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?

This is going to be a major problem if this continues for another year. The government are going to have to do something or so many parents (disproportionately women) are going to find they have to give up work. We need to recognise working parents can’t continue like this.

Options would be:

Social bubbles - allowing people to band with another family to share childcare.
Laws allowing parents to take leave and some financial support for this. Also protection from redundancy if this is taken.

Although if everyone was allowed to take leave, that could be a disaster too. I work in a totally female department of the nhs and most have children but most are also lower paid than their partners. But if everyone took leave, there would be no key nhs service for patients. No idea what the answer is there.

But how can teachers possibly deliver it all?! They will be teaching full time but half and half of the class over the week. Who is going to deliver proper remote learning as well??!

What about all the vulnerable children who won't have anything when they aren't in school or the children with EHCP who can't access education at home. Every child matters has to be all children with all needs and circumstances as well. How on earth can that ever be possible.

@porktangle it’s a minefield. The problem is there appears to have be no consideration of this issue. Discussions about how we could try and put something in to try and avoid a crisis.

But how can teachers possibly deliver it all?!

I think schools are going to have to work this one out individually

And unless/until the government says ‘we are going to withdraw state education from the most medically vulnerable children’ this has to be tackled

No-one is saying it is easy it undemanding. It is however necessary

The government are going to have to do something or so many parents (disproportionately women) are going to find they have to give up work

Teachers are parents too. They will be in the same boat of theirs kids aren’t in during the same hours.

Tow year 6 classes are being split over 6 classrooms.

TAs will be expected to teach a whole class

You won’t get the same quality

Those saying you’ll send the young kids in, they won’t share toys or resources no water trays or sand trays, lunch at desks, 2 metres apart at play time. No books to share. They’ll be allocated pens and paper. Only leave their desks for the toilet. No PE, assemblies, school plays, parents evenings, no big gatherings.

It won’t be the same

@GreenTulips it impacts all jobs. I’m a keyworker my children’s school currently offers no provision, if it does reopen it will be 9-3. That doesn’t cover my hours. If teachers are in full time, but their child can only go to say nursery 2 days a week then they will have to give up work - then schools can’t reopen. More people have to give up work. It’s a viscous cycle.

As I say, the governments failure to recognise this issue and have discussions about what measures can be put in place is worrying.

The children at my son's special school do share things within their social bubble and they are not kept 2m apart.

It is going to be very hard for those that are shielding where the children cannot learn remotely. I hope in that case there will be advice and training for parents and appropriate equipment ( which may not be electronic) provided to use in the home.

StrawberryBlondeStar

That was the point I was making. Less teachers. Less children in school.
More on part time hours.

Someone needs to start a conversation about how this is going to work.

Because after the first round of Y1/6/10/12

Then what?

Plus the impact on the future of year 13 can’t access university putting pressure on next years intake in half a years teaching.

IF they did 2 days a week each then the teachers can only teach half the curriculum surely?

This system would benefit my son, I can also WFH and work essentially whenever and I’m part time. But most parents don’t have that luxury, it also puts vulnerable children at a huge disadvantage, children from the most disadvantaged (particularly white boys) underperform hugely, this divide would only increase.

If this were to happen would parents still receive FSM on non school days?

@simonjt in our area, any child can collect a free school meal from their nearest every weekday. I don't think that would change.

I guess teachers would cover work I. Class the 2 days children are there and set tasks to be completed in the rest of the time. But need to recognise this won't be comparable to classroom education.

I'm working from home, I'm managing OK to give my ds some worksheets from scho to complete, but I'm under no illusion that's he's doing much active learning, the content isn't engaging and it's just keeping him ticking over until I can get him back into school. Long term I'm not sure how I will cope. My 5 year old ds is doing even less, practising letters and numbers but no new learning because he just won't do it for me and I don't know how to teach it properly.

I'd be very worried if this was the case for all of next year. I have a year 10 who will be sitting GCSEs nest summer (well I hope so anyway!) and an autistic DS who needs to be back in school really (he is stressed I think as he is stimming a lot again and hasn't been doing it for a year or so previously)

Our senior school has already said that they don't expect full time schooling in September and that they will prioritize Y7, 11 and 13. When I got the email it was the nearest to depression that I've been in this pandemic, I had a very wobbly week.

Sorry to hear that @Mydoglicksplates . Its very hard for everyone involved and i just wish we had more information but I guess that is impossible right now.

EugeniaGrace I have a summer born boy due to start reception, a part time timetable and a class of 15 would be great for him.

