1600 paediatricians have written to the prime minister

[havefunpeleton]

Demanding schools reopen or risk scarring a generation. Reported in Times today.

I am hoping this will be the push needed to ensure this madness ends and all our children can go back to school full time in September.

flippety - shit! thanks for flagging it up that this was an abnormal situation it had totally passed me by. There is a massive difference between experiencing a challenging situation and a level of discomfort and unease and being damaged for life. I am not saying that this is easy for anyone, I am saying that it is gross exaggeration to suggest we will have a 'lost generation' of children who are 'damaged' for the rest of their lives because they didn't go to school for a few months

But catastrophising about circumstances doesn't help anyone.

I don't think your use of the word 'catastrophising' is at all appropriate or fair. Ask any child psychologist or counsellor working with children the stories they hear at work. Abuse is quite literally catastrophic and it is far more widespread than many are prepared to contemplate. Hopefully many many children are ok for not being in school and many more who aren't ok will bounce back and be absolutely fine when life does get back to normal. My concern is for the ones who are not ok, who are being harmed at home. They deserve to have people fighting for them even on anonymous Internet forums. They are generally so let down and forgotten. There are masses of them out there. I am so sick of how little action is taken to support them generally and it's even worse because of the pandemic.

Teachers could teach in masks.

My 7 year old got a photocopied folder week of 17th March. No school since, no phone call, nil else, hoping she will be back 2 days a week in September, but this hasn't been confirmed. My 12 year old got work from secondary school via google classroom, not much but at least it is looked at and comments made.

I am not at all convinced they all have "never stopped working" DomDoesWotHeWants or want to go back.

I work FT. I have been employing a teacher from another primary school to tutor 2 hours a week. Also have another primary school teacher who does childcare for us.
My children are lucky, they are not going to miss out on education and I take all reasonable steps for their benefit. I feel awkward typing this but it is to point out that these people are free BECAUSE THEY ARE MOSTLY OFF WORK.

I am aware all children don't parents with time or resources, never mind the families that are struggling (or not coping) in many ways without school and I am really glad the paediatricians have made this statement.

@lemonsandlimes123

weeping - with a 12 14 and 16 year old it shouldn't be rocket science for them to engage with learning and social interactions independently. If they can't do that you have got bigger problems than covid.

and that clearly demonstrates your absolute ignorance on child and adolescent mental health, well being and deveolpmental needs. So I guess we never needed secondary schools after all. Great let's do away with them then (although since dh is a secondary school teacher that would be bad news for us , but all for the greater good hey!)I rest my case!

I have a step son who is doing a btec in child care at a college. He has two more assignments to do before end of term. These. Go towards his final mark next summer. The college has told him not to bother doing it as they will not be marked. He has no virtual lessons and now no course/homework. What are the teachers doing at his college for the next 4 weeks? These are 17 year olds with nothing to do now. Problem is 17 year olds don’t want their parents complaining to their school.

The government do not have a coherent plan to get all children back in school. The teaching unions have had sod all to do with it. They are merely trying to protect their members, the job that we pay them for. Don’t fall for the gaslighting of BJ and his cronies. They want you to blame teachers and unions and Kier Starmer for keeping schools shut. It’s not true.

When a store worker in Tesco gets tested positive for Covid they don’t close the store. Colleagues are told to get themselves tested too and then return to work if negative. Why are schools closing of a teacher tests positive?

Those who think children will be back full time in normal sized classes really are living in cloud cuckoo land. Please don't plan for that, you will be in a mess, come September.

Schools here have carpenters etc booked to make alterations necessary for social distancing and teachers are being told to plan for part time in school and distance learning.

That's how it's going to be - unless there's a vaccine.

The government need to get this sorted.
It makes no sense the vast differences between schools with some open to all the years advised, some only taking one year group etc and the varying quality of remote work sent home . The government are in charge and need to take charge as at the moment it seems like no one knows what to do and what is going to happen with schools .

First France, now Northern Ireland changing to 1m (schools) think this might change things hopefully

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-53098017

DS2 is in year six and this week has returned to school, mornings only. There are no afternoon sessions and no other year groups in and very, very few dc are accessing keyworker space. The school could offer afternoons to y1/ reception as asked by the government but are saying they cannot due to safety. I did ask them what they felt would be unsafe and what they would need to feel it was safe but they have chosen not to reply, which makes it hard for me to judge whether or not I am in support of them.

I am really tired of any disagreement with the extreme caution with which many schools and their staff have responded to being urged to reopen being cast as teacher bashing in an attempt to silence people. I understand the guidance from the government has been appalling and ever changing, I still think the school I have experience of dealing with has not done very well at all.

Most schools don't close if there is a positive case, the impacted bubble will need to self isolate. That is one of the purposes of the bubble.

Some schools had to close early on as they had so many teachers isolating that they didn't have enough staff to be open.

