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Original poster

How/when did the tide turn on schools?

732 replies

LaceCurtains · 09/06/2020 07:19

In the beginning the mood here was almost desperate calling for schools to be closed.

In the last week or so there's been a marked shift to getting them open (from peope here).

Is it the same people who wanted the closed, now calling for them to get back to normal or have the original campaigners gone quiet/new people got louder?

FWIW I always thought schools closed as early as they did because of public pressure and it seems to me that "other" things are getting back to normal more quickly than originally planned/expected (because of DC and the need to distract?) but schools don't seem to be included in that.

I'm at a loss as to why schools are being treated so differently. I'm SLT in school, if that makes a difference and the government guidance is a shambles. Changes daily but doesn't seem to have any clear aim.

OP posts:
Longwhiskers14 · 09/06/2020 13:36

snowballer I focused on that comment to explain WHY head teachers are still sticking to the 2m rule, in response to you disparaging why they are. Yes, the overall advice says children might struggle with 2m and therefore schools should be prepared for them not, but the last line is that schools should take steps to minimise contact. If you were a head teacher, would you seriously read that and go 'sod it, let them mix and risk be damned' or would you enforce the 2m rule the rest of society has to live by?

snowballer · 09/06/2020 13:37

Hundreds of schools have gone back using the bubble system and not socially distancing within the bubbles. So hundreds of head teachers have made that decision

lyralalala · 09/06/2020 13:38

The government need to stop chopping and changing their guidance.

DS and DD's school has canvassed parents widely about all the options they have, they know what option the majority of parents prefer, and how they could put that into place. However, every time the guidance changes they need to come back with more planning and discussion.

Bollss · 09/06/2020 13:38

As risky as having classmates, friends, teachers, dinner ladies, volunteer readers die? As risky as having a grandparent or parent die? A sibling?

Riskier considering the chances of this happening are low. The chances of children being isolated are 100%

ProfessorHasturLaVista · 09/06/2020 13:38

@Trainersmum

There’s not an educational or psychological professional out there who would not be concerned about suicidal ideation or threats from an 11 yr old in response to all schools closing

It isn't JUST the schools though is it? It's everything else. My 12 year old feels suicidal. There is absolutely nothing untoward going on at home and prior to all of this he was a happy bouncy kid full of life.

Almost everything he enjoys has been taken away. It isn't just school but all the other extra curricular activities. He's isolated, he can see no end on sight.

I am genuinely sympathetic, I really am. But it’s our job as parents to help them see that there is a future past all this! Which can seem so hard at times, I know, but we’re the grown ups here. We need to reassure and support and seek outside help if we need to. All schools should be sending resources to parents about mental health.
ProfessorHasturLaVista · 09/06/2020 13:39

@TrustTheGeneGenie

As risky as having classmates, friends, teachers, dinner ladies, volunteer readers die? As risky as having a grandparent or parent die? A sibling?

Riskier considering the chances of this happening are low. The chances of children being isolated are 100%

We don’t know that. Because Lockdown. So don’t experiment with my life, thanks.
CallmeAngelina · 09/06/2020 13:39

[quote thetoddleratemyhomework]@CallmeAngelina

By french science minister I meant the chief scientist. You know, the one who designed their whole lockdown approach. On the basis of science. And he has now said that they were too restrictive [/quote]
You're not exactly filling me with confidence there.

Bollss · 09/06/2020 13:40

We should be teaching our children resilience. That 8 weeks out of school is hard, but not impossible. That we will all get through this as a family, as a school community, by thinking of others and just doing our best to get through it

Oh that's what I am doing. I also teach my child to stand up for what you think is right. Form your own opinions instead of blindly following those who shout loudest.

He is resilient. So am I. I've avoided redundancy I've cared for my child and I've kept my shit together.

None of that matters because this is not about resilience. This is about what's right.

Locking children up is not right. I will never agree that it is. I will never agree that we sacrifice children for anyone else. Never.

CallmeAngelina · 09/06/2020 13:41

@thetoddleratemyhomework

His name is Jean-Francois Delfraissy. He is the french chris Whitty. Good enough for you *@CallmeAngelina*?
Nope. Not really. Why do you assume that France is handling this any better than we are?
Bollss · 09/06/2020 13:41

We don’t know that. Because Lockdown

Lockdown doesn't change the stats on how at risk you are if you catch it.

If you don't want to "risk your life" when schools open then surely you need to resign?

lyralalala · 09/06/2020 13:42

Also if our council wasn't so stupid there would be an entire empty school building to use between all the schools locally

We have a new high school. The kids were meant to move in at Easter. Obviously didn't happen. The old school building is perfect for the current needs because it's 4 individual buildings. 3 of them were built when boys and girls were taught separate so they have toilets, dining hall and facilities in each building. There's nothing structurally wrong with them, the new school (built on the grounds) just needed to be bigger and more modern.

