Is there a schools petition anywhere yet?

[WhoahThereCrazyHorse]

Just wondering if anyone has seen one in circulation anywhere that they can link to? And if not, would you sign one?

Suggested wording (but please suggest any additions)

Our children are being failed. They are missing out on an education because of the government's lack of planning and understanding of the challenges facing schools during coronavirus. Thousands of children are suffering damage to mental health due to the lack of social interaction that is a vital part of school life, and vulnerable children are in danger.

This government urgently needs to revise guidelines and make return to school for all year groups compulsory from September. It must provide the emergency funding required for extra teachers, and the help to provide temporary buildings if social distancing rules mean that schools need more space. It must recognise that children's education is a key priority and work urgently to resolve this crisis.

Thoughts?

Just to clarify, I'm talking from September.

I still think it can be done, my school is well resourced, the majority of TAs are well qualified and capable of teaching a bubble of 15 children. I think they would be happy to step up for a term or so. The ones I have been in touch with have been feeling quite impotent sat at home, as unlike the teaching staff they are not setting work, making the well-being calls etc.

Maybe only have schools open 4 days per week?

I don't know 🤷🏻‍♀️ maybe I'm clutching at straws, I just desperately want to find a way through this.

I think they overall point is, teachers seem quite negative. It’s all full of ‘it can’t be done’ and rarely do I read a thread where a teacher actually has an idea or solution. I mean, like you said, you know best! So how about you do some thinking. Most other industries have had to make changes and got on with it. It only seems to be schools that are stalling. Despite many people coming up with ideas, they are always told why it wouldn’t work rather than suggesting what will work.

Fab - Sorry, not an argumentative question, I genuinely don't know the answer as it's years since I've been in a primary school, but do primary schools really have a lot of TA's? Teaching staff of 100 in my school and maybe 7 TAs, all allocated as 1:1 support so can't be used as anything else.

You cannot homeschool and work full time from home - you end up failing as a parent and an employee. The number of people with the virus and those dying of it is continuing to fall. We are going to have to learn to live with the virus and have proper lives.

All school year groups need to return full time in September. There is talk of reducing the 2m restrictions so the class bubbles need not apply.

Most other industries have had to make changes and got on with it.

We've made massive changes on-site and learnt new technology to teach remotely. Some of us have had to buy that technology ourselves. Teaching for me now looks nothing like it did pre-pandemic.

With the current government guidelines there is only so far creative thinking can get you. The suggestions we're saying don't work are the equivalent of the magical mumsnet chicken that will magically feed a family of four for a whole week.

Don't forget the government threw massive amounts of money at NHS and no new money for schools.

@Beawillalwaysbetopdog

I appreciate we are lucky, there is a TA in every class at our school. We do have an above average SEND population as well as an extremely high PP rate which funds this.

Social distancing for children needs to be scrapped. It's the only way schools will be able to function properly.

I think they overall point is, teachers seem quite negative. It’s all full of ‘it can’t be done’ and rarely do I read a thread where a teacher actually has an idea or solution. I mean, like you said, you know best!

Possibly the teacher says it can't be done because, er...it can't be done.:o

Why would anyone trust a government that does this:

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jun/13/schools-and-councils-in-england-not-consulted-over-summer-catch-up

Or this:

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jun/12/headteachers-berate-non-stop-guidance-changes-for-englands-schools

Schools know what needs to be done:

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jun/12/we-need-ppe-schools-on-what-is-stopping-them-reopening

Teachers at our school have been amazing. Some are juggling doing some onsite care for key worker children as well as creating learning for those at home. Shifting to remote learning was a massive change and they did that whilst managing whatever changes were happening in terms of their need to look after their own children as well as putting themselves at risk of catching it. I have nothing but respect for all of the staff at our school. They have been awesome. They have recently said what the return plans will be in a couple of weeks. Great communication. Sensible plan based on government guidelines. Awesome. I was in awe of teachers before but now Even more so. Let’s just trust schools to do what they can when they can. They will want to do the best thing for kids - balanced with the best thing for us all - just like us.

It's not about teachers being negative. It's teachers being realistic and knowing that you can't solve a colossal problem with a simple solution. If there was an easy way to solve this then it would have been sorted by now. The fact is that without money from the government nothing much can be done. To use free spaces (halls, libraries etc) costs money. To have more teachers costs money. To give an increased workload to TAs costs money. To have summer schools costs money. To have nightingale schools costs money. Everything costs money. Schools do not have the money to fund anything extra.

Expecting TAs to work a teacher's job for no extra pay is unfair on a group of people who are currently paid appallingly. Expecting retired teachers and ex teachers to come back to sort this out is unfair, and presumably this would be on a voluntary basis anyway seeing as there is no money for schools to pay for extra staff.

And with all due respect, this isn't for teachers or parents to solve. People discussing this on mumsnet aren't going to be asked to solve this situation. The government aren't even prepared to discuss this with school staff. They could solve the problem if they wanted to by coming up with a reasonable plan and funding it from start to finish. They are choosing not to do that.

Muffey Quite!

Why can private schools put on lessons. They have the money to buy the resources they need. Parents have the money to provide each of their children with laptops and internet access and anything else each one of their children need.
The state sector is not so fortunate many parents do not have the money to do this and very many teachers are using their own laptops, internet and phones to teach and keep in contact with students from home - schools do not have the money, and like the NHS have been in this underfunded situation for very many years. Schools cannot go back to normal and keep within the government guidelines which at the end of the day are there for the safety of each child and member of staff, without the huge amount of additional resources needed to achieve this enterprise.

