I am sick of the press saying “schools are going back”

[Lemons1571]

Sorry it’s a bit of a rant. The vast majority of children are barred from returning to school regardless of whether they want to go or not. All this “year 10 are returning this week” - what, for half an hour on a Tuesday? Brilliant. That’s not “returning” by any means is it.

I’m also finding that adults who are not involved with the education system believe that most children have the option to go back, it’s the parents fears that are stopping them doing so. Doesn’t help at the briefings when the MP keeps “reassuring parents that it’s safe”, as if the option is there and it’s our fault for being too scared to take it up.

The press should be clearer “a few children have the option to go back but most are banned from returning” would be much more accurate.

To be clear, this is not teacher bashing, it’s a gripe against the government and press message.

Anyone else find this gets their goat?

Yes, I have the same rage with the line 'schools are reopening.' Most schools never shut. Like most headlines and soundbites, it's designed to inform badly.

The messaging around the whole thing has been appalling. Considering part of the reason that cabinet team (including SPADS), is because they are so brilliant at reading the public and getting the messaging right, they've done really badly.

Schools have never been closed.
90% of teachers have been working, some harder and for longer hours than normal.
Unions had next to no impact on what provision is now provided in any given school. Completely toothless.
Schools followed the guidance, it's the guidance that fucked up further opening after years N, R, 1 and 6, not schools or teachers or unions.
Schools were not given any guidance on how to provide learning for this term, initially we were told not to.
Ability of children to access learning is linked to poverty rather than all of the other things cited as reasons.
That so many children are living in poverty is the fault of the government.

But that's not what Gav says, it's not what the Daily Mail says either.

Well it’s our school that is doing this.

We are a very small private school which has only 10 or less children in the class. We’ve been told all the kids can go back ( junior) but it’s for two days a week and no academic work will be done only ‘enrichment play’. All educational work will still be done at home online. So basically they will babysit the kids for two days a week

The reasons they have give are -

1. The children that are having to stay at home because they or their parents are sheilding or are worried still need to have access to online work and the class teacher can not do both.

2. Some teachers are sheilding or in the vulnerable group.

Yet they still want full fees.

Wow. My (state) yr 6 is back full time and being taught, not just "enrichment" for which Im v grateful for.
Other years in the juniors arent though.

Yeah, in my own school and in my child's school, if they are back they are back properly in terms of learning. Same work as kids at home are doing, they have zoom chats with each other from the classroom.

This is why I never listen to the press.
You know they aren't going back until September and then it will probably be pt and half the class.
All you can do is wait and see, and of course stop reading and listening to propaganda news.

@PineappleUpsideDownCake

Wow. My (state) yr 6 is back full time and being taught, not just "enrichment" for which Im v grateful for. Other years in the juniors arent though.

I know. It’s a massive piss take.

yanbu

proofpoopsnagle Schools have been 'shut' though for most children? And even key workers' and vulnerable children who have been going throughout haven't been 'taught' as such since 23 March.

Afaik in the state sector no secondary school students outside y10 and y12 are in school at all, and y10 and y12 students are at best getting a handful of hours a week. So no, the schools aren’t back in any meaningful way. I’d guess something like 10% to 15% of pupils are in school for some hours each week.

It's not reasonable to say schools have been open, they've been closed to most pupils and some (eg secondaries with no key workers' children wanting to use it) have been entirely closed except to staff visiting presumably. If that's not closed I don't know what is. I agree it's outrageous that media and govt are both representing it as if schools weren't told to send children home and not teach them!

Of the four primary schools I know of near me (two state, two private), all pupils in all years have the option to come in (although some for only 2 days per week).

The secondary school children seem to have been completely forgotten about though.

News and press have been "getting my goat" for well over a year now OP. I can't be doing with them anymore, they lie by omission, ramp up BS, headlines don't correlate with articles, take for instance the covid death figures in UK, ppl still swallowing the media headlines and not reading the small print, words like "with covid" not "from covid" - it drives me insane!

If you were to look at my street, you would think I was the odd parent out not sending my children to school. But mine are the wrong age and not double keyworker parents (just one parent KW).

Opposite here. All schools are going back tomorrow (jersey).

