What would you actually like the government to do on schools.

[StatisticalSense]

The demands on this site with regards to schooling are simply incompatible. Schools physically do not have the room or staff to reopen to their normal numbers of pupils with any form of social distancing in place, so it clearly isn't possible to get all kids back to school full time with social distancing in place.
What exactly would you like the government to be doing on schools that is actually feasible?

Until we know with certainty that kids are unable to or extremely unlikely to spread it, opening schools puts all adults at risk.

Surely by that logic, we shouldn’t be opening anything, anywhere, ever.

Why is it ok for my DH to be back in his office, or shops to reopen, or buses to run? Kids need to be in school. We are creating a generation of young people with mental health problems and gaps in their education, for the sake of what, exactly?

Too many people are painting children as the bad guys here. They are silent super-spreading killers. It’s nonsense. Should we keep children away from adults indefinitely just in case?

Forest schools more outdoor learning for primary kids would help with space and risk

Open schools as normal. Let our kids get on with getting their education. Some kids struggle ready this is just going to knock them back more.

Let people get back to work to keep a roof over their heads.

Anyone in vulnerable should be helped financially by the government to shield.

Don’t allow the country to enter a financial depression in the back of a virus that the majority won’t even know they have it.

Yes yes yes we know that one in 10,000 or so will get it and die that have no underlying conditions, but most people are willing to take the risk because the alternative is atrocious. For many life probably won’t be the same again in many respects.

Lord Sumption - YouTube video sprays the most sense I’ve heard from someone in the public eye!!!

Seems some would love a step back to the days of children not heard only now not even seen. Or if it doesn’t involve childcare then oh well my child’s childcare is more important to those doing exams.

Parents have had this for months. Haven’t you been watching the rest of the world since March?

Based on what is happening around the world it was obvious they wouldn’t have been back after Easter.

Teachers still are classed as bloody carers.

Children are/aren’t carriers? And which age group does this cover? Primary? All under 18’s?

A lot of the kids at our school get bused in so not sure how they will be managed. Washing hands with a thousand pupils is another unrealistic expectation. I would definitely have them all in as long as teachers felt protected

Think about it we haven’t heard of supermarket workers dropping like flys and they around people all day even at the peak. Yes social distancing was applied but I bet people still came right up to them etc

I would like kids to rotate. One or two days a week at school. The rest of the time distance learning. That way there can be smaller classes, but kids can still have direct contact with teachers and maintain a sense of school structure.

For upper grades where they move from class to class, I would have the classes be as static as possible and have the teachers move between rooms.

Also, leverage the fact that video lessons can be used en mass. We don’t need each teacher creating their own content for everything. Teacher created content can be for projects and essays and such, but really, a lesson from the standard math textbook only needs to be made once.

Just re-open them as normal.

Scrap social distancing in schools and let kids attend as normal, (staff in PPE if preferred) but with the option to homeschool for the foreseeable future, for those who feel this is best for now.

@EvilTwins

Until we know with certainty that kids are unable to or extremely unlikely to spread it, opening schools puts all adults at risk.

Surely by that logic, we shouldn’t be opening anything, anywhere, ever.

Why is it ok for my DH to be back in his office, or shops to reopen, or buses to run? Kids need to be in school. We are creating a generation of young people with mental health problems and gaps in their education, for the sake of what, exactly?

It wouldn't be OK for your DH to be back in his office unless he is unable to work from home. Children should be back at school first. People returning to work when they don't need to will delay children's return to school if our current understanding about virus spread is accurate, as it will increase R.

Shops opening is about tax revenue. If we enter a deep recession, children's education and mental health will be at risk too.

And I said "puts adults at risk" not "shouldn't happen." We accept risk all the time. I just think people saying "open schools fully and no distancing because I'm sure it's fine based on one study that said kids might not spread it" are ignoring the complexity of this situation.

Love the mass recruitment idea, like it's a quick and simple thing to do.
The government would have already need to have started. Have they?
This could mean people with less than 3 months experience teaching your child in September. Everyone fine with that all of a sudden, then?

I used to be a teacher. Going back would not be an attractive proposition. How would you persuade someone like me? Money? Where's that coming from then?

@CalmYoBadSelf

I have a friend in a senior management team. She says they have worked incredibly hard to plan and find solutions but the unions and a proportion of teachers have been nothing but obstructive and created problems and dissent where there needn't have been any Some of these people are so intent on undermining the government they do not care about the effect on the children

Do you even believe this YoBadSelf? Teachers as some kind of fifth column undermining children returning? It’s bullshit and your friend is either: a) imaginary Or b) very bitter indeed I smell bullshit either way. How is it ‘dissent’ to want your workplace to be safe? Have a word with ‘yobadself’.

Open them. Offer PPE for staff who need/want it. Take on lots of extra staff. Hire extra buildings. Have half class sizes and pour the same money into them as Nightingale hospitals and furlough.

2 kids with ASD. 14 year old one completely bonkers. 16 year old just tuned out with no prospect of college. Now we can afford the loss of child benefit and tax credits that will bring, due to only getting the enhanced tax credits due to disability and living somewhere cheap but many families can't.

So - another request - extending the time before those benefits are lost. I've not seen any mention of this for parents of year 11s.

I'm an ex teacher, too. If your kis are in an academy, they're probably already being taught by an unqualified or newly qualified teacher or a TA.

The government made a mistake with bringing back nursery, reception, Y1 and Y6 full time. It should have been all year groups on a part time basis as per sage scenarios. And relaxing the key worker rules was ridiculous too. Now one key worker families with the other parent being a SAHP are prioritised for a school place over others! That is madness.

@PickAChew

I'm an ex teacher, too. If your kis are in an academy, they're probably already being taught by an unqualified or newly qualified teacher or a TA.

Simply untrue. While this is allowed, it's a small minority.

I'm in Scotland, and the plan here seems to be reopening to all year groups in August but on a part time basis. Don't know for sure yet but most likely seems to be half the kids go Monday and Tuesday, deep clean on Wed other half of kids go Thursday and Friday.

It's not ideal but I'm glad they will get some social interaction and we will be able to do a couple of days work hopefully.

Let teachers and children wear visors and/or face masks. If face coverings are needed elsewhere when social distancing is not possible then they should be worn in schools.

I saw lots of calls from schools suggesting a part timetable which was rubbished by lots of posters on Mumsnet. If the governing had actually consulted us, this would have been taking place in schools this term.

We made plans for all year groups and they were thrown away with the R, 1 and 6 children now.

I'm hoping we are back to 'normal' in September.

Government*

Open the schools, and return to normal working, head teachers to have the right to close a school temporarily if there is an outbreak, but otherwise, get back to normal.

David Blunkett said that if they can get Nightingale hospitals, why can't they get schools?

Fully open to all pupils, no social distancing. Nothing else is acceptable