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Original poster

Calls for schools to open in summer after the lockdown - Thoughts?

175 replies

CakeAndPastries · 13/04/2020 13:54

Hi All,
See the link to the article below....

What are your thoughts on opening schools over summer IF the virus allows for us to be ' back to somewhat normal life' by then?

I would be for is as my children are in really important senior school years and I worry that they will be impacted by 'learning online' for this last term of the year.

The Guardian Article

OP posts:
converseandjeans · 13/04/2020 13:58

Well teachers are wfh at the moment & also going in for key workers. I think the exam boards will have to accept that year 10/12 have lost teaching hours.
I think it will be difficult to co-ordinate tbh.
If teachers just sat back & had a rest during lockdown it would be different but most haven't & are still active. Maybe not this weekend 🙄

Bewareoftheblob · 13/04/2020 14:02

How would you staff it?

SleeplessWB · 13/04/2020 14:04

I think it is logistically quite difficult to organise - if we are out of lock down then school staff will have holidays booked as will pupils, and teachers will need childcare for their own children - my daughter is 2 and I look after her during the holidays - what would I do with her if school was open?

Macaroni46 · 13/04/2020 14:05

Oh ffs not this again. There's already been at least one thread about this.
And the answer is no. Teachers are working throughout lockdown (and during the holidays looking after key worker children) so it's a big fat no from me!

Deadringer · 13/04/2020 14:08

Why the fuck are people so obsessed with the schools re-opening?

Geometricprince · 13/04/2020 14:08

I don't think it can work, teachers and pupils are still working, either from home or looking after the children of key workers. Also teachers dont get paid for most of the holidays so they would need to be compensated for that. Kids need a break from education and some proper rest and wouldn't it just make the autumn term really really long? You can't move Christmas.

teaandajammydodger · 13/04/2020 14:11

OP would YOU be happy to give up YOUR annual leave and work UNPAID in the summer holidays? I’m a teacher and will happily work on a rota with other teachers to supervise an army of non-staff volunteers who think they can be so selfless!

PoorlyWeasels · 13/04/2020 14:11

I'd really rather they didn't. Everything has been messed about enough, without having to rearrange our plans for August as well. (Not a teacher, a parent of a Y8).

SpudsAreLife84 · 13/04/2020 14:11

Well they will be staying open for key workers at this rate so I can imagine the government pushing for all to go back to get the economy kick started again. Not saying it's right or wrong but this is a real possibility I think.

Davincitoad · 13/04/2020 14:12

@Deadringer One- because they can’t handle the idea teachers are being paid, two because they don’t care if teachers get sick because the are essentially worthless as highlighted by these goady threads and three because they don’t seem to understand how a virus works or the severity of this.

Davincitoad · 13/04/2020 14:14

I’m sat here and the Coronvirus ‘advert’ was on. Anyone can catch this deadly disease. Stay home. Everyone who isn’t a teacher- ‘open the fucking schools now’. Hmm

billybagpuss · 13/04/2020 14:15

It’s not just the staffing, the autumn term is very long, I know they’ve just had loads of unscheduled time off but usually by October they are ready for a break and by Christmas they are hanging. Adding on more weeks before this may prove counter productive with behaviour and learning capacity at the end of term.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 13/04/2020 14:17

I don't agree with it and I say that as someone who has had to be furloughed as I can't work from home and have no childcare while school is shut.

Surely if school is allowed to open then holiday clubs will be allowed to open as normal for the parents that have to work? That's how people usually manage in the holidays.

bathorshower · 13/04/2020 14:18

On a purely personal basis, no thanks - I have a primary aged child. If the lockdown is lifted during the summer holidays, we can have days out, see friends and relatives (the latter are several hours away) and even go on our (UK based) holiday. I would much much rather do that than have her back in school. I appreciate it might feel different if you have children in yr 10/12, but there are other solutions even then.

annie987 · 13/04/2020 14:24

I could do with an extra 6 weeks of wages this year so why not? Oh wait, I’ve got a 3 week holiday all booked and paid for so If we are out of lockdown, who will give me a refund?

GameSetMatch · 13/04/2020 14:27

No teachers have holidays booked, pupils have holidays booked. The staff have been busy looking after key worker children and most probably catching up on marking a lesson plans, give them a break. Just start afresh in September, also how do we know schools won’t open in June?

I’ve been trying to home school as lots of parent I feel like I need the summer to relax as a family, I’m sure some parents will feel the same.

EachDubh · 13/04/2020 14:27

My girls will not be going to school ovwr the summer. Simply, they have worked hard, been stressed, had their lives turned upside down. They meed a normal summer, why would i ask them to do more work than normal? Why would i expect my kids to deal with this better than adults?
I hope we can open before the end of the school year for some social interaction but i am happy enough supporting my kids to catch up in term time when things are more settled.

Scabetty · 13/04/2020 14:28

Children are being taught at home so they need a break. I think it would cause too much upset logistically. Would you be in your old year or new year? Autumn term is a long one anyway.

toryandproud · 13/04/2020 14:28

schools wont reopen over the summer holidays, the teachers and their unions wouldn't allow it even if it was feasible

Davincitoad · 13/04/2020 14:29

@toryandproud you managed to make that sound negative did you intend it to? Why are they not entitled to the break?

BooseysMom · 13/04/2020 14:39

When ours closed they sent out a letter with the actual date after Easter they would be re-opening! I thought that was a bit odd going by how this virus is playing out in other countries. I suppose they just wanted to provide some sense of normality.

Personally I would be unhappy if DS goes straight into the next year up when he goes back. He's only in Year 1 and it would be very unsettling for them all.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 13/04/2020 14:43

I've posted this on several threads, but one of the first things the Welsh minister did in her press conference was to emphatically confirm that the 6 week break would happen as usual.

TheMotherofAllDilemmas · 13/04/2020 15:27

Well, it depends, I wouldn’t give a shit about my child not going back to school until next year IF he was in primary school. BUT looking at how many kids at the end of their GCSEs and A levels are going to have their academic future decided on the basis of a teacher’s guess, yes, I think they should be working during the summer if possible.

Besides, sending a few worksheets a a week for the students to complete on their own and self revise, and an hour YouTube lesson per subject a week, doesn’t seem to me like they are working that much especially when they cannot even mark work of just 10, 10 pupils in their class (yeah I know, many private and grammar schools are doing FAR more than that)

teaandajammydodger · 13/04/2020 15:38

A teacher’s guess?! Are you serious?