If it wasn't a logistical nightmare maybe there could be the option for some DC to go part time and others full time? That would have the effect of reducing class sizes overall. I think some primary parents, particularly SAHP of infant age DC might quite like part time schooling so could 'give up' our f/t place to make room for someone who needs it.

It's really worrying, but I think school is likely to be part time for the forseeable future.

How the hell I will manage with 3 kids and no wraparound care i do not know. I feel sad for my wee girl starting p1 in september, it's going to be a strange experience. Having said that, kids will adapt.

We will probably muddle through as long as DH can continue to work from home. I work 3 days as a nurse. If he has to go back physically to work we couldn't manage without wraparound care in some form.

I was somewhat horrified at the same realisation, @porktangle and have no idea how to make it work. I work part time term time only and have just about managed it this term. Next term is always so busy, though, and I really don't think I have the energy to do it again! Also galling as it is the term my youngest DC is due to start school - after nearly 13 years of preschoolers, I was ready for finally being able to do things 'properly' without multiple pick ups and that's clearly not going to be the case. DH is working from home but quite full on so the home schooling largely falls to me (with my consent - he brings in the bulk of our income). And with three of them as well as a preschooler, I just cannot give them all the time they need. We'll also need to purchase at least one more device, just getting by at the moment.

DC are already horrified enough about not going back until September (none are priority years, eldest is secondary) and I think it might just about finish them off!!

On an entirely separate note, I don't think I can cope any longer with the noise, the mess and the lack of any time or space for myself.

Here's hoping the school hols help!

Guaranteed to fuck women over completely. You can bet your bottom dollar it will be women juggling all kinds of shit to make this happen.

I think they need to sort out current year 10 and 12 first, I don't understand why they thought 4 year old's education was more urgent than a 17 year old with A levels in 12 months. Of course if it is childcare then the 4 year old would need more support than the 17 year old but they shouldn't pretend that is an educational decision.

Unless we are prepared to abandon the idea that Every Child Matters, and day it’s OK to remove educational provision for the medically vulnerable.

We've already abandoned that by closing schools for so long regardless of the impact on children.

If it's OK not to educate any children for 6 months, why would we need to make provision for shielding children?

Children don't matter. If that's not clear to you when golf clubs open while play parks are locked shut, I don't know what to tell you.

My DS is entering a important exam year and he’s getting royally fucked over by this. All the years we’ve had drummed into us that taking 2 days off for a cheaper holiday Was so detrimental to his education. Turns out that was all bullshit and missing months of schooling isn’t a big deal at all. 🤷‍♀️

I’m beyond furious.

It’s incredibly complicated. As a teacher I too have no one to cover my childcare when my daughter is not in school. I will be in school full time teaching. I will not have all my class. They will get some time with me and some time at home with online learning. I cannot help with the online learning, answer questions etc during the day the way I do now as I will be with a class in school. It’s bad enough just now when I’m in the hub and can’t support the online learning at the same time.
Talk of models of week in school then week supporting online when someone else teaches your children but absolutely no idea how that can be contained in a bubble safely.

We were talking today at work (6 women) and all but me would have to give up work if this was the September plan. Various reasons why.

We're nhs so we could get keyworker places presumably? But where and how would they be accommodated? If they were on the remote learning section of the week, they can't go to some hub somewhere for childcare and then squeeze in the work at home in the evenings or something. All felt this plan wasn't something they could do long term or be fair to their children.

@mondaywine presumably you'd need an awful lot more teachers in order to do everything for all children - that's not an easy thing to put in place!

This kind of compromised situation is fine for an emergency period but it's not ok for the whole next academic year as a plan. The government surely must know that? I don't get what their end game is. That said, in my bit of the nhs we've been told not to expect to resume normal service and run clinics for over 18 months so I shouldn't be surprised.

My DS is entering a important exam year and he’s getting royally fucked over by this. All the years we’ve had drummed into us that taking 2 days off for a cheaper holiday Was so detrimental to his education. Turns out that was all bullshit and missing months of schooling isn’t a big deal at all. Yes that message is coming back to bite the govt, it was too successful. I remember as a kid, and when mine were at school, it was no big deal to take kids out of school for a holiday but for years the message has been if they miss a week in reception their A levels will be ruined. Mine didn't go to school for keystage 1 and their only regret is that we sent them for keystage 2.

We will need a huge number more staff before we even start to look at how any child with an additional need is given the support the need and deserve.