I hear the frustration of parents on MN and applaud the ones that try to come up with solutions as opposed to demanding schools reopen with little regard of the risk involved. Teachers on this site are simply trying to relay the complexity of the very many layers involved in teaching, they are not deliberately trying to be negative or obstructive as some seem to believe.
I would not willingly send my child into a place which I knew could potentially harm them and likewise would not take on the responsibility of another child if I thought it could potentially put them or their family in harms way. School has to be a safe place for all, just like shops, pubs and offices. Imho, our children deserve nothing less.

As Muffey says the government aren't even prepared to discuss this with school staff. They could solve the problem if they wanted to by coming up with a reasonable plan and funding it from start to finish. They are choosing not to do that.

I do not know one teacher being negative about a return; we are meeting (online!) every few days trying to come up with solutions. We have solved most logistical problems if we are somewhat part time using every available space including meeting rooms and offices and havinf every PE lesson outside. We are a massive secondary with 6th form, and we have over 120 teaching staff and 11 TAs, so staff is an issue and we cannot just get them like the NHS; most NHS staff came from other departments! Most of the TAs work in our HUB for ASD students. We can't recruit as so few people apply to work at our school, we have constant 'long term supply' who leave after a few weeks.

We have honestly discussed getting parents in, because that is our only option if we solve the space problem.

And I say we, but I, along with a lot of staff, leave this summer.

I think most teachers are in agreement. There are a minority that are pure lazy twats ...who are always known about in school. Then there are the teaching union who are just out of touch and don't care less about kids.

But "It must provide the emergency funding required for extra teachers"

Where are the extra teachers going to come from unless there is a magical way to entice the 30% who dropped out in the first couple of years..and are probably ones better off not doing it as they are usually either useless or found working with some of the lazy/useless ones so frustrating they went off and had better paid careers

None of the elements to the solution in that Guardian article covers provision for shielded pupils.

It's a bit shit to leave them out altogether. The isolated, vulnerable medically and increasingly at risk mentally and really need to feel part of the community even if they cannot go onsite for a while.

Out of sight must never mean out of mind.

The number of people who don't understand the purpose of unions are astounding. They aren't there for the children, they are there to represent and protect their members...teaching staff. And they aren't the barrier for schools going back or not. The government are.

I have always thought the best way to solve the problem with lack of space on schools would be to use empty community buildings as classrooms until it is deemed safe by the powers that be for all kids to be back at school. In the small town I live we have 3 churches, a community centre, village hall, scout hut, a library and possibly others that I'm not aware of. Why not use these as classrooms? Some larger towns will have even larger buildings like theatres and cinemas that could be used. Another poster rubbished the suggestion of using pop up classrooms saying what about white boards etc. Well parents are expected to teach at home with no equipment provided whatsoever and that seems to be acceptable. Also we don't need whiteboards to teach. We could go back to using blackboards or even use flip charts if there are going to be no more than 15 in a class. Businesses might even lend them flip charts as they won't be holding many meetings in the foreseeable future I imagine. I know this solution isn't ideal but in my mind it's far better than expecting parents to home school on a long term basis.

If there has to be a maximum of 15 in a class, where are the extra teachers going to come from?

Like someone else suggested, the TA takes the other 15 to do the more fun activities like arts, crafts etc whilst the teacher teachers core subject like maths, English etc. Even if kids aren't in school full time, if using community buildings allow them to go back part time, it's better than nothing.

That should say whilst the teacher teaches

Also, just another thought, maybe we could look at using volunteers to help out. Between now and Sept we could carry out the necessary police checks.

If TA’s are having sole responsibility for a class, I assume they will be paid a teacher’s salary? Aren’t many TA’s responsible for children who need 1:1?

If Schools are not back properly in September then rather than petitions perhaps every child/ parent should go to the school gates anyway on day 1 and start a different set of protests?

"I still think it can be done, my school is well resourced, the majority of TAs are well qualified and capable of teaching a bubble of 15 children. I think they would be happy to step up for a term or so. The ones I have been in touch with have been feeling quite impotent sat at home, as unlike the teaching staff they are not setting work, making the well-being calls etc."
Those people suggesting that TAs take over teacher's duties....do you realize how much TAs are paid in comparison to what teachers are paid?? The TAs might be qualified, and many even have degrees, but if they had wanted to be teachers, surely they would have trained to become teachers instead for a much higher salary?

Well parents are expected to teach at home with no equipment provided whatsoever and that seems to be acceptable. Also we don't need whiteboards to teach. We could go back to using blackboards or even use flip charts if there are going to be no more than 15 in a class.

Where do we get double the staff and double the amount of community spaces? Plus chairs, desks etc? That's a lot of extra money the government need to stump up.

If I'm teaching my child I can sit next to them and write anything I need to explain on a piece of paper. No equipment needed. They can have their textbook open on their laptop. I can see any mistakes they make and help correct them.

If I'm in a church hall with a flipchart, I would have to write incredibly big for the children at the back to see. I could maybe write one sentence on each sheet. I can't use textbooks as we don't have enough and they cost £20-30 each. I can't use worksheets as I'm not allowed to photocopy anymore due to budget cuts. I can't do any group work because the kids have to stay in their seats. I can't go and see what they've written and help correct their mistakes.

I would never argue that online teaching is as good as normal face to face teaching. But online they can watch a video of me explaining it in a similar way to normal, they can have access to their online textbook if they need it. They can email me questions and I can answer them. They can email me their work and I can comment on it and suggest improvements. If they need something explaining further I can make a second video explaining what they're stuck on in a different way. I'd argue this is better than me in a church hall and is infinitely better than some random person dragged off the street with no previous experience stuck in a church hall with these kids.

Also, how does this work at secondary? Do they get one teacher and therefore one subject a day?