Government backs down on primary school opening 1 June

[peridito]

Just heard headline on Radio 4 .

Daily Mail seem to be only News agency reporting .

@tilder - thanks for clarifying, as I said I hadn't read it (so probably shouldn't have jumped in ). It is always interesting to see how other countries have dealt with these things but very difficult to compare when it's so different.

Queen

What?

Can I suggest you read it brake ? If nothing else , it is interesting.

@ktp100

Some teachers have been working hard I'm sure but not the ones I know, secondary school teacher friends are openly admitting they can polish off their requirements setting work during the time they are supervising (glorified babysitting) the key worker kids giving them 4 days at home, fully paid to do diy, tend the garden etc, and their gardens are both very nice. I'm still working, jealous moi?

Some of you people are awful. Explains a lot about how behaviour in school has deteriorated over the last 10 years.

tilder

If schools are not returning in September, we will need serious planning.

And I suspect that we will get three days, including the weekend to sort it out.

Our LEA has been told schools can decide themselves. A teacher told me the kids can go back or can go part-time or stay at home.

Schools will not know until the 28th of May if they are to open.

We have plans that the LA must ok first, but until the 28th is the key date when the Government will say yes or no.

They are making a decision on the 28th May?! That's ridiculous, I know schools are kind of already planning for it but it's silly to leave the decision so late.
I think they've decided it's too risky but are hoping for a miracle in the next week so reopening can go ahead.
Even if it doesn't though the government haven't changed anything. 1st June was the earliest the schools could reopen. It was never set in stone. Unfortunately parents heard 1st June and thought that was it rather than listening to what was said.

That's not correct : the governments next scientific update is on the 28th May. S the government's decisions about the whole coming out of lockdown stuff and whether we move to the next phase is 28th May. This isn't just about schools. Yet another thing that hasn't been made clear, and doesn't leave enough time!

It's fairly clear the 1st June date was a non scientific, arbitrary one, based on term dates.

@FrippEnos hopefully not. Who should be pushing on this? The Unions? Head teacher association (I assume there is one)?

Looks like education for the rest of the term for most will be the current online stuff. Which from all the posts on here is patchy. With a few in school, with a lot on here referring to that as childcare not education.

If this is Plan A, I really hope some serious planning is underway for Plan B. I really hope teachers are involved in that. I have no idea who would be driving that though. Please don't just say 'they'. ' They' will have to be somebody.

tilder

Schools have little say in this because school opening is part of the wider lifting of lockdown. Local authorities can risk assess and, as we are seeing, push the date back but they would’ve be able to make a decision to open without the govt making a decision first.

It’s not up to Heads/authorities/unions.

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/datasets/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveydata

0.26% of younger kids infected which was similar to 20 something year olds and higher than the teenagers.

tilder

Who should be pushing on this? The Unions? Head teacher association (I assume there is one)?

the unions and HT unions are pushing on this, that is why there is so much negativity about them in the papers.

Its another example of how education professionals can't win.

@FrippEnos maybe its the stuff I read, mainly bbc and FT, but the only thing the Unions seem to be pushing is a no return to classrooms policy. A do not engage policy. Am sure members get a lot more detail than I do

I guess what I was hoping for was something more practical. If we aren't back in the classroom, or back sporadically, I was hoping for a bit more planning. A few ideas. Something.

I have no idea how that would work, or who would take responsibility, given the way the structure is described.

The way things have been over the last half term isn't sustainable though. I can only imagine how much tougher it will get with some kids in class, some kids not.

@tilder

The stuff in the media is pretty much all anti unions and teachers.

The information that I have from the unions is that they keep trying to engage with the government and keep getting rebutted.

They were quite happy with the governments original 5 measures for going back to school.

But the government keeps moving the guidance, hasn't listen to the science and keeps bleating on about what other countries are doing (which the unions would be quite happy with) whilst doing something completely different.

I’m a teacher (secondary) and parent of yr 4 and 6. My current worry is if I take up a keyworker place for my kids, will they get stuck in that ‘bubble’? At my secondary for example, they’ve taken the view to have three ‘schools’ - a keyworker one, a homeschool one and the returning year groups. I fear a kick back from keyworkers who now don’t have access to exam help and are told it’s tough because you’re in the keyworker group... anyone else wrestling with this very particular dilemma?

Gah they’re year 2 and 4 my kids that should say! Ie not in the current allotted groups coming back..

I was thinking of year 6 for an entirely different post!

@FrippEnos then teachers, parents and kids are left with nothing. Really depressing. Its been ok so far. Just a bit longer than summer holidays, so they've been family focused not school focused this long before.

They are starting to struggle. They need more support and help than I can give. Tried to help with long division today. Did not go well . School has been fab, but they're stretched and a few lines of comment don't equal time in class.

Will be watching what happens after half term with interest. Dd is yr6 so will be going back 8th June. She can't wait. Knows it will be different, however reality may be even more different than she expects.

Dd is yr6 so will be going back 8th June. She can't wait. Knows it will be different, however reality may be even more different than she expects

I would honestly prep her for it maybe being pushed back - I know at least 3 schools have pushed back to the 15th.

Pending the announcement on the 28th, of course.

maybe its the stuff I read, mainly bbc and FT, but the only thing the Unions seem to be pushing is a no return to classrooms policy. A do not engage policy

Do not engage? That isn’t the union stance at all.

They’ve been trying to work with Gavin Williamson for weeks.

He finally set up a one hour meeting for them with some of the scientific advisors last week but didn’t actually turn up to the meeting himself as he didn’t want to ‘politicise’ the issue.

Isn't it interesting what is being reported in the media though...?!

Just to point out teachers are still working- in school and through home learning. Do you honestly think teachers haven’t considered all options and especially they do know yr10 & yr12 will suffer most.... maybe try explaining that to the government who want primary to retune first. It’s not about education it’s about the economy

The do not engage thing was widely reported link. Was about the 1st June return.

The impression given in the media, rightly or wrongly, is the level of certainty they are seeking as regards Covid risk.

I have talked to dd about it. She knows it is not certain. She needed to know it is a possibility though for her to be able to choose.