WTAF schools...

[SoberCurious]

My friend who works for the DfE says they are planning for kids to go back to school in December 😭😭😭

Please sign

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/305525?fbclid=IwAR0CWpOwKJ7qHSNm2zqfgOawUT2bDsHlqpmh-byfYg0p64FceMBZ8YEUErw

Unless we make a stand children won’t be going back FT to school for a very long time. We need to organise a march for July.

I'd have jumped at the chance of being furloughed if I wasn't so invested in my job and the children at my school. I've been working pretty much non step since Feb 1/2 term and am absolutely shattered. I also worked during the holidays so I reckon I'm more than even in terms of 'owing' anything.

If I felt like society appreciated my job and the hours I've been putting in (and always have been actually) I'd have prob offered to work a week or so in the holiday for free. If I felt like the government acknowledged the years of underfunding schools and cramming our children into tiny buildings and offered money to facilitate pre fab buildings etc I think I would have also had a different attitude to my current one.

I largely ignored my own children during lockdown like others have done so I could work to support the pupils in my school. I didn't take up a key worker space incase there were other families that needed it more and only sent them back to school last Monday as their school was encouraging key workers to bring them in.

This summer I'm going to put my own children first and solely focus on them which means I won't be available to work.

Ha!...that petition...'children seem to get it less often and it is usually less serious than adults.' Such a strong convincing case.

I'm actually all for widening the opening of schools but that's hilarious phrasing.

@FrippEnos

Join ustothemuk on instagram

Sorry usforthemuk instagram

Thank you Marsha... like most people in education I care deeply about my students and work hard for them (including in holidays) hopefully by September they will scrap social distancing and we can get kids back into school! 🤞

I have to wonder how many people on here suggesting that teachers ‘owe hours back’ have benefited from the furlough scheme - earning 80% of a wage for doing absolutely nothing??

MrsWhites
I know that most teachers have worked ridiculously hard trying to support kids
and that the ones they most worry about are the ones they cannot reach
and that the damage Gove did still carries on
BUT
I also know that kids and their teachers are safer in school than outside it
and the schools should re open without the stupid 2m rules
without any further delay

@MrsWhites

I have to wonder how many people on here suggesting that teachers ‘owe hours back’ have benefited from the furlough scheme - earning 80% of a wage for doing absolutely nothing??

And what about all the librarians, museum staff, swimming pool staff? They are all employed by local councils. What are they all doing? I’m not seeing any comments along the lines of ‘my neighbour is a librarian and she has been in her garden for two hours today and been on a walk’. (Frankly I’m not fussed but I don’t see why teachers get singled out)

@FrippEnos not blaming teachers for there being no school for our kids for most of this whole year at all!

Firmly blaming this government!

@FrippEnos

BertNErnie

I agree

And as CallmeAngelina pointed out, Anybody that has been teaching for any amount of time is way above their hours.

I wonder if I should try and get remuneration for all of the weekends and holidays that I have worked over the years.

Don't forget to put in the expenses forms for all the pencils/glue sticks/cooking ingredients/"ooh, that would be great for helping teach xyz" things we have all bought out of our own pockets over the years :-)

[quote SoberCurious]@FrippEnos not blaming teachers for there being no school for our kids for most of this whole year at all![/quote]
Could have fooled me. You and everyone else who has started goady threads.
We are FED UP with it.

Blimey all the teacher bashing!

I don't blame teachers at all, from what I've seen they are doing a fantastic job in the circumstances and it must be hugely frustrating for them not being able to do more.

This isn't about teachers owing hours or having to repay money (WTF they have to support themselves!). The most important thing is getting children back to school. That's all I care about and I imagine most parents feel the same way.

As someone said above, if only half are willing to send their children back that's the answer.

@SaharaSarah

Government!!! Over here, we parents are getting twitchy. Let the kids back to school. For heavens sake. Part-time by all means but get on with it. It's the summer term, learning can take place outside with porta loos and gazebos.

Many, many kids will struggle to settle back into a school routine. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Create pupil bubbles, have small classes, 1-2 days a week. Hire additional cleaners, supplement with excellent Internet learning. Get on with it!!

Exactly @SaharaSarah totally agree 100%.

Teach in a gazebo? Have you SEEN the weather forecast for this week, for starters?

@CallmeAngelina have you not heard of forest schools? They teach outdoors all year round.

Just as an aside... has there been ANY additional resources/funding given to schools since 20 March?

I recall something about a fixed sum of money to pay for additional cleaning, but even that might not be true.

Schools have been run into the ground over the last 10 years or so. There isn't the slack, in terms of staffing or space, to be able to 'get on with it' and sail through a global pandemic.

Neither is there any leadership or coherence from the Education Secretary or anyone else in the cabinet for that matter.

I'm not a teacher and want children back, but am disgusted by some of the comments around teacher working hours and the suggestion they somehow 'owe' hours.

Unnecessary aggression directed at the wrong people and frankly demonstrating a massive level of stupidity, given 9m people are on furlough and a whole lot more civil servants and related services were suspended. Is there a rule I missed that all those people need to 'pay it back'?

If you want children back go bark at your MP.

have you not heard of forest schools? They teach outdoors all year round
Yes, but they aren't providing comprehensive mainstream primary education or following the national curriculum from 3-11, nor are they comrpsied of between 7-21 classes of 30 all on one site.

What next? Get Year 8 back in to study History and English. What do you mean you haven't got classroom space to socially distance? Have you heard of PE lessons? Those teachers teach outdoors year round. 🙄

Teacher here - I’d love to teach forest school.
I’d need some training from an expert, some equipment, a suitable bit of forest and transport to get kids in and out.
Not sure that there are currently many with the necessary experience in the UK. Maybe we could get those Danish outdoor learning types over to the UK to show us how it’s done.

Yes outdoors forest school. Perfect!
Where do we go to buy wellies and outdoor clothing oh that will be the shops that are shut.

How many vertices has this tree?

Yes I said from the start that being furloughed even on half pay would have been preferable to trying to work remotely at the same time as ‘home ed’ing my 2 very different children.

I think the people who are most up in arms about this whole disaster are teachers with their own children as they are seeing both sides of it and It’s not pretty.

I’m getting more despairing by the day.

I would happily work during the summer holidays. All the teachers I know are desperate to get back to normal.