‘School will have to look different from now on’....

[Starrynightsabove]

‘With a mix of home schooling and in-school learning’

So said Nicola Sturgeon.

So how does this work for a single parent trying to work full time from home with a full on job who needs to pay the mortgage. Literally how does this work?

[Annamaria14]

The point is in home schooling, a teenager can get a drink, snack, and go to the bathroom when they want.

In schools they have many of those freedoms taken away. Add to that - the huge huge bullying problem.

I certainly know that I would much rather have been homeschooled.

[Barney60]

Friend of mine sends her son to a local private school. His school hours are 8am -4pm Mon -Fri, and Sat morning. Theres loads of out of school hours activities as well. As well as catch up on any subjects during school holidays.
I do agree our schools need an overhaul but how to suit staff/parents/pupils is difficult.
Due to the economy after the lock down I think a lot of parents will eventually end up with one person working households, so it will go back to how things were, where one parent familys who were working paid others to help look after their children from school. Think there may be a boom in child minding rather than reliant upon after school clubs, which really isn't the responsibility of school. Just my thoughts.

[Aesopfable]

The point is in home schooling, a teenager can get a drink, snack, and go to the bathroom when they want.

In schools they have many of those freedoms taken away. Add to that - the huge huge bullying problem.

How does that differ to many work places?

[FourTeaFallOut]

How does that differ to many work places?

You would think we would strive for a better educational environment for our children than something approximating the a shitty working environment.

[Howaboutanewname]

The point is in home schooling, a teenager can get a drink, snack, and go to the bathroom when they want.In schools they have many of those freedoms taken away. Add to that - the huge huge bullying problem

In what way do you think having teenagers randomly leaving classrooms and wandering about school to go to the loo, and get a drink or snack is going to improve the huge, huge bullying problem?

[SallyLovesCheese]

The point is in home schooling, a teenager can get a drink, snack, and go to the bathroom when they want.In schools they have many of those freedoms taken away.

When they're home schooled, there's usually around 1-3 children together at a time, where the educator can easily repeat instructions or go through teaching individually for each one.

Please tell me how allowing children to leave the classroom whenever they want, get their packed lunch out during an English lesson, wander round the school for the whole of Maths eating a snack or just upping and leaving the classroom during the Maths input "going to the toilet" helps them to continue their education and isn't disrupting the learning of others? When are teachers supposed to catch them up on that day's learning if they've only been in class for 45 minutes doing some painting in art?

How would you manage it in your classroom? If you're so against it, you must have an idea of how to overcome the problem.

[FourTeaFallOut]

Going to the loo should be a right at school and not subject to the whim of the particular teacher at the time. If it's not possible to teach children and afford them this small and important dignity then it is a failed system.

[catsandlavender]

Sally exactly. I sympathise with what the PP is saying but when you actually put it in the context of an education setting it just... doesn’t work. I can’t have my 4 year olds just wandering in and out of the classroom, it’s not safe. They wouldn’t learn anything. And tbh the same goes for teenagers - they’re old enough to manage to have a snack at break and lunch. And re: drinks, pretty sure most secondary schools allow their pupils to have water bottles?
I think schools are, in general, not the best. I think the way we assess children is generally outdated and fits into a certain number of learners. I think exams should be done away with and the curriculum overhauled. But I’m sorry, you literally cannot teach a class effectively when the kids can just come and go as they please and anyone who thinks you can has no idea what it’s like to teach.

[catsandlavender]

*only, not into

[MindfullWWer]

Sunshine, were past pandemics "Corona viruses" though? I watched a you tube video of a German Virologist, pretty much saying this virus is going to become endemic, meaning here for good, much like the common cold. He did say there may be limited short term " vaccine" possibilities. He had worked in HIV research and to this day there is no "vaccine" some 4 decades later. Therefore, held little hope for a long acting vaccine for Covid 19. The measures he spoke about eg, hand hygiene, mixing outdoors and track & trace, made a lot of sense. For me as a "vulnerable" person, it makes sense, wouldn't choose it, but together, as we learn more, as a society, we will adapt and thrive.

