How/when did the tide turn on schools?

[LaceCurtains]

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.

Interested re number of students that lack of access to tech, particularly in secondary schools as the majority of DCs homework pre lockdown was and always has been set online as well as access to various resources for revision etc. I have asked DCs they say that they do not know hardly anyone who has not got at least a phone, majority have smartphones and this is a very mixed catchment school. DCs have said that many of their classmates are using lack of access to tech and various other excuses not to do work but that this is not always true.

@BackInTime

Interested re number of students that lack of access to tech, particularly in secondary schools as the majority of DCs homework pre lockdown was and always has been set online as well as access to various resources for revision etc. I have asked DCs they say that they do not know hardly anyone who has not got at least a phone, majority have smartphones and this is a very mixed catchment school. DCs have said that many of their classmates are using lack of access to tech and various other excuses not to do work but that this is not always true.

It's interesting how the same people arguing that 6 months off school is no bother because Internet are often the same ones claiming huge numbers of pupils have no access to machines that will allow them to access the Internet. 🤔

I was actually referring to younger children re lack of access to tech. We are in a higher income bracket and only got DD2 (Y6) her own computer at Christmas, in preparation for secondary school and online homework. DD1 got one at a similar time. Had this happened a few years ago when they were both in primary school we wouldn't have been set up for online lessons at all, and this is the case for many families with younger children now.

My teens were asked after Easter what access they had to tech - having been off two weeks prior - they were asked via e-mail and would have needed access to tech to answer

While they had some subjects set work -on-line they did have access to school library computers and at a push local library also offfered access - so it's possible some managed that way.

One of DD1 friends Y10 has access at one parents to internet but not at the main parents house others are sharing equipment with siblings and parents wfh.

As p/t school and blended learning are looking likely in Autumn you'd think they'd be some plan to get them access now as a priorty rather than use it as an excuse not to set rest enough work.

No rational fair minded person would seek to place every teacher & every school in the same category of neglect and resistance. I applaud the many fantastic teachers who are doing their best.
However there does seem to be a cacophony of voices on MN expressing a very different personal experience which does appear to be in the majority. I am part of this majority and I hope our voices will continue to get louder. I also hope that once teachers and schools experience the reality of returning, new ways of working will be embraced in exactly the same way as has been accomplished elsewhere.
As an aside I wonder how Primary school teachers are feeling when they are having to manage the little ones whilst knowing their secondary counterparts remain resistant?

Most teens I know have a smart phone that's true but I would argue that doing meaningful work on a phone is a right pain, even a tablet isn't ideal. Not many houses have multiple PC's. I agree with @enjoyingsun that access needs to be made a priority if we are looking at blended learning for the forseeable.

@sashagabadon Actual proof that even when the Conservatives have been in government for 10 YEARS, cut education to the bone and been at the helm throughout this entire crisis... Someone will still find a way to blame Labour. It's actually laughable.

You literally have NO idea how much teachers have worked, you couldn't possibly have anyway of knowing. Your friend could have been working in Ireland, setting work remotely and working into the evening. I am working from home while looking after a 1 year alone and I'm having to work at all kinds of hours, working late into the night just to get stuff done. However, if you were friends with me you might think I've just been doing lovely activities with my daughter this whole time.

This shaming and policing of teachers needs to stop. I have had ENOUGH. What other profession is being policed and shamed like this?

@sashagabon I'd argue that if the Labour Party and the unions had that much power then schools funding would be different, the multiplicity of curriculum changes wouldn't have happened and possibly class sizes etc would be smaller and there would be less of an issue regarding recruitment and retention.

Power to make change to schools (closing and reopening) rests with the Government.

Its the role of the opposition to scrutinise the Government - I'd imagine you'd have wanted the Conservatives to scrutinise a Corbyn led government. It's the unions role to protect their members. Government's job is to lead.

I'm not exactly thrilled with any of the parties currently but if I'm going to aim my ire anywhere it will be at those who we have been empowered to guide us through it.

Can't excited about a teacher returning to Ireland - I am presuming he/she can set work and make phone calls remotely.

our school are setting work online but it is not differentiated so a one size fits all approach. never get any feedback once work is completed. It is definitely aimed at academic and studious kids
My son is SEN and he is really struggling with the whole thing and is desperate for school to reopen
The emotional damage caused is far greater than any risk posed by the virus. I said this ages ago but this was an unpopular opinion at the time and I was slated for it.

If any good can come out of this is that schools response has been vastly different from even school in the same LA and this is not good enough.

Going forward government and school must have ways of teaching pupils at home so they get something at least close to what is given at school.

@enjoyingSun what a ridiculous thing to say. Of course it's a priority. The laptops the government promised us still haven't materialised. Blame them! We have still managed to send some laptops to homes using our own provision. My school has also been working flat out each week getting paper copies of work delivered to students without access to resources. No we're not using it as an excuse not to set work. Again, how could you possibly know that schools aren't coming up with plans and that this isn't a priority.

@Xenia

I blame the state for closing schools. I would order them opened before end of term in full. Some schools abroad are opening without distancing. Then don't pay anyone who won't go into school - that will then sort it out. Encourage children to wash their hands more and those rich enough to afford a bar of soap to bring in a plastic bag with a towel and a bar of soap in it.

As if that could happen. Just plain daft. Order them back? Good luck with that.

