The government can get in the fucking bin pretending to care about education

[noblegiraffe]

The government have issued guidance for schools on strike days:

Prioritise vulnerable kids (now they care? After destroying SEN and mental health services?)

Provide lunch for kids on FSM (the ones they voted not to feed during covid school holidays? And if they care about hungry kids, why have they not raised the threshold for qualifying in line with inflation? Thousands of kids going hungry because they don’t qualify as family income is over £7400, same as in 2018).

Hire supply teachers to cover striking teachers (with what money? And fuck off)

Make sure tutoring happens (using the governments’ failed National Tutoring Programme it doesn’t happen at the best of times)

The government are apparently very worried that pupils might not have teachers on strike days although they don’t give a shit that they don’t have teachers on non-strike days.

The government are very concerned that children’s educational recovery from covid will be set back - while refusing to fund the covid catch-up package that their own advisor recommended, and they have basically left children to just get on with it.

If the government actually cared about education, about vulnerable kids, about hungry kids, they’d be funding these things.

Time they put their money where their mouth is.

And if anyone asks where this money is going to come from, ask Nadhim Zahawi.

@Aleaiactaest

Why assume that? I was against the closures for the main during covid. I absolutely support these strikes though. Any volunteer parent who wants to go in on a strike day does not have the children’s best interests at heart, neither do they sound clued up on educational matters. Volunteering in schools with teachers present is one thing, volunteering in schools with no teachers present is another. Good luck with that one 🤦‍♀️. You would be in for quite the shock when the little darlings realise there’s no authority in the classroom 😂.

Absolutely this.

I’m a parent and independent school governor at another school with responsibility for finance.

Before any non-teacher parents come on to say they don’t support the strike, I would suggest you volunteer to be a governor (also a shortage) or befriend one of the parent governors and enlighten yourself to the financial situation of your school and MANY challenges facing schools/teachers.

You will be shocked. 100% guaranteed.

Already written a letter to my MP in October and received a 2 page response from the DforE. Suggest everyone does the same.

Anyone who complains that a few strike days are utterly detrimental to children's learning and wellbeing seriously needs a reality check to realise the impact of over a decade of chronic, deliberate dismantling of state education.

Although you have just mentioned the tip of the iceberg OP, I completely agree.

Is there some kind of who can be the biggest cunt competition?

I’m my area alone the child poverty rates at 38% - the vast majority are doing their best but low income families have been stretched for years not under this government and now it’s too much for many. It’s embarrassing as it’s your comment. We are the 5th largest economy and there is no need for these levels of poverty and inequality if the tax system was fair and not grossly in favour of the rich. We are supposed to be world leaders so it’s horrifying when charity’s such as unicef and food banks are stepping in the pick up what the government should be doing.

It isn’t the tax system- the rich pay the vast majority of taxes. It is people not earning enough in the first place and some earning far too much, coupled with far too expensive housing, now too expensive energy costs etc etc and the ease of getting into debt. If there were secure and cheap housing and everyone was paid a good fair wage society would be much fairer. Handing governments more and more taxes to piss up the wall is not the answer.

@ReformedWaywardTeen your dd needs better funding for CAHMS or other mental health support more than she needs the school to stay open for a few more days.

Ofsted are striking on the same day.

Handing governments more and more taxes to piss up the wall is not the answer.

Nadhim Zahawi has just paid back millions that he owed in taxes (and which a less Tory person would have gone to prison for dodging). I'd like other people like Zahawi to pay the taxes that they owe.

I'd also like the government to not piss money up the wall and to fund schools properly.

Not all 4 of them. "Guidance is also given on Ofsted inspections, suggesting that some visits may be deferred during strike action days.

This states: “As with any other possible disruption to a school (such as severe weather), on a strike day Ofsted inspectors will take a view as to whether there is sufficient activity taking place to enable it to conduct an inspection of the school. Where there is not, the inspection is likely to be deferred.

“Where there is, inspectors will assess the education that is taking place at the point of inspection, along with all other evidence about the school and its performance, to arrive at a balanced judgement about the performance of the school”.

From TES article

Fingers crossed for more strikes from Ofsted as that will improve the situation in schools.

Ha, yes. A fair assessment will be given of a school if staff are striking. Wonder what their cut off % is.

Good question. I know of a school near me that was inspected on an off-curriculum, themed day two days before the summer holidays started - like a sports day. Attendance had plummeted by that point anyway. Inspectors didn't care and the school failed miserably.

My local school was inspected when over 50% of the staff were off with covid. Didn't manage to get a deferral because it was the second time. Came out "just about good, but wouldn't have been if it had been a full 2 day inspection, we'll be back in the next 12 months". (First line of the report - brutal).

This plan to get in parent volunteers and dinner ladies to supervise classes so that schools can stay open reminds me of the government plan last year to get elderly ex-teachers back into the classroom on supply to keep schools open while covid ran riot.

That was also a great plan with no obvious flaws that everyone queued up to sign up for.

If you care so much just give a contribution from your own salary - do not expect me to pay more

My books shelves are chock full of books I’ve purchased for my students to borrow. Expensive books, bought abroad for the most part and carefully chosen to support learning in class. I also purchase books to support and develop my pedagogy, share ideas with colleagues. There isn’t a teacher out there who hasn’t, multiple times a year, walked round Poundland/B&M/Home Bargains and picked up something weird and wonderful with a ‘oooh, I am sure we can do something with that’ . Most of us fund basics like glue sticks, tissues, hand sanitizer, pencil crayons etc because there simply isn’t enough cash in school to re-purchase at several points along the year. Some of us bring breakfast for one, or more, students, help out with bus fares or even purchase new pe shorts for a struggling child.

Why do you expect that financial (and frankly emotional) commitment from school staff towards your children but you’re not prepared yourself to ensure our children have the basics in place that will help their learning?

DfE says that if a head is striking, they can get 'any member of staff who is an ex head' to act as head. There are two of those at my place, both laughed (and are striking).

Well said..totally agree

The government are total hypocrites for pretending they care about any of us in any way.

Maybe all those Us For Them volunteers who were going to step up during Covid will suddenly appear to keep the schools open?

Don't hold your breath, mind.

The tories want to destroy education and the nhs.

How anyone votes for them is beyond me.

I understand (while not supporting, obviously), the wrecking of the NHS, but I don't get what the after-expectation will be for education.

Not giving money to schools = more money available to give tax breaks to their voters.