If blended learning was the thing for all of next academic year?

[porktangle]

www.thenational.scot/news/18454764.blended-learning-become-new-normal-schools-return/

This is obviously just an article and anything could actually change in the next year but I read this and suddenly the possible next academic year just hit me like a ton of bricks. I don't know why it's taken until now tbh. I think I've just been thinking about June 1st mostly!

I could still work (I'm full time main earner) but husband couldn't so we'd have significant money problems after a few months. My son is autistic and wouldn't have his EHCP fulfilled. He's done reduced timetables before and they were a disaster, he ended up out of education for over a year.

If blended learning (half in school with social distancing, half at home remote learning) is for the next academic year.....how would you manage?

I don't know any families where both parents don't work. Any. I can't see workplaces being happy about wfh until summer 2021 (or forever?) So where does that leave people? It leaves WOMEN and it will be women facing being sacked or made redundant or having to leave their jobs. There will not be a sudden abundance of flexible part time work to make up for these mad hours.

I don't work (studying for another degree/sahm) but virtually all my friends do. They are all panicking. Dh will also be working from home until 2021 (mixed feelings about that too) but lots of our friends work offshore/abroad. I don't see how it's workable.

Ds is only going into primary 1 in August but I'm not impressed with the transition online stuff provided to date and can't see how they are going to encourage learning to a reasonable standard in this brave new world.

This may already have been mentioned, but there is a group out there fighting for schools to be opened asap, full-time, for everyone. Sign and share.....
www.usforthem.co.uk/

Thanks mirrors I've signed that now

Parentclub is absolutely shite. Have any of the folks producing content on there ever even met a child. Even before covid the advice was terrible.

'kids spending too much time on screens? Ask them to draw a poster of their favourite video game instead'... Yes that will totally work 😕.

Almost as good as the advice from our local councillor about what to do about kids who are struggling on their own (no siblings for context question was about my 4yo)

He gave me a link to a website. My 4yo cannot read. Nor does that replicate the friends he misses.

Isn’t that just the size of it though ‘are you or your dc struggling’? Here’s a website or phone-line where we will empathise and suggest ways you can fix yourselves.
Hahahaha.!

Yeah exactly. Super helpful thanks! It's a fucking joke isn't it.

It’s dreadful, I can’t believe people get paid to tell stressed parents to take walks or eat healthily etc whilst patronising them.

It reminds me of the nhs breastfeeding advice ‘listen we’ve no real funds to support women but if we hassle people with pamphlets and make them feel inferior our job will be done...’

I have tried not to be too scathing about ParentClub advice on lockdown because they can't fix the fundamental problem that this is just a bit shit for kids and parents right now. But they have a whole FAQ on returning to schools and it really highlights just how inadequate it is.

"Q: How can I balance work with days when my child is not in school? Will childcare be available?"

"A: Wider childcare provision will only reopen when it’s safe. At present the Scottish Government is asking employers to be flexible with employees who need to stay at home with their children. Our page on working from home has tips and advice to help you."

Page on working from home includes advice like: "During this difficult period, you’re going to be multi-tasking on a completely new level and you’ll need a break yourself. If you can, try to take some time for yourself, even if it’s just for a cuppa or a quiet five minute break."

Right, a cuppa, that'll get my child educated and my employers happy. Thanks ParentClub!

When this was a short-term crisis situation I think it was reasonable to expect kids to get pretty inadequate home learning and for employers to expect seriously reduced productivity from parents. But if it's a long-term situation, are we really happy for our children to just watch TV half the school week because Mummy/Daddy have calls and clients and deadlines? Or expect our employers to keep paying us for our normal hours while accepting we can't work half of them? Indefinitely?

Honestly, at this point I'd prefer it if ParentClub's answer was "We know it is not possible for a lot of parents to home educate and work so you're going to have to choose between your job and your child's education until childcare is back online." At least it'd be honest.

Ffs golden whoever wrote that should be embarrassed

All these helplines and websites are just a fig leaf to pay lip service to the issues so they can say they provided help.

It's unworkable bullshit that penalises young people. Haven't decided just yet. DS will be returning to his boarding school abroad but DD might go to school abroad, too. DS has high-functioning autism, this shit would be a total disaster for him. DD has dyslexia, she's supposed to be going into S4, an exam year. Sorry, but I'm not a fucking teacher and certainly not able to teach one with additional support needs so it's highly likely she'll stay abroad where they're actually not throwing all young people under a bus for this.

See also the ridiculous Scottish Government adverts.

What's also not covered by this is that one of Scotland's major industries is tourism. That's not a job that be easily done with all this social distancing or from home, in fact, it's impossible in many crucial roles. How the fuck are people supposed to earn a living when it's 'safe', how 'safe' is your house being repossessed and homeless housing and foodbanks and not being able to buy clothes for your kids?

Sturgeon's lost the plot over there and pandering to utter doom mongers who are going to seriously fuck our economy with no way to reverse that or pay for it all.

It's sad but both DH and I are kind of done with this country.

All these helplines and websites are just a fig leaf to pay lip service to the issues so they can say they provided help.

