the same subject options, notnare they in the same sets. And tsecondary school transmission patterns are concerning, especially with new variant.

Also, having teens wandering round between (non-school, scattered) buildings seems like quite a bad idea in itself.

@Amammai yes I suppose you're right! I just find it crazy that it's been almost a year and nothing seems to be that much different in terms of education

Lack of money
Lack of staff
Resources - equipment / computers / books
Safeguarding

And its too late now even if you had mega bucks. By the time they finished it would be late summer.

It is something teachers have suggested I think. There are a lot of supply teachers - it many of them do it because they don’t want a full time job as education is not a nice working environment at the best of times. I’m one of them. I wouldn’t take a job which had no definite end point.

@cardibach ah okay, i'm actually a permanent primary teacher in the North West and many of the supply teachers i've met are on it because there are just hardly any jobs around here. My school had way over 100 applicants for a post.
I was actually on supply for 3 years before getting my current job,
Of course many supply teachers love supply and the flexibility of it and it is their job so I was probably wrong to assume most would jump at the chance

Think about the logistics. Also, the reality is that most people would not want their child to go to some random church hall to sit on the floor with a supply teacher.

Logistics would involve: more teachers and spaces with adequate toilet facilities, heating and ventilation, safe outdoor space that is enclosed, etc etc.

@Notcontent You say "with a supply teacher" but these people are qualified, many have been for years and are ex head of departments. I was actually supply for 3 years before securing the job I am in now so it grates my nerves when people see supply teachers as less.

But yes I can see how it wouldn't work. Seemed to make sense in my imagination

Lack of staffing, lack of funding and more importantly lack of supplies! All the stationary etc at the local stores are gone, no whiteboards. pens, pencils etc.

Speaking as someone involved with opening a school right now, it is nowhere near as easy as just finding an empty building and putting the children and staff in there.

The number of hoops you have to jump through to provide a suitable environment is huge. It just wouldn't happen.

What would be the benefit of sitting in a hall with hundreds of other children vs remote learning with their own teacher?

@alwjebdbajkew

I genuinely don't think they care.

Same

@Bourbonic well in my imagination (which I know clearly won't work now) it wouldn't have been hundreds of children in a hall,
It'd be 15 children in a room with a qualified teacher (i'm not saying supply now as for some reason people see it negatively).

The benefit is it allows children to be back in full-time education as realistically many working parents do not have the time to provide effective homeschooling for the children.
Remote learning is all well and good but nowhere near as effective as being in school. In school, children have us, the teachers, there to ask for help if they're stuck, not sending us a message and waiting for a response.
Live lessons are not amazing either as some children can't access it or it doesn't fit in with a working parents schedule.

Clearly my 'mini schools' wouldn't work in the real world, but the joys of being a primary teacher - the use of imagination

Because they don’t care.

Won’t spend the money.

I bet parents don’t want to drop their kids off with new strangers.

Not enough teachers (for the schools that already exist let alone new ones!)

Too hard to keep consistency of teaching.

Learning at home from their own teachers is fine in the vast majority of cases.

[quote Jessy193819]@Notcontent You say "with a supply teacher" but these people are qualified, many have been for years and are ex head of departments. I was actually supply for 3 years before securing the job I am in now so it grates my nerves when people see supply teachers as less.

But yes I can see how it wouldn't work. Seemed to make sense in my imagination [/quote]
Sorry @Jessy193819 - i didn’t mean to imply that supply teachers are not as well qualified. Apologies. I was just thinking that most parents (and children) would have concerns about being faced with an unfamiliar teacher in a temporary venue, etc.