Schools

[Carrotcakeforbreakfast]

I know this has been done 1000 times but my search function isn't working.

With the extended lockdown and daily numbers, when do you think the schools are likely to go back.
I believe lockdown won't end anytime soon but just wondering if anyone thinks schools opening will have changed?

Supermarket staff have better protection than staff and children in schools.

We are not concerned here with what is in the best interest of the children, that is clearly not the appropriate way to make decisions in a pandemic. We need to make decisions in the best interest of society as a whole.

Holy crap. I've seen it all now. Those children you are not interested in @Snog will be the ones who are paying for this pandemic for the rest of their lives through increased taxes etc and will be the ones looking after you through your state pension when you have retired.

But they don't matter do they?

Can I ask and I appreciated this is a personal question - have you been financially impacted by the pandemic and are wanting schools to open so the economy get get back up and running and therefore your financial situation changes? Or are you finding it tough home schooling your children?

I'm asking because I think with the comment above, you can only be very invested in one of these ways to have said that.

I would genuinely love to see some of the posters on here claiming teachers are lazy try to do a full term (or even week!) of teaching with all the work that comes with it. Theres no point even engaging with them because they’re so ignorant and blinkered (and weirdly unpleasant).

we are not concerned here with what is in the best interest of the children

Fucking hell.

@FlamingoAndJohn Don't. It really says it all.

@Snog please check what you actually wrote because I think you will find that's NOT what you said.

Freudian slip of the tongue maybe?

@FlamingoAndJohn deliberately misunderstanding me here of course, we need to make decisions in the best interest of the whole of society not by considering only the interests of children. Surely you would agree with this?

@BertNErnie this is exactly what I said, you have taken one sentence in isolation from my paragraph because you are sensationalising

So the interests of children, who are among the most vulnerable, do have to be considered?

This is how I think it will pan out - lockdown will need to be eased gradually which means aiming to get people and students back to doing what needs to be done in such a way that social distancing can be maintained, including mouth-covering. So those that can work from home, at least part of the week should carry on doing that, and education at home should continue where possible. Keeping the density of people on transport and in schools and offices to a lower level while getting the country moving again - all about keeping transmission rates low.
As far as the normal school holidays go, there will still be a need of provision to support key workers. This group may expand to include those that really can't work from home for all or part of the working week. The focus should also be for current years 9 going into yr 10, 10 going into yr 11, 11/12 & 12/13 as school phases back, but I don't see that happening until the summer which means there will need to be flexibility around the summer holiday period if that is possible. Of course it might not be practicable, and it doesn't mean no-one gets a few weeks break or are not paid for extra time and going above & beyond.
That's my thoughts about what's needed during this extraordinary time.
Please don't accuse me of bashing anyone.

I'm certainly not sensationalising @Snog - I think you are trying to back track. If that's not what you meant, you should have been more explicit and considered rewording your sentence. If you were a politician and made that comment, the press would have jumped all over you.

Can I ask what you, personally are doing to support the nation during this pandemic?

How you have supported the nation by going above and beyond?

I'd be interested to know.

I can't think of any other profession at the moment that wouldn't say immediately. These are unprecedented times. But we'll do what it takes to help. I'm sure the few teachers on here are not representative of teachers overall

Snog is a keyboard warrior and is doing sod all.

Teachers why are you justifying yourselves to such idiots? You are allowing them to wind you up, ignore them and let the fish wives rant to each other.

And @elephantsumbrellas teachers are also doing that. Those here have already explained how they are working above and beyond their hours, are working during holidays and have offered to do so again during the May half term but that's not good enough for you.

I have also already said I believe provision should be available for summer schemes as normal with the government paying the tab so parents can still work in the holidays but because I don't what to be forced to work, it's not good enough for you.

Teachers and schools are doing what it takes to help. They’ve completely revamped how they teach and worked through Easter without extra pay for their overtime. Many I know are being paid to sit at home doing nothing.They’re spending hours planning, teaching, supporting, contacting alongside going into school(without protection).

What else exactly are they supposed to be doing?

Snog is a keyboard warrior and is doing sod all.

Oh I don't know, they've been busy turning this thread into their own personal soapbox. 😝

Many members of my family are being paid to sit at home doing nothing in other sectors.

School staff are still working. Many teachers are working extra and not being paid for it.

I just don’t know what more you expect.

Am leaving the thread now, clearly SOME but thankfully not all teachers think insisting on having 6 weeks off in the middle of a major worldwide pandemic is a sacred and unchallengeable right, perhaps due to their specialness and how hard they already work. I and other posters who work in the NHS have been shocked by this attitude and I personally have little respect for teachers who think this way.

I value the role of teachers in our society but not the entitled and selfish attitudes of some individuals who cannot see beyond their entitlement to have a 6 week break whatever the consequences for society.

It's a silly argument anyway, because if you've got to the point of arguing that teachers should be paid to cover the summer break, then you may as well pay holiday clubs and out of school enrichment groups to do this, and they're not able to make any money at the moment. There won't be a full cohort in over the summer holidays, of staff or children. Isn't it more sensible to do that rather than rely on yet more taxes to pay? So people who need it and are contributing to the economy fund it, and create jobs?

On the other hand, if you're saying that teachers should be going in to provide care for the minimum number of children that really need to be there, because we are still in lockdown - this is already happening and likely to be the case until lockdown is released.

There are threads every year calling for the summer holidays to be shorter explicitly so that it costs working parents less, but no government has ever seen that as a good enough reason to do it, when it generates a whole other economy of its own.

@DoubleTweenQueen I don't think you are bashing teachers but I do think I is a bit short sighted to suggest years 9/10/11 and above should be prioritised.

All children will be in the same boat including those really young ones who are going to be thrusted into reception with vital time in nursery missing and every year group really who will have missed at least a terms worth of schooling. No one year group is more important than another.

If the government have managed to find another way of us reporting back results this academic year for KS2 SATS and GCSE results etc, logic tells us we can continue to do is for the next however many years whilst we attempt to get our students back up to speed in terms of gaps in learning. I'd argue that teacher judgement is more important than the ability to take an exam and would feel more than confident in my own children's teacher giving them an end of year result as they track progress throughout the year and scrutinise data and have monitoring systems in place to ensure it is as accurate as it can be.

Colleges can take grades from teachers to secure spaces as can universities if needed. The only place I believe this might not work is with the 11+ exams.

Yes it is a real shame for those students who have been working their arses off for years to take exams etc but I feel like we place too much weight on a persons ability to sit an exam when maybe that's not the only way we can grow and develop young people in society.

I really don't know where all that hate came from @Snog.

You missed the #bekind message supporting mental health
💐

There's a lot of bitterness around. On another thread staff who have been furloughed are being called all sorts of names because they aren't able to work. This really brings out some truths about how jealous and cross lots of us seem to feel!

Surely nobody thinks the teachers won't be paid for the 6 weeks holiday if required to work it ? I remember watching a teacher who'd written a song about Conor McGregor put it out on youtube and been flown to the flight in Vegas saying he was sat at home for the summer, broke and bored and welcomed the experience on that basis alone. I'd imagine there would be a some at least who'd welcome the extra money.