What is the point of one day of school a week?

[Wishforanishwishdiash]

Wales just announced primary bubbles of 8, and confirms the leaked reports from teachers unions that have been dribbling out for weeks. The leaks have said that 25% of students will attend over four days each week, with a day for cleaning and teachers to sort the online learning. Of course, each school will be a bit different, but this is the general plan.

It seems everyone loses. The teachers have to teach in person and sort on-line learning. The kids won't learn much in a day a week and we all know home schooling is variable. The really vulnerable kids won't make it in only one day a week when they get to stay home and play xbox the other six days. We all take a small amount of risk for barely any gain.

The WG seem to want their cake (open schools) and eat it too (appease unions and the terrified public)

If the day is for kids to be social and see their friends, I would like to hear more about socially distanced social options for kids. Well being isn't just school, and the school plan seems like a lot of work for very little gain. I'd be happier with really good home learning and some youth clubs instead of one day of school with the continued mediocre offering of home learning (and I am grateful for what teachers have done, but we all know it isn't what you'd choose).

never mind the childcare issues, but that seems too much for one thread

Social interaction. That’s the point.

It would allow teachers to assess progress and set and tailor work for the rest of the week and offer a chance to see friends.

Both far better than nothing.

The children in Wales years 2,3,4,5 are getting more than those in England, but less than they would of full time (obv)

I'd rather see the Welsh situation in England. I think you are lucky OP.

At our local primary in Wales they are splitting the classes into 3 groups, but they haven't decided if it'll be in every 3rd day or if each group with do 2 days at a time or what yet. My yr1 daughter's class is already split on 3 groups for work at times and thankfully her best friend is in her group too. It's ashame it won't be very much but better than nothing esp from the social point of view.

In England. My year six is in for two days per week. I think he is getting a better education for those two days with only four returned in his bubble than before lockdown with thirty children in the class. A good percentage who had problems behaving.

My other child would love to go back to school. And if we could I would I would send her back in.

Educationally this will be better than purely remote learning. It gives a chance for the teacher to see students face to face, and in a small group so they can have more individual attention. As well as teaching, they can set out clear expectations for what they would like the students to do at home. They can also regularly evaluate how much each student is taking in and adjust structure and pace to support them. It allows teachers to start to actually teach again. Presenting and explaining new information is the easy bit and can be done online via millions of excellent educational videos and PowerPoints etc that are already in existence. The really core bit of teaching is the 'exchange' between the teacher and student where students are supported to progress in their learning. This bit is extremely hard to do remotely.

I'm also in Scotland and hoping for 2 days a week from August 11. I have no idea how I'm going to manage with the home schooling. I'm absolutely shattered with everything.

It would be a life line to my only child who hasn't had any meaningful contact with another child for 3 months!

What I wouldn't give for one day a week. And I'm not talking about for my benefit. The impact of such limited social contact and lack of 'normal' on my DC has been huge. It's a real struggle to deal with the effects on mood and behaviour. They would benefit hugely.

I teach secondary and we are having year 10 and 12 back for one morning a week. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing. we don’t have space or staff for more than this as we still need staff to cover the key worker children group and to teach the live lessons to other students at home.

Other socially different options come from the social bubbles, meeting other households at a beach/park etc.

Schools will eventually return to normal. But we haven't got rid of CV. We've simply lowered numbers in the community. We need them much lower before we go back to more contact.

Feb and March showed us how fast transmission happens with constant close contact.

Possibly I'm cynical, but the main point would appear to me to be the government being able to say that schools are indeed open so they can move on to something else in the daily briefings - and tell people to get back to work (ignoring how impossible that still is for people).

But yes, 1 day is better than zero. You'd hope for more though, surely.