@Sparksflying100

No rational fair minded person would seek to place every teacher & every school in the same category of neglect and resistance. I applaud the many fantastic teachers who are doing their best. However there does seem to be a cacophony of voices on MN expressing a very different personal experience which does appear to be in the majority. I am part of this majority and I hope our voices will continue to get louder. I also hope that once teachers and schools experience the reality of returning, new ways of working will be embraced in exactly the same way as has been accomplished elsewhere. As an aside I wonder how Primary school teachers are feeling when they are having to manage the little ones whilst knowing their secondary counterparts remain resistant?

We are having to fight to bring awareness for our kids to have an education and the hard working teachers should support this rather than continually try to shut us up!

@vickibee

our school are setting work online but it is not differentiated so a one size fits all approach. never get any feedback once work is completed. It is definitely aimed at academic and studious kids My son is SEN and he is really struggling with the whole thing and is desperate for school to reopen The emotional damage caused is far greater than any risk posed by the virus. I said this ages ago but this was an unpopular opinion at the time and I was slated for it.

I think as times has marched on views have changed along with expectations - it was ok to do nothing for a couple of weeks - it's getting ridiculous now.

yes it is the role of GOV to say when schools close/ re-open BUT it is for the schools to decide how this is done. Some schools (not all) seem to think it is for the GOV to give detailed information tailor made for their own school before they will even think about doing anything at all. THIS is my problem.
GOV said to hospitals that they must get non-covid services back up and running. Hospitals immediately started working on this , telling GOV what they would be doing adn how they would be achieving this.
What they are NOT doing , is insisting GOV provide detailed plans on every little issue and being as obstructive as humanly possible.
See the difference?
Schools purpose is to teach kids but so many schools (NOT all) seem to think their purpose is to provide employment to teachers.
This is what I am cross about. The unions only care about the teachers - that is definately the impression I am getting. I ask , what about the kids.
Hospitals are rightly there to provide treatment to patients NOT to provide employment for doctors and nurses. I
It is the exact same thing and yet schools (some NOT all) seem to have the completely opposite mindset.
It is baffling to me (as an NHS worker that has not stopped working at all)

It is baffling to me (as an NHS worker that has not stopped working at all)

You do know that a lot of teachers haven't stopped working at all, don't you? They are looking after the DCs of NHS staff so they can work.

and yes it is the role of opposition to scrutinise GOV but to do so constructively - not to be as awkward as possible and actually encourage those in education to be as awkward as possible too - while professing to care about children's education.
This is my issue - and I think lots of others agree with me especially those of us that had been working the whole time and seen what is possible and the positive can do attitude in other environments e.g hospitals, supermarkets
however this can be turned around now - lots of schools are turning this around and I would like to see labour supporting this now (i am a labour supporter believe it or not)

As if that could happen. Just plain daft. Order them back? Good luck with that

Why is that daft?

It's daft to think If the government said schools can and should open as normal, that they simply just wouldn't.

@MorrisZapp. I’d agree with that. My kids have had more contact and appropriate educational tasks from Scouts and other voluntary organisations than they’ve had with their school.

Contact from my ds primary school has been truly pathetic. A couple of tasks every week, only feedback is a well done comment on Google classroom. No calls, no video lessons for his age group. Collective video tasks for the whole school which are not age appropriate for the older children - one this week was making a heart shape using wildflowers.

@vickibee we are in a similar position- DD has severe SeN (EHCP) and is withdrawing from learning - I am worried sick. School however has listened (mostly) and given me carte blanche to amend lessons and ditch many subjects. I'm doing my best but I'm out of my depth.

@sashagabadon I think you'll find that many workable solutions (village halls, extra wash stations, more cleaning) require more funds - funds are not forthcoming. Our local primary won't receive an extra penny towards those extra costs. I'd hope that the Government did find the money to support the NHS when it needed it.

As have been written here many times only 8% of the (English?) workforce has children in primary - we are not a priority it seems and neither are our children. Would love to know how much of the workforce have children in school (primary and secondary if anyone knows).

True, @TrustTheGeneGenie. If schools are waiting for guidance for government then surely if government says, right, back full time as normal that solves the issue?

@DomDoesWotHeWants

It is baffling to me (as an NHS worker that has not stopped working at all)

You do know that a lot of teachers haven't stopped working at all, don't you? They are looking after the DCs of NHS staff so they can work.

yes i do know that. my son has been going in 3 days a week - but they haven;t been "teaching" him. He has been mostly left to his own devices on the school computer with very little help at all - so I am not particularly impressed. They have had an average of 6 kids in so hardly overworked The online show my homework work set has been pretty poor to be honest and some teachers actually emailed all the kids to tell them not to submit their work when completed and it is rarely marked. My daughter year has faired a little better but not exactly great. She is allowed to go back from next Fri for 3 hours. Again , not great

As businesses open again people rely on childcare school provides so what are Parents and business owners supposed to do?
I’m a key worker and so is dh but because dh is working from home we followed the school request that if a parent is home the dc should stay home. If dh has to go into his office we’ll be stuffed as school is now at capacity so despite us both being key workers, our dc cannot access school.

@DomDoesWotHeWants

It is baffling to me (as an NHS worker that has not stopped working at all)

You do know that a lot of teachers haven't stopped working at all, don't you? They are looking after the DCs of NHS staff so they can work.

Are they teaching them though? I thought they were just providing childcare!

It's daft to think If the government said schools can and should open as normal, that they simply just wouldn't.

You are very naive if you really believe this. As if any work force would go back to work because Johnson told them to. If they believed it was dangerous they wouldn't. He knows that and isn't daft enough to try it.