Yes. And it's going to be the same for 'helping' parents to work from home too. Here's some online phonics resources! Here's some links to BBC Bitesize! Here's YouTube videos of fun science experiments you can do from home! But unless it's 'here's Mary Poppins beamed into your house to do all these with your child while you're working', it's not actually going to sodding help is it?

I tend to agree, at some point employers are going to give up and make people redundant and schools being part-time I worry will force some decisions. ‘Oh we can lose x, who is working compressed hours/pt anyway and has been struggling over the summer’.

The panel of available research says kids are half as likely to catch it, as best they can tell. Why aren’t we heavily focusing on shielding the vulnerable now and getting the rest of us back to work?

What really pisses me off is that the Scottish Government adverts and parent club completely ignores teenagers. They seem to be completely invisible.

And, and if you are made redundant your reduced pay packet will be used to be calculate your redundancy pay 🤦‍♀️

And it's going to be the same for 'helping' parents to work from home too. Here's some online phonics resources! Here's some links to BBC Bitesize! Here's YouTube videos of fun science experiments you can do from home

Yes, and none of it covering calculus, physics and chemistry for those in secondary school and in exam years. They're supposed to just chunter on with this half-arsed excuse for education. I'm totally fucked off they've done this to young people, disadvantage them even further when the whole country is already deprived as it is and headed for a deep recession as one of its major industries starts to collapse. Caledonian Coach Travel and Shearings National went into liquidation today, the latest of several who've gone bust. Bust. The jobs are gone. No replacement.

Fuck young people's education and opportunities, hell, they can't even take a driving lesson now, but they're good enough to go pick veg and fruit (where I can promise you not a damn is given towards bloody social distancing or PPE and masks and all that shit).

That’s a good point, I’ve seen nothing about supporting teens

A paper for one of the SAGE subgroups advising on schools wrote:

a cohort of children have experience a shock to their education which will persist and affect their education and work outcomes for the rest of their lives

They also highlighted how it will expose children to more domestic violence, abuse, worsening of parents mental health and neglect.

The problem is these children are the poorest and most disadvantaged. Their voices are never heard. They are drowned out by middle class parents not wanting to send their child back (who then pay for resources and tutors).

Oh there is FA for supporting secondary school pupils. But hey, who needs a well-educated workforce in a country that's falling into recession? The rich ones will go to private school and be fine, let's widen that gap by fucking the ones not well-off enough to provide private education a little more, it's great for the country! All for a virus that well over 95% of people survive. Unbelievable.

Farms around us, which are plenty seeing as arable and fruit are in abundance here are all social distancing their workers, who are all working outdoors, so resuced risk anyway. These farms have tried their best to comply with 2m rules etc and get on with the planting and picking.
I am wondering what schools, in what countries, have all kids back in and at senior phase as well? 15 isn't a small class, in many successful countries 15-20 is normal class size, the only countries which have 30+ as normal tend to be one which are taught with the teacher at the front filling up the children with their knowledge, or lack of it.
Teachera will cobtinue to work throughout this and they will also be in the same boat with childcare, I am lucky my 74 year ols father looks after my children because, as a teacher they are not entitled to be in the hub just now when I am in school.
Yes this whole situation is shit, byt, like most ither countries we can only follow the available guidance and information which is to go back slowly in smaller groups. It's not good, I would rather have my whole class back and start the year as normal, but it is for your kids safety, you safety and staff safety. Trust me staff safety come way behind pupil and families when this is getting planned.
However the positive, if there is one to take, at least in primary ia that smaller groups of 15 should mean a far better experience for all children. I know the difference in my kids coming in part time during lockdown has been fantatsic! The progress has been off the scale compared to previous learning (I am additional support). So, good planning and provision should ensure that our children progress well even though they are part time.
In the mean time I, personally am hoping for something, a treatment or vaccine to allow us all to move forward and tobget my kids and ypur kids back in as normal.

That’s a good point, I’ve seen nothing about supporting teens

The problem is that teens are noisy and disobedient and they can't vote.

So basically, fuck them.

Who gives a shit if they are unhappy?

It's not OK for 90 year olds in care homes to die, but really the truth is that as a society we are fine with teenagers distressed by having their future stolen taking their lives.

We can dress this up as many ways as we like about "protecting" the vulnerable. But the truth is the truly vulnerable have been ignored for 10 weeks.

We don't give a shit about them. We want to bask in sentimental bullshite about how much we care while we demand that the government pursues policies that are already costing the young lives of the genuinely vulnerable and at risk.

Spot on, Nihil. I'm not buying this it's for safety. It's not. This virus doesn't kill the vast majority of those who have it. And it doesn't appear to effect kids much at all so it's not for their 'safety'. It's not acceptable, there are NO bloody positives for teens, especially those in exam years. They've just been screwed. It's not on. And it depends on the country, plenty will be back to normal by August. But hey, like the government cares about state school kids. Do they fuck? My 14-year-old went from accepting all this without complaint to hey, why am I being made to pay for this forever by a) I'll be footing the bill for it all long after even your generation is dead b) I'll be doing it on less than my full potential because you've fucked my education and job opportunities.

She has a point. I'd be furious. So have about a month to clear out of here. Thanks, Nicola and company! There's no such thing as 'safe', it doesn't exist, it's now become a convenient lever to control all of us with and put up with the entirely unacceptable.