Schools fubared till November?

[Clemmieandareallybigbunfight]

Disruption to schools could continue to November, MPs told www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-52895640

Is this a dystopian joke?

Are we actually trying to fuck up our kids?

Schools need to be instructed to open fully five days a week with enhanced on day cleaning, increased buses to allow distancing, staggered start and finish, covered but open refuge areas allowing distancing whilst outside in all weathers for breaks and no assemblies. Relatively low investment needed, huge gain economically but more importantly for our kids education and mental health. Some of these kids will never get back to school if they are out for so long. Some will fail to achieve their potential. And all for an illness with a tiny mortality rate overall?

The mental health of children isn’t dependent upon going to school. You’re mad if you think that. Some children are very happy to not be at school. Mental issues abound more or as much in children in school than out of it, that’s a guess I admit. And who can say about the future? This little window in their existence could be the making of them.

I didn’t go to school for over two years as a teenager (school refuser) but still got good grades. In fact way better than my cousin of the same age who attended every day of term barring illness. It’s really not going to harm them missing a few months or even a year if necessary. It’s protecting the health of the nation.

The schools can use supply teachers as is usual practice when staff are ill.

What I would have liked to have seen is a standard for home education set. I get that lots of children cannot access it but how come there is no effort for all schools to even provide it? I live in a city, my secondary aged child is old enough not to need childcare so can work independently easily whilst we are at work, his school provides work for every lesson he would have had at school but he has friends at other schools in the area and those schools provide barely anything. All these kids have devices etc to access online earning (they are literally on them playing online games instead). These are all state schools and should all be attempting to provide an ongoing education.

Interesting

@carrieherbie

The schools can use supply teachers as is usual practice when staff are ill.

Is it really? No school that I have worked in or heard about has routinely done this for at least a decade. Schools just don’t have the budget. Absences are generally covered ‘in house’ unless it’s exceptional circumstances. Supply is very expensive.

I agree with Mepop and the responsbility for this lies with the unions. Some of the unions have been telling their members not to mark work.. my son's teacher said she felt that was her job thank goodness. Why would teachers not be able to mark work? how is a child motivated without feedback? how do they do lesson planning without seeing what the kids have done?

@Shell4429

Good for you - however for many kids it’s not the same AT ALL - staying at home for months means being stuck in dismal, over crowded conditions with no books or toys or nutritional food or proper parental supervision, and quite possibly exposure to domestic violence or child abuse. For kids who were already disadvantaged, falling behind or getting out of the learning habit is catastrophic for their life chances.

JimmyGrimble no our state primary regularly uses supply teachers.

You've obviously never worked in a school🤦‍♀️. In order to social distance we can only have half a class in one room which means we needs twice as many teachers and classrooms as we have now which isn't going to happen. Teachers are keen to get back to face to face lessons but right now a normal set up.isnt possible

I got a call out of the blue today asking if my child wanted to go back to secondary school starting in 2 weeks one day a week. He is Year 9. I was told groups of 6 could go back and stay in bubbles including eating lunch in classroom. They would not be set, and not be taught but continue to do work set on class dojo that he is currently doing from home.

I asked if any of his friends were returning and teacher checked list and said no, those names not on the list of returners.

So to go back not to be taught lessons, not to see his friends and no going outside. I can't see a benefit to what he was offered.

Very few people are officially shielding with letter from NHS. The ones who are would be so I'll it is unlikely they would be working anyway.

We need to get kids back to school, people back to work, and kick start economy.

The virus is fading. Even people in sheltering group allowed out now. On TV scientists said less than one in 400 chances of meeting a person with virus. By September it should be even lower.

We know children are less likely to get it and pass it on.

