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?

Open NORMAL. Scrap social distancing. It's a head fuck to children

So basically fuck teachers and teacher health.

I don't care about your child's 'head fuck' more than I care about my own health. Sorry.

Grapefruitsarenottheonlyfruit I agree completely with your post - hygiene measures, no assemblies, stagger drop off and pick ups etc. I'm in Scotland and we are looking at blended learning with the majority of time at home come August. However, what happens if a pupil/teacher does test positive for covid and the whole school is in, mixing at lunchtime, in the corridors etc - everyone has to isolate? I can see why the small bubbles would be easier to manage in the event of a positive case/cases.

Massive recruitment drive to make up teaching or TA shortfalls.

Yep, we can sort that in... checks calendar... 2 months.

Takes 3 months for DBS checks to come through.

Bin social distancing full stop, open up schools and all other businesses and get this country up and running. At least that would give it a chance to recover, because the way this is going, the vast majority of us are going to be badly screwed.

No social distancing at all in primary schools. Vulnerable school staff who need to shield be allowed to do so, otherwise no PPE.

So basically fuck teachers and teacher health then? Thanks, that's kind of you.

Bin social distancing full stop, open up schools and all other businesses and get this country up and running.

Katie Hopkins? You're here? How nice.

Send all children back to school. Full time school, especially for years 10 and 12. Also scrap the summer holidays, (I know this is unpopular), except for the last two weeks of August.

Maybe this could be the change we need to make all half terms two weeks and summer holidays two or three weeks only.

Good grief, how badly we must come across as a country!

It's sounding like the comments section from the Fail.

@pfrench looking for problems and not solutions..... I won't even bother with a response, it would be lost on you.

Send them back as normal. Teacher wear ppe and everyone encouraged to wash hand more often. We need to scrap the whole social distancing now and get on with our lives washing hand more and staying home if unwell.

Could I ask what happens to keyworker children in these part time scenarios?

I really think it’s not something that can be done as a national effort, it needs to be localised. Each school is totally different than the next. Some have been underfunded for decades and have been squeezing the pupils in whereas others have loads of space. If individual schools can do it, let them get on with it, those that can’t need to borrow space from another source, eg church hall, youth club, empty office building. It all costs money though.

The government needs to preach the social distancing requirement, they can’t be seen to be dropping the ball now, but even now there’s little sign of it in our supermarkets or on the streets. Since we were allowed to meet up outside with people outside our household, younger people are back to normal with their friends. They aren’t even attempting to socially distance themselves.

Perhaps even trying to rearrange schools, throw excessive amounts of money at the problem, etc is a waste of time. (Although I wish it weren’t).

Good hand hygiene, frequent cleaning, testing and an increase of LSAs in the classroom to keep children apart as far as possible is probably as good as it can get.

So basically fuck teachers and teacher health then? so workers in any other industry are fine to go back, mixing amongst people in age brackets that are known to be more infectious but those working with children, the lowest risk factor for even spreading covid aren’t fine?!

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Out of interest, who here's ready to scrap social distancing altogether? I’m happy to say no mass gatherings eg. Concerts, football matches, protests ... queuing outside Aldi seems utterly pointless. We all know to jump out the way on a pavement, we all know to sanitise our hands and meet outside where possible, let people work from home if they can - otherwise back to normal!

This. Agree with it 100%.

Most of you don't know how schools work, and certainly haven't got the foggiest in terms of how much trouble teacher recruitment and retention is already in.

No one is 'coming back to teach from retirement', no on is 'trained but currently not teaching', no one is a willing 'recently left, will return'. No one.

Part of the problem is the way society see us, and the way society see education. As demonstrated almost by the minute in these threads on this board. So many of you are atrocious people, no wonder we have had a massive increase in challenging behaviour in schools over the last 10 years.

Get to the park and sort out some socialisation of your kids. Take it in turns with other parents in your kids classes to run some outdoor lessons (it's easy, right? we're all being told to teach in playgrounds) while you have some respite (poor diddums) and/or get some work done. Sort out your own bubbles, sort out your own routines. Fuck sake.

Schools need to open without social distancing. All years back in September. Vulnerable as shielding to stay home and self isolate if ant symptoms. PPE if staff want it. Children need to be at school.

Kids don’t spread it
Bit schools have to isolate bubbles if anyone shows symptoms - so if they don’t spread it why not leave them in school?

If kids can’t spread it to adults, why bother with social distancing?

Why not have Covid Play dates? Bit like the old chicken pox parties? It’s safe after all.

I'm SLT in a two form entry primary school. We could open up to all of year 6, year 1, reception and nursery and when we offered this to parents only about 25%have taken us up on it. Unlike some other schools we have space as we used to be three form entry before the rolls fell a few years ago. If parents have the choice then numbers may continue to be low until the government says that attendance is compulsory again.

It's not appropriate for teaching staff to wear PPE because children need to see our faces and you can keep a reasonable distance from the older ones. Also as pp said there would never be enough of it and government know they can barely scrape enough together for the NHS.

so workers in any other industry are fine to go back

I haven't said anything at all about any other industry. Not my business. That's up to your unions to sort out. Same as it's up to our unions to look after our safety.

Adults understand social distancing, adults can be told to back off without anyone crying, adults can work from home, adults can wear masks in confined spaces, adults can understand how this is supposed to work, adults don't usually lick each other's faces, or spit at someone telling them what to do... and on and on.

All children back to school on split am/pm basis. Or just back to a school with an end to this nonsense.

Part of the problem is the way society see us, and the way society see education not at all! People are demanding schools to reopen because
1- majority realise we can’t teach our children
2 - we see the detrimental effect it’s having on our children’s mental health!

Teachers are now viewed as incredibly important, what they aren’t seen as is special!

I would like them to keep the numbers in school small. Keep social distancing in schools. Protect the adult staff. Reduce transmission from schools to the community.

Improve online learning with some sort of national scheme.

All until a vaccine or treatment is found.

Send them back as normal. More emphasis on hand washing; hand gel available and encouraged to be used. Vulnerable teachers and children excused and shielded.

Risk for people under 60 is minimal. Missing a year of schooling would be devastating for a generation.

Local suggestions- so if schools in London are all open, full time to everyone, you think parents in for example Liverpool will tolerate having their kids home for an extra couple of months because their “R” is higher? How local is local? How does that work with exams?