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?

Surely you can see having a 6 week break after a lockdown period is not helpful?

That's like saying anyone working from home never deserves a holiday.

Always someone has to complain about teacher holidays. At the school I work in teachers and TAs are still working - all most people are getting off is 2 weeks, plus we are all booked on CPD courses. It depends on the school. If you really think it's such an easy life why aren't you doing it yourself? At the same time most schools are owned by the public sector and if, you hadn't noticed we're not actually bankers / highly paid professionals. We still have bills to pay and families to support. We are NOT a financial drain on the economy in the scheme of things.

@DBML this is the whole issue, you say the pandemic makes no difference whereas I say of course it obviously makes a difference to everything

You might WISH it made no difference but that doesn't make it so.

If you have an issue with those teachers then I suggest you contact their school directly as we take direction from our hear teachers although I'm thankful the government have actually recognised how vital schools are:

Vital role of schools

Those who work in and with our schools rightly take their place next to our NHS staff, and other critical workers, as central to our efforts in battling this virus.

School leaders around the country are taking the lead in supporting families through this difficult time, and we are keenly aware that the extraordinary measures that have been taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) present an unprecedented challenge for schools, trusts, and local authorities, as well as the communities they serve.

We appreciate the selfless dedication that school, trust, and local authority staff demonstrate in their work every single day. During this difficult time, we are asking you to go further still so that we can collectively address the challenges we face. You are vital to the country’s response to this crisis, and we offer our full support and gratitude during this difficult time. As this crisis progresses, we will aim to provide you with as much certainty and flexibility as possible, and will do all we can to support the vital service you are providing.

We expect schools and local authorities should work together to ensure that different settings are supported to stay open wherever possible, taking into account their circumstances and cohort (for example, special settings and alternative provision). And, we want local authorities to help coordinate what this means, working with education settings to deliver the services required. That includes academies, the independent sector, and boarding schools.

Not all teachers are working their full hours right now and they are still on full salary - which I think is right.

*Well I am! Not that it matters it's way off the mark.

What the hell teachers are doing at home is irrelevant ( down to parents and the school if not happy)we return when it's safe to do so not because you want them to.*

They also state:

“Schools will continue to receive their budgets for the coming year as usual, regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure. This will ensure that they are able to continue to pay for staff and meet their other regular financial commitments. We expect schools to continue to pay staff they employ directly in the usual fashion, and correspondingly not furlough them.”

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-school-closures/guidance-for-schools-about-temporarily-closing#pay

teachers - please boycott these threads as part of strike action

@BertNErnie I for one appreciate everything all teachers are doing. I don’t know why it isn’t obvious to people that there’ll be loads of work going on behind the scenes, and not just for SLT.
I do admit I’ll be glad when it’s safe for schools to start to take more kids again though. I was relieved to read today that the gov are restarting contact tracing, at last! I strongly feel that’s one of the things that needs to happen before schools can start to get back to normal.

I respect and appreciate my friends who are teachers and they are both happy to pitch in and do whatever it takes to help the country through this crisis, even if it means working different hours or weeks than usual.

Imagine a thread

Dentists what are you doing at home?

NHS ones at that too. It just wouldn't happen!

@RigaBalsam I think it would happen if dentists refused to help the government deal with the corona virus at a later stage because they insisted on a 6 week holiday at any cost to society in the middle of a pandemic

@Snog - too late to play teacher friend card now when you have been stabbing for a while

Again to my teacher colleagues - strike action call on these sorts of threads please

I'm happy for teachers to take a six week holiday in normal circumstances but we are in an emergency situation - it's a pandemic!

RigaBalsam I think it would happen if dentists refused to help the government deal with the corona virus at a later stage because they insisted on a 6 week holiday at any cost to society in the middle of a pandemic

You mean working for time they weren't paid for?

@WestWasnt I'm thankful there are some people out there who have the same thoughts as you.

I don't know any teacher who doesn't want to go back to school. We all do but it has to be safe.

We need contact tracing to be in force, we need capacity of the NHS to remain plentiful, we need the curve to have dropped and deaths to be well under 50 in order for staff to feel safe to return. I know we are being told that children are not super spreaders but we had 3 staff members very ill just after schools closed and in a school of over 900 pupils I think there will be most definitely some pupils who are capable of spreading the virus. I'm not prepared to put my staff on the front line unnecessarily just to help get people back to work.

My daughters (6) school is sending lots of online work and tasks daily in term time which her teacher marks and replies asking for more information to engage with her. I’m sure she’s working very hard. He films herself reading stories for the children and is very, very engaging with her students. She’s clearly not sitting at home twiddling her thumbs.

In fact we are struggling a bit to get through the work as there is usually 8-10 tasks daily which include reading, writing, maths, science and history.

There does seem to be quite a disparity between what schools are offering though.

My niece and daughters friend have just been given a workbook told to get on with it.

Lockdown but with school open. So, not lockdown then?

@Everyexitisanentrance my point is that the teachers I count as personal friends do not share your attitude to refusing to work for 6 weeks under any circumstances whatever the cost to society in the middle of a pandemic situation where lives are at stake. It's not an attitude that I can respect.

@RigaBalsam as I have said so many times already on this thread I obviously expect teachers to be paid for working

@Everyexitisanentrance

You’re right. I don’t why I do it to myself. I used to respond so calmly and try to let the public know how hard we work and it’s just ignored.

Some of these teacher bashing threads have had me in tears. I am working so hard trying to make a syllabus that kids can access from home. It’s stressful and time consuming.

And they they ALWAYS know a teacher who’s living the life of Riley Right now. Which I’m positive cannot be true.

I do need to step back from these threads. I hope these faceless names like Snog understand how they make people feel.

Everyexitisanentrance my point is that the teachers I count as personal friends do not share your attitude to refusing to work for 6 weeks under any circumstances whatever the cost to society in the middle of a pandemic situation where lives are at stake. It's not an attitude that I can respect.

I am not even sure how this would be helpful to the economy? No British tourism. No spending in leisure centres, ice cream parlours, National parks, independent cafes even paid a pot.
How would teachers working two weeks in summer really effect anything majorly when weighing in the cost of other businesses?

So you are more than happy to cram 1200 students plus all the school staff back in - no social distancing, no in-depth cleaning, no ppe etc. Under social distancing rules I can only teach half a class at a push. What do you recommend for break and lunchtime?

Jeez - unbelievable.

@DBML - yes you are right!

RigaBalsam as I have said so many times already on this thread I obviously expect teachers to be paid for working

I am sure some would volunteer. Just seems a waste of an argument when it's unlikely. They would have holiday clubs anyway.

What percentage of the workforce need childcare? That's the question. Obviously lots of MN. Let's suppose 65% need no childcare - that will be enough to get the economy rolling again