Yet they are insisting on going ahead with demolition in the summer holidays. Apparently it "can't" be delayed. Even though it's already been delayed by over a year.

ProfessorHasturLaVista · 09/06/2020 13:42

@TrustTheGeneGenie

We should be teaching our children resilience. That 8 weeks out of school is hard, but not impossible. That we will all get through this as a family, as a school community, by thinking of others and just doing our best to get through it

Oh that's what I am doing. I also teach my child to stand up for what you think is right. Form your own opinions instead of blindly following those who shout loudest.

He is resilient. So am I. I've avoided redundancy I've cared for my child and I've kept my shit together.

None of that matters because this is not about resilience. This is about what's right.

Locking children up is not right. I will never agree that it is. I will never agree that we sacrifice children for anyone else. Never.

Are you in Spain? Apologies if we are talking about different approaches to Lockdown in other countries. Because no children here have been ‘locked away’. They have always been allowed outdoors.
Bollss · 09/06/2020 13:43

Because no children here have been ‘locked away’. They have always been allowed outdoors

They have. And that's it. They've not been allowed near friends or family. They've not been allowed to parks - children's play areas are still closed whilst old men can play golf.

It isn't right. There is literally nothing you can say which will make me think it is.

ProfessorHasturLaVista · 09/06/2020 13:43

@TrustTheGeneGenie

We don’t know that. Because Lockdown

Lockdown doesn't change the stats on how at risk you are if you catch it.

If you don't want to "risk your life" when schools open then surely you need to resign?

I’m reluctant to resign because some parents are having a pure hissy fit about having to look after their own children for 8 weeks.
Bollss · 09/06/2020 13:45

I’m reluctant to resign because some parents are having a pure hissy fit about having to look after their own children for 8 weeks

That's not why you'd be resigning is it? You'd be resigning because you don't want to go near children and die.

If you think it's about having to look after our own children for 8 weeks you probably should resign tbh.

formerbabe · 09/06/2020 13:45

As risky as having classmates, friends, teachers, dinner ladies, volunteer readers die? As risky as having a grandparent or parent die? A sibling?

You do realise people can and do die of non covid related things.
I know many children who have lost parents and grandparents due to illness/old age. I know a school where a pupil died from cancer and a teacher.

ProfessorHasturLaVista · 09/06/2020 13:46

@TrustTheGeneGenie

Because no children here have been ‘locked away’. They have always been allowed outdoors

They have. And that's it. They've not been allowed near friends or family. They've not been allowed to parks - children's play areas are still closed whilst old men can play golf.

It isn't right. There is literally nothing you can say which will make me think it is.

Then I think we’d better stop throwing opposing views at each other Smile More than happy to tune your vitriol and hyperbole out.

Although I do agree about play parks btw. If it’s soooooo safe in schools, why not open them? It’s such a mystery Hmm

JanetheObscure · 09/06/2020 13:46

Snowballer - you and I are going to agree to disagree about the wisdom of social distancing at this stage of the pandemic, but just to let you know that we are using the bubble system as well.

How, out of interest, would you organise the bubbles in a primary school so that we could theoretically have every single pupil back in?

snowballer · 09/06/2020 13:47

I'm reluctant to resign because some parents are having a pure hissy fit about having to look after their own children for 8 weeks.

Honestly. It's comments like this that make it increasingly difficult to have sympathy for teachers like you. You all cry "teacher bashing" but then proceed to show absolute lack of understanding of the children in your care. It's not about parents having to look after their children, it's about a lack of any recognisable education for Christ's sakes.

Bollss · 09/06/2020 13:47

More than happy to tune your vitriol and hyperbole out

Really? How awful I am for wanting education for children. Silly me!

Newgirls · 09/06/2020 13:48

Our secondary is huge with fields, car parks, halls etc

Two whole years have finished.

There is plenty of space for the remaining teens to have SOME lessons inside and/or outside.

The gov/unions or whoever are running out of excuses. Get the kids back at least part time like so many other countries in the world.

Nighttimefreedom · 09/06/2020 13:48

@Littlescottiedog you're coming up with a lot of reasons why not.
What we're asking for is an education task force, comprising education and health expertise, to come together to agree what is possible and set a strategy to get all children back in to education as soon as possible.
Who could object to that?

formerbabe · 09/06/2020 13:49

I’m reluctant to resign because some parents are having a pure hissy fit about having to look after their own children for 8 weeks

Angry
Nighttimefreedom · 09/06/2020 13:49

@ProfessorHasturLaVista
Showing a remarkable lack of insight. Quite astonishing.

Bollss · 09/06/2020 13:49

That comment is why teachers have a bad name on here.