[SallyLovesCheese]

Going to the loo should be a right at school and not subject to the whim of the particular teacher at the time. If it's not possible to teach children and afford them this small and important dignity then it is a failed system.

But you and Annamaria are talking about keeping children in classrooms generally. Some boundaries are required or schools just won't work. There are some children who already roam aimlessly if they want to and they take up a huge amount of time and resources to try and get them back in the classroom so they can access the learning. Having all children being allowed to do this would mean disruption for everyone.

As for going to the toilet, children can. But I see no reason why, once they're old enough and if there are no medical issues, they can't wait five minutes when they come in from playtime while I do dinner teaching.

I could assume your children, if you have them, are allowed to go to bed when they want, get up when they want, eat what they want and leave the house when they want. If not, why are rules okay for the home but not school? Surely children should have some boundaries?

[SallyLovesCheese]

some teaching not dinner

[FourTeaFallOut]

No, I'm talking about going to the toilet specifically - although I did take issue with the idea that bullying should be accepted as part and parcel of the deal because it is tolerated in the workplace.

[Annamaria14]

@SallyLovesCheese you are missing my point Sally.

You are saying, "children should not go to the toilet whenever they want, because leaving the classroom whenever they want, is disrupting the learning of others".

But what I am saying, is that the whole school system as it was, was wrong.

Multiple children should not be in one room with an adult, who controls their every move.
It is not good for children or teenagers at all, in any shape or form.

So you are saying - children should not be able to leave the classroom whenever they want. But I am saying - that whole entire system should be gone. Children in a classroom all day - controlled by an adult.

That is why home schooling is much more humane for children and teenagers.

And I have been a primary teacher in the past myself.

[SallyLovesCheese]

I did take issue with the idea that bullying should be accepted as part and parcel of the deal because it is tolerated in the workplace.

Is this personal experience for you or your children? If so, I completely empathise, I myself was bullied at secondary school. And as a teacher I do everything I can about bullies.

Multiple children should not be in one room with an adult, who controls their every move.
It is not good for children or teenagers at all, in any shape or form.

What would your solution be?

[MarshaBradyo]

AnnaMaria all children must be different as ds is finding it hard without rl interaction with friends at school. He is happier learning in a class environment and not only chatting to friends online.

We are doing a few things that perk him up but he is flagging without the socialisation. School is definitely better for him (CV19 aside).

[MarshaBradyo]

Although I agree bullying is not acceptable in workplace or school if you don’t have that it can be hard to be stuck at home. I do feel for dc who are bullied, it’s horrible.

[FourTeaFallOut]

No. I wasn't bullied. I'm not sure why you'd think that. Nor have I endured bullying in the workplace. But no one who has ever been to school could be in any doubt that bullying is rife and it certainly shouldn't be considered reasonable because you also see this behaviour in the workplace, as suggested by @Aesopfable

[Annamaria14]

Yeah really the best solution is:

Have homeschool for the families that want it.

Have school in a building - for the families that want it.

Options. Every family has different needs

[MarshaBradyo]

Isn’t that what we have now? De register and home school if you want to.

[Letseatgrandma]

It may be extremely difficult for schools to set the same level of work they have been for remote learning, when they reopen.

[SallyLovesCheese]

Yes, families have exactly that option now.

Four, I assumed because you said bullying was part and parcel, so I thought you had some personal experience. It is certainly not part and parcel of every school and I never said it was a reasonable part of school. It absolutely isn't.

[SallyLovesCheese]

But I do agree many (most?) schools do have bullying. I feel this is rooted in the family home, whether through difficult home lives or by parents raising children with questionable morals or other reasons. It is hard for schools to deal with when the family isn't on board.

[Devlesko]

There's a difference between home education and the home schooling that has been happening.
I believe there should still be a distinction should LA's be forced into children learning from home.
Schools should still provide resources for those on roll and parents shouldn't be forced into deregistering.
Then those deregistered, or never having attended school can carry on as they are.

[MarshaBradyo]

Devlesko do you mean for a limited time pre vaccine?

I don’t know how much more work it is but it does sound good.