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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the school should not be providing online learning on strike days.

167 replies

needabreak5 · 25/01/2023 19:12

School say they likely have to close because they can’t accommodate all kids. The non striking staff will provide full day online learning for all pupils, which kids are expected to engage with. How are parents expected to do this? My kids are 6 and 4 so can’t just get on with it.

DH works full time and needs to be in next Wednesday. I work full time, but will be able to WFH and try to do as much work as possible while DC are occupied (with iPads / TV etc) and catch up when DH gets home. AIBU that it’s unfair to expect parents to engage a full day online learning if they are trying to work too? Feels like lockdown learning again which was impossible!

I know it will be fine to just not do it, but I don’t think the school should be asking this of parents.

OP posts:
BankOfDave · 25/01/2023 19:52

I’m a school governor (not at my DC school) and have been made aware that school will be fully shut for everyone with no online provision.

We had a discussion and the teaching staff at that school relayed they are happy with their pay. However they are not happy:

  • the recent pay reviews came out of school budget which means less for the children.
  • it took months for the Department for Education to give a meagre amount extra to schools to cover huge hikes in energy and supply costs due to inflation, which means less for children.
  • with the provision for SEN children, which often means a sun-optimal environment for all children.
  • they have to clean the school because we can’t recruit cleaners as the package isn’t attractive due to budgets. Ditto recruitment of TAs and other teaching staff
  • many support agencies (social services and others) are in crisis and teachers are left dealing with the most serious of safeguarding issues, which is terrible for those children

They are striking as they see it as their opportunity to stand up for themselves and in turn their pupils.

As a Governor it’s not in our remit to attempt to influence industrial action. My personal view is they have a democratic right to strike and have exercised that right via a legal ballot. Knowing school finances and what they do everyday - I totally support the teachers at my school.

Cocobutt · 25/01/2023 19:53

Well I think schools won’t be able to win as for every parent that can’t do it there will be one demanding work is set.

If you can’t do it don’t, no one is going to punish you or the children.

I agree.

We knew the strikes were coming up and parents were moaning about how there needs to be work set because it’s not fair on their DCs to miss out on an education.

Now they have set work, parents are moaning.

They literally cannot do anything right.

No wonder the teachers are striking as it’s these sorts of attitudes which make the job so much more difficult.

cansu · 25/01/2023 19:57

The teachers should not be providing work. This undermines the striking colleagues.

TheMoth · 25/01/2023 19:58

My kids will be off school. I will be probably out marching somewhere. The school won't give a shit if they don't do the work set, and neither will I. Although I suspect dc's school won't set any anyway.

I might try to convince them to come and march with me.

Mrsweasleysclock · 25/01/2023 19:59

My kids school will be half open. Classes of striking teachers will be shut, classes of non striking teachers will be open. So my son is not allowed to go to school and my daughter must go to school otherwise be marked down as an unauthorised absence. Make it make sense?!

Cocobutt · 25/01/2023 20:00

I won't be doing homeschooling as I have my own job to do.

I am a teacher but I won’t be striking as I work in an SEND unit which aren’t part of the strikes.

The unit and associated school are closed for students but I’ll still be going in else I’ll be breaching my contract.
(I fully support the strikes though).

But my DD’s school is also closed and so I will not be doing homeschooling with her either.

She is very sensible and old enough to be left so I’m fortunate I don’t have to worry about that but no way would she have the discipline to do homeschooling without someone encouraging her.

I don’t think any school will have an expectation of work.
There will just be some schools who set work so they don’t have constant complaints from parents.

VioletaDelValle · 25/01/2023 20:01

Why not? We did it through lockdown and coped.

Not all of us coped. I can't do my job AND homeschool at the same time.

Cocobutt · 25/01/2023 20:02

My kids school will be half open. Classes of striking teachers will be shut, classes of non striking teachers will be open.

@Mrsweasleysclock

How are they arranging this?

They won’t know how many staff they have in until the day of the strike, so they could end up having lots of students and barely any staff.

WhiteFire · 25/01/2023 20:02

My personal view is they have a democratic right to strike and have exercised that right via a legal ballot.

I agree, it is irrelevant to me whether I agree to the strikers (any, general) reasons.

noimaginationforausername · 25/01/2023 20:02

We aren't doing online learning, we are going out for the day! Sod that. There's only two classes off in my dd's primary school, the rest have to go in.

WhiteFire · 25/01/2023 20:04

We are not getting work afaik.

Mrsweasleysclock · 25/01/2023 20:06

Cocobutt · 25/01/2023 20:02

My kids school will be half open. Classes of striking teachers will be shut, classes of non striking teachers will be open.

@Mrsweasleysclock

How are they arranging this?

They won’t know how many staff they have in until the day of the strike, so they could end up having lots of students and barely any staff.

They've asked the teachers whether or not they are striking. They then emailed all parents to let us know which classes will be shut. There's a set of twins in ds year group. One twin has to go in and the other not allowed. It's ridiculous.

