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?

Allow secondary schools to reopen normally without social distancing. Some teachers diverted to overseeing virtual learning for any students who can’t attend in person.

Lots of hand washing, strict 14 day isolation for anyone with symptoms.

I’d compromise anything else to have schools open.

Send year 6 home and get a year that actually needs to be in school in. CHannel 4 tonight had a film of year 6s colouring in pictures of waterbottles - WTF - theose kids have nothing planned now except the loss of plays etc to mark the end of primary school

Getting year 10 and 12 in full time as they are the ones who really need it.

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

Exactly. There was no learning going on for them it was about bloody childcare to the detriment of older students.

One of my sons friends is asking if they can come here for a few days/weeks. Simply because they are fed up hearing about their younger sibling. They are hearing their parents constantly complain about it because they can fend for themselves.

I can see me having a house full of neglected teens as this rate. It’s okay coming on here unless they know your user names, on your sm etc. How do you think this group are feeling?

Years 9-12 are the ones who will be expected to be there to pay it all back and a slap in the face about the fan education those younger got. Simply because they are younger.

I’m a teacher in Scotland, we’re preparing for most pupils 2 days a week come August. Going to be a nightmare. I would send them all back, test teachers weekly.

Allow secondary schools to reopen normally without social distancing. Some teachers diverted to overseeing virtual learning for any students who can’t attend in person

Who teaches their classes?

I know this sounds “negative” but unfortunately there is no magic wand. Schools are large and complex operations and there is no spare capacity within them.

The only logical reason that all priority is on year 6 is because when they start year 7. The curriculum will have changed.

@sweetkitty
Scotland aren't even managing to test everyone in hospital who is symptomatic, how on earth do you suggest that manage to test all teachers on that basis.

Blimey Astounded by the comments on this thread. Yes, the govt has fucked up massively and their messaging/communication is appalling but wow! 90+% of the posters on here seem to have no appreciation of the severity and complexity of the situation. Listen to the experts - the scientists, the education professionals. Getting children back into school is a top priority - if it was safe, they'd do it.

@Lilypond2 I agree wholeheartedly

@Mascotte thank you for that comment as you clearly haven’t read what I’ve said at all!

It is indeed a shit situation. The options are basically:

1. Just send them all back with no precautions. Hope/pretend that there’s no risk to adults from children, even when the “children” are 6ft tall with deep voices and beards.
2. Wait until it’s “safe”.
3. Implement some kind of part-time compromise, which schools have worked really hard to achieve but seems to satisfy no-one.

I want the government to have a plan.

And put children 1st. They are the forgotten generation in this pandemic.

@pennylane83 what was gradual about 3 year groups in the first instance and then making a decision to have absolutely everyone back full time less than 3 weeks later (to achieve the ‘ambition’ of all primary pupils getting a month in school)?

How hard were the government really trying to achieve this when they set out guidelines which said: 15 (ie half a class) to each bubble, full time only no rotas therefore meaning nearly every state primary school in the country would run out of rooms and teachers long before every year group could come back.

They didn’t consult actual teachers / leaders / unions in advance... if they had many of the safety concerns could have been thrashed out pre-announcement and just maybe someone would have pointed out that the plans would never work as is.

Children aren’t away from school because of teachers and unions. This failure is all on the government and their poorly constructed, often late, frequently changing guidance and (lack of) planning.

Glad to read some sense at last Cupoftea!

@loulouljh

Make a plan to re-open. Communicate that plan. Have "a can do" rather than a "cannot do" attitude. Be innovative. Use alternative space. Teach online in the interim. Make an effort. Value the kids. Just that really.

What sort of airy-fairy bollocks is that?

Normal school, no social distancing. PPE for staff if they want it. Stay home if have a cough or fever.

you could add temp taken at the gate (too many parents here would send them in) and other things like no assemblies, hand sanitizers or hand washing stations, and ask as many parents as possible to drive kids in, rather than use school buses etc

You can also vary it by area. Our area is pretty much clear. But I have years 7, 10 and 12 with no sign of going back.

I am really concerned about my older kids and exams.

I am a teacher and a mother of Yr 9 twins.

I think schools should re-open. Fully. And without social distancing. My DTDs are in a state at home. And they're motivated, academic kids. Their school is doing a good job, but they are so miserable.

I have been teaching full time on zoom (I only teach 6th form) and my students have had enough. We're back in next week, but only small group.

It's ridiculous. There is less chance of a child dying from this than from that same child dying in a car accident on the way to work.

Statistically, teachers are no more at risk than anyone. The "teachers will die" is histrionics and unnecessary. I agree with the pp who said that at every stage, any plan to re-open schools has been blocked by unions and some teachers who are enjoying not having to go in (I know it's not all but I have a lot of friends who are teachers and I am completely sick of their Facebook/Twitter/Instagram posts of walks in the middle of the day, online exercise classes at 10am, baking in the afternoon etc etc. You are being paid to do your job. Not to do those other things)

Our children are suffering in many many ways. It's not fashionable to say it, but their generation is suffering to save the older generation and that's not fair.

The government won't open schools though because they don't want the fight. They also don't want to admit that they have been wrong to keep things closed for so long. It would take a very impressive politician to admit that they don't know enough about the virus and that their initial plans were, perhaps, the wrong way to manage it.

Scrap social distancing for kids

you could add temp taken at the gate (too many parents here would send them in)

If they dosed them up with Calpol before breakfast, I’m not sure what good taking temps would do.

The calpol dosing to hide a temperature happens a lot normally, btw.

If our town anything to go by kids meeting up in large groups no social distancing. I think let the kids get on with it but protect the teachers and staff. That will be much easier than blended learning and split days .

@Opendraw

If our town anything to go by kids meeting up in large groups no social distancing. I think let the kids get on with it but protect the teachers and staff. That will be much easier than blended learning and split days .

But surely you can't protect teachers and staff if you "let the kids get on with it." If the kids spread the virus amongst themselves, it will obviously put the staff at higher risk. And not just the staff, but the families, and others in the community by raising the R rate.

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

solid have you seen the statistics of who dies? The adults most at risk are unlikely to be still working in a school.

Let's stop rewriting the facts. The vast majority of us are low risk fo this disease. Protect those most at risk but let's also start thinking about the long term implications for the kids.

Schools being shut for over 5 months is devastating for many children. Yes for the vast majority it won't mean death, but for the vast majority of us adults, getting CV is not a death sentence.

I was thinking PPe and 2 m for staff from kids and each other and maybe screens at the teachers desk not sure. I thought they had decided kids weren’t huge transmitters. Of course and at risk teachers would be unable to come in . Suspect that’s going to be an issue anyway regardless how they do it if a lot of staff need to stay off.

Perhaps event the kids could wear masks.,I just think it’s an unrealistic solution social distancing in schools.

There’s other ways than calpol to mess with the temp readings.