So how is all this ‘open only for key workers’ thing going to work then?

[FlamingoAndJohn]

Really is doesn’t seem to mean anything.

I can’t really teach a random selection of children.

I would have been one of those ‘strange’ kids included in the group being given continued school provision as I had a social worker. I may not have actually appreciated having to go to school when everyone else was off, but I would have appreciated being in a safe place during the day and being fed. I hope any children who receive the provision are spared from people like Timeforanotherchange.

As a child I always appreciated people who volunteered their time for us because I knew they weren’t being paid to be nice.

So they'll just sit in a classroom supervised by teacher(s) and fill in their worksheets and then watch a few videos.

The same thing is going on in other countries so that we can keep doctors in the hospitals and delivery drivers delivering.

It will be a small proportion of children.

I'm really disappointed by the response of some of my colleagues in education.

We have a real national emergency situation. Many people in the public sector are working under intolerable stress and we have one group of public servants wanting to stick rigidly to their job descriptions.

Of course we won't be teaching as usual but we do have very important work to do.

It has to be said, I have had a number of emails from colleagues offering to go above and beyond to make sure we are able to support our vulnerable students though.

Our LA has said they plann to add parents working in Education to the key workers list so we can keep working. They've also said other schools will be expected to support the special schools.

In reality I think most ECHP parents will keep children home and the other vulnerable ones are unlikely to attend when "no one" else does. It will, I'm sure all change again before fully implemented.

ATM we are planning a shortened day of "activities" and food. Staff to collect CP children by minibus.

@TimeforanotherChange everyone has to pull together. I am not a teacher nor am I NHS. My job is needed but is apparently not a key role. I will be doing extra work to cover parents who need to look after their children. Should I just say 'fuck this shit" and go home?

also be thankful you are needed - lots of people I know in hospitality just got laid off - including my DD1 who lost her PT job at a theme park today

People are struggling right now

We are organising a rota as we expect about 40? children unless parents have evidence of the jobs on the list.

Need to consider first aider and access to safeguarding etc so still a work in progress and awaiting clarity on delivery jobs.

BiscuitBarrels

Thank you for your support.

I know I will be more nervous than DD on the first day, especially if she is faced with a teacher that doesnt want to look after strange children.

A bit of compassion as to how a child will feel meeting new teachers will be needed, I fear.

time, I think if you are a teacher who is in a family with another person who is vulnerable, you may not be asked to do this. My schools was drawing up a list.

I agree with most here. We have a moral purpose to ensure nhs workers and supermarket workers and police can still work. No we should not get compensated ffs whoever suggested that. Nor should we moan that this is in Easter holidays. We keep life as normal as possible for the children that need it.

I’m a teacher and I absolutely support this decision. It’s the right thing to do. It would feel wrong to be paid to sit at home and not work. I can’t believe some colleagues think otherwise.

If educators can't do this it will serve us right if the distance learning is such a success we're not needed once it's all over!

Binting, we have many children in the social worker category. Staff have been giving so much thought to how we can care for them and we as an SLT have already had numerous messages suggesting ways to make this work.

Isn't a rota going to lead to the pupils having a lot of mixed social interaction - multiple contacts with different teachers in the week? And maybe different groups of pupils depending on parents shift patterns.
I would not want my own dc going into that set up. The numbers would need to be kept really small to do this.
Some teachers might volunteer obviously those ones would then not be working at home to prepare work and liaise with pupils.
With so many told to work from home and stay away from other people, it's not hard to understand why teachers might also want to stay at home with their own children.

Add message | Report | Message poster theswordthatdangles Wed 18-Mar-20 19:12:21
I do think it will be childcare not education, which makes it easier. And it might be that teachers are less relied upon for this than support staff, who are there predominantly to support and are generally the lower paid amongst staff.

I working a special school. So teachers on 35k plus stay at home on full pay whilst support staff on 14k have to look after some of the most physically and mentally demanding children we have. That’s going to go down well.

