So Angry For Our Children

[thetwinkletoescollective]

I have just recieved this email from my school. To summarise:

Only open if two parents are key workers.

^Surely the point is to try and support key workers being able to function as normally as possible and minimise stress as far possible for them?

Only provide supervision and not lessons.

Umm - why? If I have been able to organise workbooks and activities for Monday and beyond why can’t they continue reading and activities for at least part of the day?

Vouchers for vulnerable
The point is that children who require free school meals need the social contact, care and accountablity.

I see this as lip service when in reality is a complete abdication of responsibility to take the lead on both education and vulnerable children’s needs as priority. What they really need not a voucher that can be put in a draw and they still don’t get fed.

I am going to offer the school tomorrow that I can go in and teach a lesson every week or more on a voluntary basis as I am so appalled with what I see as them trying to avoid what I see as their mandate.

Are the school not providing online learning? Ours (secondary school) will have a lesson online to coincide with the timetable. The supervision would surely me n they can access work during the time they are being supervised.

Secondary or primary?

Schools have been told they are not expected to educate if open. At secondary our staff are emailing work daily for students to do at home or on site if vulnerable.

How else are schools supposed to manage a mix of ages, abilities, needs and possibly varying attendance with a background of staff shortages?

Schools are staying open as they are a convenient location to provide emergency childcare and are staffed by those already dbs checked and trained in safeguarding. At no point has the government claimed that any children will be continuing their education in a normal manner.

We are not talking about large classes of kids. I taught I schools for 17 years in a range of settings. It is part of the job to differentiate. I have had children who are non-verbal, below p-levels and who are at age appropriate milestones all in the same class and I managed everyday for two years. Didn’t just manage - we all thrived.

So it’s possible with a little creativity and imagination and I know it because I lived it.

Nothing's normal right now, OP. You've got to lower your expectations here a bit.

If schools are open, in my opinion, an effort should be made to support children to continue to make progress.

As they are the leaders for education. They need to set the example.

I am not expecting an unrealistic six hours a day but more than simply supervison. What is the point of being a professional if you are not using your expertise?

Well, maybe the staff on duty will be creative and imaginative and maybe the students will thrive! Give staff some credit. Although there aren't going to be structured lessons, I imagine staff will want to encourage some constructive learning.

Opinions are like arseholes...

Not all kids who need free school meals need the support you suggest. Not all kids who need support come from families who have financial challenges. Not all kids who need extra support have inappropriate or inadequate parenting!

Teaching staff and pupils will not form consistent groups. Some might be off sick...

I imagine it's childcare as a minimum and there may be some learning but not a full timetable.

Are you for real???

Schools will be running on skeleton staff as virtually last minute notice. I think it's bloody amazing they are doing anything at all. Don't be such a dick.

Schools are not, to all intents and purposes, open though.
Work is being provided for all pupils to do at home.
Some children will attend the premises (which may or may not be their usual venue) for childcare - not as many as will be claimed need it, but that would make a mockery of the decision that it is vital to close in order to help minimise infections.

No the point is to make sure key workers’ children can be looked after to allow their parents to work. If one parent is not a key worker they are expected to look after the children. It’s really that simple. It’s going to be stressful and financially difficult for everyone not just key workers.

They are not going to be teaching the national curriculum because it would be unethical to educate some children and not others.

Perhaps you don’t realise the severity of the situation, the schools are there to provide emergency childcare, because we are in the middle of a national emergency. Nothing more.

I work in a school. It is an incredibly difficult, emotional time for all school staff at the moment. I am sure your local school will be over the moon to hear your insight and welcome you with open arms to show them the error of their ways....

^What cadburyegg said

ODFOD
Day to day we don't know which staff we will have or which children.
We are covering the work of colleagues who were ruled out at the beginning of the week because they are vulnerable. Our school staff was immediately slashed by 30% while still at 80% pupil attendance.
We are putting our own families at risk by being face to face with so many people on a daily basis.
We are neglecting our own children's education because perhaps only one of us is a 'key worker' and therefore our own children don't qualify and have to muddle through.
We are desperately trying to support the children who will otherwise slip through the child protection net during a period of confusion.
We are making it up minute by minute as the government throw down new challenges, hoops and restrictions.
We are doing our best to support the learning of the children at home while also providing learning for children who are in school.
We're devastated for all of the lost work for exams, the cancelled rites of passage and the uncertainty of children's futures.
We worried for those children whose families were having financial problems before this period of economic turmoil.
This has been the longest week, we're going exhausted and the work hasn't really started yet.
I think there are so many people in this crisis who are doing their best and giving their all - please give schools a chance to get adjusted before piling on the criticism.

Vouchers for vulnerable
The point is that children who require free school meals need the social contact, care and accountablity.

Uhhh... SOME children on fsm bed the other support. Plenty of them don't.

Get a grip ffs and get down from your high horse

None of this is the governments fault. You write as though it is.

Your school is trying to manage your expectations. They will do the best they can, as schools always do, but no point in saying the DC will have lessons when they know that can't be guaranteed.The teachers will vary, class sizes will fluctuate from day to day. That's part of the reason they closed them.

And the other thing is that they want this to be an emergency service only. For those with no other choice and help the people who will keep the country running. They need the numbers coming to school to be as low as possible to protect those who need to be there. So they are not going to risk people sending in their DC only so that they 'Don't miss out'. You do that by not having anything to miss out on.

Twinkle toes- we still don't know if we will be teaching in our own school with our own pupils, or if it will be our usual school but with external pupils, or a different school with their pupils. We have no idea how many people need us to provide hem with childcare. When at school we still have to plan and provide home learning for all of our usual pupils, uploading videos or links or worksheets, for at least 4 different lessons a day. We will also be supervising and supporting the children in our care in the school, but it could be a group of 4-11 year olds with any combination of learning needs or disabilities. It will be impossible to teach those children as we usually would, and as a PP said, massively unfair on the children isolated at home who may or may not have parental support when attempting to do their home learning.