Why can’t schools...?

[Howsaboutwejust]

Why can’t Primary schools just take 30 per bubble? They could eat packed lunches in classrooms and not mix with other bubbles. Where toilets are an issue one year group use the boys and one year group the girls (this would work in my school because two classes share one set of toilets). If they need more toilets then surely some kind of portaloo wouldn’t be too hard to organise?
And why can’t secondary schools (for years 7 & 8 at least) teach children in their register groups. Work as in year 6 where one teacher teaches the whole curriculum. I realise that would take some planning and reading up on different subjects, but surely at the level of year 7 & 8 it would be do-able?
If only Boris would say full classes can be together then all this would be fixed. I know that it would mean mixing more households but with siblings in different bubbles as it is now lots more than 15 households are mixing.

Well, yes, you’re right... most primary schools could take all children back if bubbles were 30.

I imagine this will be the case in September. But for whatever reason, the government have chosen not to do that yet. They obviously feel some social distancing / smaller groups is still needed for safety.

If only Boris would say full classes can be together then all this would be fixed.

If only there wasn't a deadly virus.

That would be my prediction for September.

I realise that would take some planning and reading up on different subjects, but surely at the level of year 7 & 8 it would be do-able?

Yeah. That’s all we do. A bit of reading before we teach anything. Ffs.

After spending the last few months locked down, mixing only with immediate family, would you really be happy with your child mixing with 29 other children, and by default 29 other families?

The government will have to say that social distancing is no longer required in schools first. Schools are just following government orders currently.
But yes I think that that what will happen come September. For older students with options there will be great difficulties in sorting it out without disadvantaging them.

Hahaha 😂 😂 😂 😂 really????

Oh and if the teachers are allowed to wear masks then theoretically they could move class for their specialist subject.

It would take quite a while for a teacher to 'read up' on all subject areas in a secondary school in order to teach them properly. I'm sure teachers don't want to be working throughout their (unpaid) summer holidays having to plan for this.

To op not the other posters

I once did an exchange to a German school (secondary) and rather than the children move around the school to different classrooms, the teachers moved! It was so much more efficient 😂 no dawdling between lessons etc, the class had time to go to the toilet, grab a drink, have a chat as one teacher left & they waited for the next. We did move for lessons where none portable equipment was needed such as gas taps, art supplies & computers. But about 60% of lessons were taught in one classroom!

I mean, it doesn’t stop teachers going between bubbles but it limits the amount of moving of masses of teenagers in school corridors where distancing will be impossible?!

I'd be fairly comfortable teaching KS3 maths and in fact I have done so for lower ability. Couldn't teach music or languages or art though however much reading up I did! English history and geography I reckon I could read up for at KS3 level.
But you can't expect all teachers to be able to teach all subjects at secondary. That's why we have specialisms.

After spending the last few months locked down, mixing only with immediate family, would you really be happy with your child mixing with 29 other children, and by default 29 other families?

Yes, I would. I have no problem with that at all. We need to start mixing again if school is to get back to normal.

Totally happy to be mixing with 29 other families. Would do it tomorrow to be honest.

@Nix32 - yes! My daughter is already doing this at nursery. She attends Mon, Tues & Thursday. Around 10 children in each day. Different kids on different days as not many attend full time. Her best pals attend on Mon, Tues & Wednesday and the other Tues, Thursday & Friday! So she’s in contact with a kids mixing across all 5 days from those two alone!

There’ll be thousands more across the country in nurseries mixing with different kids on different days. I think it’s fine, so my DD has gone back. If you don’t, don’t send them! Decision is a personal one.

Education is so bloody important. We cannot fail our kids for a virus that barely affects them

What about the teaching staff it may affect?

I love the bit about secondary school teachers reading up on other subjects😂

I think teaching subjects outside specialism require a bit more than a little reading. I wouldn't have a clue how to teach English effectively, I haven't studied it myself since I did my GCSEs a long time ago - primary teachers train across all subjects - my training was just science and I can teach maths. Also if I was teaching a KS3 bubble who would teach my A level subject?

@Bol87 your child’s nursery should have ensured the total bubble size is not more than 16! So even though it’s different people on some days the total number of families is 16.

In regard to schools going back in bubbles of 30! Yes I’m sure we will get there at some point, but for now I’d settle with being able to make a bubble with my another household within my family!

Much more sensible for kids to stay in the same room and then teachers to move around

Teachers at secondary school would not be able to teach subjects like sciences very well that they didn't study themselves

Also, teachers & pupils should be allowed to wear PPE if they wish - this is allowed in Germany, where I live and has reassured many to come in to school.

Yep I would be totally happy with my child being in a class with 29 other children. Honestly this is getting ridiculous now, children need education for gods sake and the government are doing nothing. Remember when Boris said getting schools open was a big part of easing lockdown? It’s a fucking joke!

And why can’t secondary schools (for years 7 & 8 at least) teach children in their register groups. Work as in year 6 where one teacher teaches the whole curriculum. I realise that would take some planning and reading up on different subjects, but surely at the level of year 7 & 8 it would be do-able?

So you're expecting teachers who may have dropped a subject themselves in Year 9 (which even for the youngest teachers will be approaching a decade ago), or have never studied it at all, to teach it to Year 8s?!

Personally, I haven't studied geography, physics, music, woodwork, metalwork, food tech, textiles or art for thirty years. I've also never studed Spanish or computing/IT. It would take more than "a bit of planning and reading up" to be able to teach all those subjects with any degree of competence to a class of 13/14-year-olds.

😂😂😂

@UnaCorda year 8 are 12/13 for starters but yes I see your point about the Spanish thing.

Could it perhaps work with a narrowed down curriculum then? English maths and science? PE? History and geography?

Surely if in primary a teacher can be expected to move from EYFS to year 6 which have totally different curriculums, then secondary teachers, to help in a global crisis, could manage to make something temporarily workable.

I just want to say I don’t mean to belittle anybody’s teaching here. Or to undervalue what secondary teachers are doing. I’m fairly sure that the year 4 teacher in my school who is now teaching the other half of my nursery class isn’t confident in what she’s doing and isn’t doing it to the standard that an experienced EYFS teacher would do. But it’s ok, it’s ok because it’s what’s necessary in this awful situation.