People moaning because “what’s the point there’s three weeks left of term”

Glad it’s not just me that wants to scream at the bullshit “schools have never closed” line, exactly what % of secondary school pupils will have been in their school for more that 30min between March and September? I dread to think!!

Really hope that stat is released in Aug but doubt anyone will have the bottle to

@Carlottacoffee You need to find a different private school. My kids are back full time (year 2 and 5). It’s a more relaxed timetable - English and maths each day plus one other subject. The rest of the time they are outside as much as they can doing PE, dance, trips to the school farm etc. Those who remain at home (over 90% are back) can access the same academic timetable remotely. 16% fee reduction although there is no wrap around care which was included in the usual fees.

"with covid" not "from covid"

The UK had over 64,000 more deaths compared to the historical average over the last several years

They nearly all did die because of COVID, not some other mysterious cause

Instead of trying to pretend it didn't happen, we should accept that
the Uk can't afford to stay locked down

The economy must restart to pay for all this
kids can't afford to miss more education
parents can't afford to miss yet more time at their jobs - or they'll soon be unemployed and fat chance of findng another job

Don't deny facts;
just accept them and get back to as much normality as we can

"Schools have never been closed."
Actually a lot have. In our area, we had hubs open for keyworker kids, so whereas 7 closed, one was open.

Schools are totally closed and despite vetting degrees of effort from them equal access to education is completely restricted. Bollocks to pretend anything else.
I'm sure teachers have been tying themselves in knots trying to produce work but distance learning with no actual teaching is ridiculous for 12 year olds etc.
My Y10 has one hour a week and that is it. In uniform of course so wedging his feet into tiny school shoes for the hour. It will be three hours 'since they went back and until the end of term'
The others (different years) nothing.

Vetting = varying

Boris saying its safe to send our children back and urging us to do so.........chance would be a fine thing! Many want to send their dc back but are being told by schools we can't.
The message that its safe from government and the actual practicality from school is very different.

Clearly getting schools back open fully Is very complex for various reasons, were all frustrated because the fact is no one knows what's happening now or going to happen.

@BigChocFrenzy I found this v.interesting as it's not as simple as your graph shows...

Both the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 excess death rates are highest in the 90 years and over age group and decrease rapidly as age decreases, indicating that the major causes of non-COVID-19 excess deaths are ones that have an effect that increases strongly with age. The COVID-19 death rate also increases with age.

Non-COVID-19 deaths are generally below the five-year average for younger age groups from Week 12 (week ending 20 March 2020), particularly those aged 10 to 39 years. However, deaths at these ages are often in circumstances that require a coroner's inquest to determine the cause, which means that registration is typically several months after the date of death. In 2018, 44.6% ofdeaths of people aged 5 to 34 yearswere due to causes where themedian registration delaywas 22.5 weeks or longer. These causes are suicide and injury or poisoning of undetermined intent, accidental poisoning, land transport accidents, and homicide and probable homicide.

There is therefore a delay in seeing an impact of any changes in registrations resulting from these causes, and recent pressures on registering deaths could mean that there is an increased delay. It is not possible to discern whether fewer deaths have occurred in the most recent weeks for the age groups 10 to 39 years until sufficient time has elapsed for deaths due to these causes to be registered, and they can be analysed based on date of occurrence rather than date of registration.

More graphs and details here:

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/analysisofdeathregistrationsnotinvolvingcoronaviruscovid19englandandwales28december2019to1may2020/technicalannex

[quote BunsyGirl]@Carlottacoffee You need to find a different private school. My kids are back full time (year 2 and 5). It’s a more relaxed timetable - English and maths each day plus one other subject. The rest of the time they are outside as much as they can doing PE, dance, trips to the school farm etc. Those who remain at home (over 90% are back) can access the same academic timetable remotely. 16% fee reduction although there is no wrap around care which was included in the usual fees.[/quote]
Currently doing zoom walk around with prospective schools for September

For a lot of children it is parents not sending them back. We are open for all eligible year groups but less than 20% have returned.

We are now opening for Y5 and Y2 but the uptake is even lower. I don’t think Mumsnet reflects the wider population on this issue.