The exit plan and schools.

[NeverGuessWho]

I know this whole thread will be hearsay, but I’m just interested in hearing people’s opinions of where schools are likely to fit in to the exit plan?

A friend thinks they will be opened early on, as this will free up more people to work, and hence enable furloughed workers to return to work. This will crucially save money.

IMHO, schools will be one of the last restrictions to be lifted. Once schools are opened, there will effectively be multiple mass gatherings in every town and city, all at the same time. Surely this will result in a surge of cases of the virus.

Unless of course, they pursue the antibodies/certified passport route?

What do people think?

@Ihavenoregrets - Not angry, frustrated.

None of these problems are insurmountable. The public sector is bloated and lazy and does not like to find solutions. The culture is poisonous, and the sector will need to adapt and change if it expects the private sector to continue to prop it up.

All i can say is that those thinking the situation is not bad enough to need the schools to stay closed they need to look for the information which shows that even with just 4w of school 80k+ people are in hospitals with this. Do you honestly think they have all gotten the treatment they needed when they needed it? Many of the deaths have likely been preventable. We are running out of meds to sedate the ventilated people.
Ideally we would all have masks on but they will not advise that as there are not enough.
I can understand secondary being more important but primary age kids are not losing that much learning by the end of this school year.

Maybe some flexiblity for kids to drop back a year might help.

Tbh they could do no reception year this year and start those kids at 5. Allowing other kids to drop back a year as needed. As personally i think a start stop reception year would be worse than starting say in jan or the year after. This would also leave a teacher spare for shielding or illness etc.

So you've not found a fucking solution to continuing to provide EY care then EYProvider are you not using an online platform to support your charges? Or failing that just opening again?

Wonder what other problems the public sector could solve it it just decided to find a fucking solution?
I mean the private sector is bobbing along quite happily during the pandemic, only the state sector that's an issue? Oh no, wait that's not quite right...

In the public sector we do an awful lot of things that the private sector can't or won't do. Which is why comparisons are largely meaningless. You wouldn't compare a private hospital to an nhs one.

Just like in normal times we have to do more with less in state schools, we do it well and pretty efficiently. We will be back up and running as soon as possible.

@wonderstuff - My nursery is still open for key worker families. Hopefully it will be able to reopen for everyone else within the next few weeks.

None of these problems are insurmountable. The public sector is bloated and lazy and does not like to find solutions. The culture is poisonous, and the sector will need to adapt and change if it expects the private sector to continue to prop it up.

Woah, something tells me that the chip you have on your shoulder is about more than schools.

I don't get the problem tbh? Lots of schools are emailing work out, or doing stuff by Google Classroom or other online programs. What's wrong with that?

Are you expecting remote 'lectures' from primary teachers? To a class of 30 plus? And anything less is just 'lazy bloated public sector' practice?

You sound very ignorant.

@EYProvider You are constantly comparing the private and state sector schools.... that would indicate to me you dont have a fucking clue. You seem to think that delivering an online platform is as straightforwards as giving out a few computers. Your nasty goady comments about the public sector are quite frankly disgusting and divisive. I suggest you calm the fuck down and accept that many many people are struggling to find a way through this nightmare and education is going to have to take a back seat for a while. Schools are doing their best , teachers are doing their best.... there is no yard stick remember. 1000's of people are dying, people are terrified, people cant even be with their loved ones when they die and you are losing your shit over the public sector and their 'inadequacies' around delivering an acceptable learning platform, calling them 'bloated and lazy'. What a nasty and vindictive person you are

The private sector nursery down my road is completely shut at the moment.

It's because they are lazy fuckers who can't be arsed to open innit.

@CaroleFuckinBaskin - Yes.

I dont think they need to spend 5h in front of a screen.
Primary
10-30min tt
30min reading
1hr pe
30min other maths
30min science or geography etc.
In ks1 most of the achievement in reading came from reading to dc at home 1-2-1.

Tbh i think there's a chance some kids might go back years ahead of the year group. As you can work ahead on some knline things. Spend more time reading.
With technology i think it can be more social and behavioral learning that is happening at schools. Plus the structure of the day.