Elisheva · 25/01/2023 20:15

We had a letter from our school saying it will be closed and that they will not be providing live online learning as that would be deemed as 'covering' for striking colleagues and is against the law. I've no idea if this is correct or not.
The year 11s are still going in as it is their mocks.
The school is also providing packed lunches for children entitled to fsm.

Ariautec · 25/01/2023 20:16

Just a reminder that schools are following Department for Education guidance.
Government tells us what to do.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1128077/Handling_strike_action_in_schools.pdf

Thank you @BankOfDave and staff. So, so true. The education system is broken.

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 25/01/2023 20:18

Our wages have fallen against the cost of living, year after year after year

So has mine, so has my husbands. He is emergency services and not allowed to strike (Police). Everyone is feeling the pinch financially.

I support the strikes because our children deserve a better education than is being provided now. Schools need better funding and better teachers, and more support to provide that education. We need to be encouraging students into teaching, not telling everyone who will listen how awful it is because surely that becomes a self fulfilling prophecy as it'll put students off wanting to be a teacher and the shortage in teachers will continue. All the money in the world won't make people want to do a job they are told is shit.

Our school has told the kids to log onto Teams and have been told if no teacher shows up then to wait around for the next class and so on. Nope, not doing that. We don't even have a working laptop.

MyFlagMeansIceCream · 25/01/2023 20:19

VioletaDelValle · 25/01/2023 20:01

Why not? We did it through lockdown and coped.

Not all of us coped. I can't do my job AND homeschool at the same time.

Exactly. Not everyone coped. I didn't, and you know what made it worse? People telling me that everyone else coped and I was weak and ridiculous for not coping.

Cocobutt · 25/01/2023 20:20

They've asked the teachers whether or not they are striking. They then emailed all parents to let us know which classes will be shut.

They’re not allowed to ask who is striking ahead of time.

MarshaBradyo · 25/01/2023 20:21

MyFlagMeansIceCream · 25/01/2023 20:19

Exactly. Not everyone coped. I didn't, and you know what made it worse? People telling me that everyone else coped and I was weak and ridiculous for not coping.

Show quote history

Of course many people didn’t (women usually bearing the brunt) don’t worry about it.

VioletaDelValle · 25/01/2023 20:22

Exactly. Not everyone coped. I didn't, and you know what made it worse? People telling me that everyone else coped and I was weak and ridiculous for not coping.

It broke me and I've not fully recovered.

MrsHamlet · 25/01/2023 20:22

Cocobutt · 25/01/2023 20:20

They've asked the teachers whether or not they are striking. They then emailed all parents to let us know which classes will be shut.

They’re not allowed to ask who is striking ahead of time.

They are now. New guidance.
Staff are not obliged to reply though.

LlynTegid · 25/01/2023 20:25

I am with those who say the school cannot win either way.

Zero sympathy if the OP voted for the Tories in 2019 or did not vote.

CrapBucket · 25/01/2023 20:26

ChickenBurgers · 25/01/2023 19:33

Just don’t do it. I’ve booked the day off work and I’m going to take my son out for the day if he’s off. If you’ll struggle to manage homeschooling while working just don’t do it. Can you or their dad not take a day of A/L? Saves a lot of hassle then and if they end up in school, you get a day of peace and quiet. Win win!

'Just take a day off, win win!' - not everyone can do that, most people with school age children don't have enough leave to take random days off.

GrantShappsAteMyBrain · 25/01/2023 20:26

needabreak5 · 25/01/2023 19:25

Just strike and close the school FFS. No need to put any extra pressure on teachers or parents to provide home learning. I’m sure the non-striking teachers have plenty they can be doing.

But if the school is closed wouldn't you have to take leave anyway even if they didn't provide online learning? Especially parents who can't work from home will just have to take leave. I guess kids who are old enough to entertain themselves are old enough to sit in front of a screen for their online learning.

Original poster
needabreak5 · 25/01/2023 20:29

I guess kids who are old enough to entertain themselves are old enough to sit in front of a screen for their online learning.

I disagree. Certainly my kids are old enough to entertain themselves/play etc to some extent while I work. They cannot do unsupervised home learning.

OP posts:
Schoolchoicesucks · 25/01/2023 20:35

needabreak5 · 25/01/2023 19:25

Just strike and close the school FFS. No need to put any extra pressure on teachers or parents to provide home learning. I’m sure the non-striking teachers have plenty they can be doing.

I agree with this. I support the teachers striking. But I won't be expecting or supporting ds10 to do remote learning.

Haven't heard what is happening with ds13's school - if the teaching staff are striking, they can't do live online lessons and surely it doesn't make sense for them to record them or even set work to be done. They're losing pay to strike - if they do the work anyway, the strike loses some of it's impact.

To the pp who is "just going to get on with home learning like in the pandemic with out of office on" - you must have a very understanding employer (or an undemanding job). Not everyone has that.