Sonineties here, here, not everyone is in a nice home with a stay at home Mum with the time, patience and ability to teach them. Lots of parents are busy working, don't have the education or skills themselves to teach them. What about the kids who have special support at school e.g. sppech therapy? What happens to them for 5 months.
And saying I did better in my exams than my cousins despite 2 years off is not really a scientific statement - you could be a genius and / or your cousins could be thick. How does this help the hundreds of thousands of kids now?
All the key workers kids going to school - how many of these have caught covid? I havent heard of any cases..

mr pickles The unions have said no such thing. That’s utter bollocks. Neither are they telling us to refuse to work. Most schools will only use supply in exceptional circumstances eg a long term absence.

JimmyGrimble I beg to differ:
www.theguardian.com/education/2020/may/18/marking-books-not-safe-suggests-new-coronavirus-guidance-for-teachers
'Fresh guidance for teachers from the country’s biggest teaching union suggests it will not be safe to mark children’s books and renews calls for PPE in schools.'
Our primary has had numerous supply teachers over the last term or two. My neighbour is a supply teacher for the local high school...

If it’s not safe to go back with teaching (not childcare) we need a much better framework to facilitate education at home. It’s really sad how little some schools have provided.

That’s to do with marking actual physical books in school. Not virtual marking of work set online.

Pomegranatepompom why is teaching not safe?
how many key workers children have caught covid at school over the last 10 weeks? how many staff working at these hubs have caught it?
What do you consider 'safe'?
how do you compare catching covid with other risks like car crashes on the way to work? Have you analysed this?

JimmyGrimble so why are most state schools I know of not marking work done at home? A friend of mine asked and was told she could mark it herself. Again, ok if you know the curriculum expectations etc. but what if you don't? how is this helpful feedback? how do teachers and schools justify this?

Personally I'm not concerned for my childrens education (they're young primary) I am managing at home but I am concerned more with their mental wellbeing. They've not seen their friends since March 20th. Children need to hug and play and chat with peers. We're all trying to compensate but an adult will never be able to play the same way as a child plays. The connection is different.
Children are resilient though. They will get through this. I know plenty of people who had difficult childhoods with limited education and turned out to be some of the most intelligent and well rounded people I know.
My heart goes to the vulnerable children. They need the support and love and safety. This breaks my heart to think there are children out there who's only comfort comes from school.

Mepop
What I would have liked to have seen is a standard for home education set.

Because there was no standard set.

It would have required the government, the DFE and Ofsted to acually make a decision.

This has meant that schools have done what they need to do.

But even for those schools that have set the work, it doesn't mean that pupils will engage with it.

Where are the extra classrooms coming from?

Where are the extra staff members required going to come from?

Where are the extra cleaners going to come from?

Where are the students going to go when limited to 15 per classroom?

How will The employers protect themselves from liability regarding health and safety in the work place?

Who's going to pay for all the additional staff?

Hmmmm.

OP... You haven't a clue.

My children's school has been unsupportive and unimaginative in their "efforts" continue with responsibility to educated the children. There has been limited effort to utilise technology to carry on teaching - all the teachers do is bung up, often, unhelpful activities on ITSlearning. There is limited contact with the children. This is all despite having plenty of time on their hands. A great deal of the sympathy and respect I have for the industry evaporated when I was informed by one of the teachers and another friend that the workload involves going into the school once a week / fortnight (depending on number of staff team and children attending). I did not think I would ever be critical of a profession that I had held in such high esteem. I do not view them as heroes of the response to Covid19. The teachers' commitment appears to have vanished behind inability / refusal to think outside the box. As far as I'm concerned they should start working their contractual hours / ideally get back to work or take a pay cut!

@MrPickles73 I think it is safe.
But I can’t see a quick agreement so we need to improve home schooling now - so so disappointing we’re still just getting a weekly email after 10 weeks.

carrieherbie I agree totally. I think the NHS and doctors etc have come out of this the heroes and the teaching unions are the bogeymen.
I'm baffled how so called professionals can behave how some schools have behaved. A friend of mine is a teacher and she said she feels deeply ashamed for her profession. Another teaching friend said its the longest holiday she's ever had as a teacher and now only does one day a week.. its shocking.

Pomegranatepompom apologies I misread your post and agree :-)