What happens when they’ve had enough and self isolate. Leave it to supply staff? Schools still have to pay the regular staff plus the extras. And the children get a bunch of random staff. Not ideal for those children that need consistency and feelings of safety.

Pud2 why on earth wouldn't you be working? We are expecting to work from home

I have no experience of childcare or teaching but I'd volunteer to go in and help. I think lots of people would but the trouble is that I am self-employed and I need to keep earning (my husband works in the aviation industry so I'm now the only breadwinner).

This is the challenge - my job is largely pointless in terms of benefit to society at a time like this but I need to keep doing it because my family need the money. It's so frustrating

it's not hard to understand why teachers might also want to stay at home with their own children

No - but imagine if we all did this - pretty shit at home for 4 months with no food, no shops open, no NHS, no police, no electricity, no gas, no adult care services, no social services - we'd ALL love to be at home with our kids - and lots of us should work from home but can't because of the nature of our jobs - now is the time to think about more then ourselves

"Given the choice between propping up Britain and keeping my own family safe, sadly I would prefer to prioritise my family."

I think we would all prefer to prioritise our own interests, including the people we love.

But there is a greater good - a system that must keep running, for everyones' family including our own.

If everyone separated off into looking out for themselves and their own only - then we'd all go down, and we'd deserve to.

"Given the choice between propping up Britain and keeping my own family safe, sadly I would prefer to prioritise my family."

How safe would your family be if everyone does that?

Looking after a multitude of mixed age children all day every day is not just 'babysitting' and it's so insulting to suggest that this will be easier than teaching them! Kids need to be occupied in purposeful tasks otherwise behaviour becomes a problem. Someone will need to be planning activities, providing meals, cleaning the school etc. Resources will be needed, active participation will be required from staff- it will be far from just a babysitting role! Anyone involved with these children will be highly likely to succumb to this virus as well, especially if they have parents working in the NHS.

Another teacher who supports this 100%.

Today we had an email from county to identify if we were vulnerable and would not be able to continue to work in school. Heads now have a list of all staff available and nobody moaned at having to come in (other than the usual couple of staff who moan at everything).

We would easily be able to produce a rota for children to come in. We are secondary and would expect 20 plus children ?. There will be computers so they can do the work set by their teachers etc.

I would not be able to go in but will be available to pupils online all day for them to ask questions. I will be making videos for them to watch and learn from. Whilst it will be easier than being at school i fully expect to set lessons that pupils can access and learn from. If I could go
In I would.

Kids are upset, scared, confused.
I won't stop helping them if they need it.

Big question is what to do with year 11

If teachers are on the key workers list, then what do we do if your childcare is a childminder who has closed? Mine will not provide care for even key worker children as she has a family member with a health condition.

In the words of another teacher...

“Here’s a thought. We get the most vulnerable kids, the ones who might be the furthest behind, the ones who are already under social care and we get that thing that we have been begging for years for. Time.

We get the time to spend with these kids, with no performance tables, no ofsted criteria and no ‘expected’ progress. Just time. Time to invest in some really vulnerable young people and for those fit and healthy, able to invest that time properly and in the smallest of ratios, well we could end up just being that change we want to see. I 100% have the ‘corona fear’ and the genuine concerns about not being able to lock myself away for the months to come to protect my own family, but we maybe have the opportunity to raise the kids right. Please share, and help those teachers freaking out (probably appropriately ) to see the opportunity that this could offer. #wearefightingawar #bethepeace”

@Gruffalosandbuffalos If teachers are key workers, which they'll absolutely have to be, then their children can go into school

I think we'll hit a point where teachers children will go with their parent if that makes it easier for the teacher to get to the school they'll be based in (not all schools are going to be open all the way through so some won't be in their normal school)

Binting

What an absolutely beautiful perspective. Thank you for sharing it. Faith in some of humanity restored!

If teachers are well and don’t have young children of their own then of course they should pitch in if the schools are ‘closed’.
What else are they planning on doing? Sitting at home on full pay when other public sector workers are carrying on?