As soon as word was on the street that the schools would be closing, my kids school made booklets with 2 weeks worth of work for KS1 and launched Google Classroom for KS2, having not really used it consistently ever before (at least not for proper home use) and we're setting work on there from that first Monday. They put out tutorials for parents to use it, sorted all that key worker parent stuff and all the other logistical nightmares that were happening at the time, all whilst more and more staff were having to self isolate. They did all this within days, they changed their whole way of working, everything, so that my kids could carry on their education in unprecedented times.

How fucking dare you call that 'lazy and bloated'. Fuck off.

I get that there are often solutions to problems EYProvider - and it easy to get entrenched - i take issue with your timescale and understanding of sadeguarding and understanding differences between state/private funding.. Schools were operating a normal teaching FT. There wasnt much time to sort stuff out and there was no money as it was year end. I actually think schools should have been told to offer zero education for those 10 days and govt should have spent that time to work with schools to make proper online teaching available for after Easter. I am not sold on the effectiveness of some of the online solutions ive seen from the private sector either. They seem a bit more about being seen to be doing something to justify fees rather than actually effective distance learning methods using online tools. I know a little bit about online learning and what makes effective online learning from my previous job and it is expensive to deliver properly (helped with a 1 year research project into this when i did education research for a living)
Some of the state school offerings of videos, questions, activities and online support are doing better in my opinion.

So @EYProvider you are offering the same service as state schools on site but no online platform for your children at home? Is that because your institution is bloated and lazy with a bad attitude or is it because its impractical?

They seem a bit more about being seen to be doing something to justify fees rather than actually effective distance learning methods using online tools.

Exactly. Most private schools are still charging full or nearly full fees, parents are still forking out thousands of pounds. Of course private schools are going to have to ensure that they are 'providing their service' to their clients, plus they have the means to do so, with lots of money and technology at theirs (and most of the families) disposal.

@EYProvider so much wrong with your opinions here I don’t even know where to start. Never mind a chip on your shoulder you have a Boulder. I am sorry you are jealous or whatever it is. I don’t give a shit whether I work in public or private sector a life is a life.

@wonderstuff - No, it’s because the children are babies, and babies would not benefit from virtual schooling.

Well in that case I suggest you open up fully immediately!

@EYProvider I am still not quite sure why you are so angry and frustrated. How is this actually affecting you?

But I presume you have children who will start school this year, and thus turned 4 anytime after September 1st 2019?

You are suggesting full-time online schooling for children in primary schools, the youngest of whom may only be a day older than your oldest nursery children, but offer nothing at all for yours?

(I don't, by the way, see the solution as full time online schooling for your 4 year olds, just pointing out the inconsistencies of your suggested approach)

BTW The thread on private schools closing as a result of coronavirus is an interesting read - it is clear that many parents are getting nothing, or very little indeed, from many private schools.

@Grasspigeons - In any case, I understand that the government are now set to implement ‘proper online teaching’, so presumably both the budget and technical solutions will now be found.

It’s either that or the restrictions will simply be lifted and schools will reopen. Teachers will need to decide which solution is preferable.

Teachers will need to decide which solution is preferable

Teachers don’t get to decide anything. The government make the decisions.

EY P - can you link? I know the BBC is putting together a programme of some old and some new educational TV programmes and some associated activities, which will obviously be helpful to support some areas of our curriculum planning and delivery.

Equally, they have put together a list of 'potentially useful online resources', the type of thing we have already been linking to as part of our weekly lesson planning for our primary pupils.

But I haven't seen any plans for proper interactive education with work being marked etc?

I would absolutely agree with Piggy, btw, that the best resources for a lesson may very well not be video or online. 'Read chapter 6 and then complete this exercise' may be a perfectly adequate way to deliver a particular piece of content.

I understand that the government are now set to implement ‘proper online teaching’, so presumably both the budget and technical solutions will now be found

Ha ha ha ha ha...yes. Of course.
Please post a link to this..... I am keen to see how they plan on doing this

Teachers will need to decide which solution is preferable

Where did you read this? Can you please share the link?

And equally a well-targeted Powerpojnt, based on what would normally be used in a class, and linked activities such as a practical science or Art project, or a piece of offline independent writing, may be more engaging - and better learning - that a child half-watching a videoed teacher.

@EYProvider can you post a link to your sources please