@Coffeeandbeans

When a store worker in Tesco gets tested positive for Covid they don’t close the store. Colleagues are told to get themselves tested too and then return to work if negative. Why are schools closing of a teacher tests positive?

Schools aren’t closing if a teacher or student tests positive, the bubble that is affected isolates at home. That’s the point of bubbles, and the reason why you’re not supposed to let your kids go out to play with their mates with no social distancing who aren’t in that bubble. Also, if a teacher tests positive they isolate but there is no one else to teach that class so the children can’t come in to school - pretty sure there’s someone else to fill the supermarket shelf.

In a letter to school principals, Education Minister Peter Weir said the 1m guidance between children is to be followed as far as possible within the confines of the physical capacity of each classroom, but using the guidance should allow full classes to attend

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-53068658

Furlough will start to be wound down in August, closed by the end of October. How are parents going to work if schools aren’t back full time? Families will start to loose their homes. Children will be made homeless

I didn't think the schools go back until late August in Northern Ireland. It also states that 1m applies to children but not adults, so assume adults will need to keep 2m away from the pupils.

In an interview, Katharine Birbalsingh from the Michaela Community School, said the following, regarding the lockdown and the disadvantage gap between children and the issues with remote learning. Now, you may not agree with her, but her viewpoint should certainly at least be heard (on a thread like this anyway):

”Lots of our families won’t necessarily be able to support them with their work at home. Some of the parents are engaged and some parents aren’t; some of them have had terrible school experiences themselves. Some of them don’t recognise what education can do for you. . Some of them just want the kids to look after the grandparents. Some of the have 5 or 6 children in the house and aren’t able to look after them and frankly are quite happy for them to sit all day on their phones.”

It is then perhaps surprising then, that Birbalsingh thinks concerns around a widening disadvantage gap have been overblown.

”What bothers me is the myth that we’ve got in our heads that everything was brilliant before and now everything is a disaster. I know all these Zoom lessons are happening in private schools but that doesn’t mean real learning is going on. I know kids. I don’t care if you are rich, I know those kids trying to get away with doing as little as possible because that’s what kids do.

Kids from more challenging backgrounds have a more challenging life. That has always been the case. I’m not sure coronavirus changes it that much. Children will go back to what they used to be doing and that’s what worries me.

It’s not schools being shut right now.
What are are children going to be doing for the next three years. What are they going to be doing for the next ten years? Because the way we catch these kids up is not to go back to more of the same.

I'd be very interested to see the full contents of this letter as D.C. is under umpteen paediatricians and we have had numerous telephone consultations during lockdown and they've all given me the impression that school is not advisable for some time yet.disclaimer DC has full time supervision so perhaps this is why

My year 10 has got back from one of her 2 days in state school this term. They were told they fully expect the whole school back in September.

Praying she heard correctly.🙏Her head is fab and always on it with everything so if she did hear correctly it’s encouraging.

@doubleshotespresso

I'd be very interested to see the full contents of this letter as D.C. is under umpteen paediatricians and we have had numerous telephone consultations during lockdown and they've all given me the impression that school is not advisable for some time yet.disclaimer DC has full time supervision so perhaps this is why

you can read it here: www.rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2020-06/open_letter_re_schools_reopening_2020-06-17.pdf

The government tried to get kids back to school before summer holidays and they had pushback from unions and teachers. A number of councils even refused to open to reception and Y1 children on 1st June. People posting on SM about how teachers would die as a result of schools re-opening. We are now only over 2 weeks later and the same people who moaned about the government re-opening schools are now complaining that they are not open. I just give up. Of course kids will have to go back but people also have to accept that there will be a risk while COVID is around and as most schools cannot build extra classrooms kids will still be in classes of 30. I would have happily sent my back as normal on 1st of June.

😂😂some of you need to get a sense of irony. And something productive to do. How the hell do you have the time to post so much on here during the day !! Thought everyone was sooo busy working they couldn't help their own kids. Weird.
Right now to mark today's work. See you in a few hours.

The government tried to get kids back to school before summer holidays and they had pushback from unions and teachers.

Evidence? Because I think what actually happened and what you think happened are two very different things.

Of course kids will have to go back but people also have to accept that there will be a risk while COVID is around and as most schools cannot build extra classrooms kids will still be in classes of 30.

I very much doubt that. That isn't what's being planned. Unless there is no social distancing anywhere then it will still apply in schools. Why wouldn't it?

It isn't just about keeping children and school staff as safe as possible it's about preventing the spread in the wider community.

@Coffeeandbeans

When a store worker in Tesco gets tested positive for Covid they don’t close the store. Colleagues are told to get themselves tested too and then return to work if negative. Why are schools closing of a teacher tests positive?

Schools aren't closing. The teacher's bubble, and any other staff they were in close contact with, are quarantined. That's the point of the bubbles.