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?

[Pipandmum]

Our private school is getting all junior years back from Monday full time (R,Y1 and 6 have been there since June 1). They have the space, and class sizes are smaller than state anyway. Senior school has different restrictions and as some years have multiple sets and students take different subjects its been harder to accommodate them. Y10 and 11 are doing one day a week each, mainly for hands on work like art and science.
But as pointed out, they didn't shut down - they stayed open all through, including Easter break, for about 40 key worker kids, and have provided full schedule of online learning for everyone else. Teachers have been great and the head amazing.

[TooGood2BeTrue]

Useruserusee Where are you? Here (Cambridgeshire) schools were closed between March and June for all year groups. Since halfterm R, Y1 and Y6 have been allowed back to some degree (our school for example has only been able to accommodate 2/3 of children in order to maintain SD).

[BigChocFrenzy]

venusTiger The number of excess deaths - deaths higher than the historical average - is a fact


The age group 10-39 would have comparivtively few deaths from COVID
The delay in registering some deaths of all ages just means some additional deaths will be added later

So over 64,000 excess deaths and increasing
The UK has among the highest number of excess deaths / million

.... but that doesn't change the economic facts:

Lockdown gave time to get deaths & cases under control and to build up systems of mass testing, track & trace,

but it was a once-only pause button, however well or incompetently the time was used

The economy can't stop, education can't stop, while everybody mourns this tragedy

[noblegiraffe]

It’s interesting, isn’t it, when the press reports on or this government discusses something that you have personal experience of, and you realise that it’s a bunch of bullshit.

And then you wonder whether it’s the same with everything they’re talking about that you don’t have experience of.

[BigChocFrenzy]

I'm sure the hope is that schools are going,
but there doesn't seem to be any Sept of Ed plan, or at least it hasn't been shared with anyone outside government

Merkel said german schools would be ft, but she also said that would only be if cases remain sufficiently low
Presumably / hopefully, that is the intention for the Uk as well re cases & deaths

German federal & local authorities schools had weeks of discussions & planning with all stakeholders before schools were opened pt on 4 May
and will certainly follow the same consultative process in planning ft schools after the vacation

BJ & Williamson needs to stop grandstanding and instead start genuine discussions with school heads & unions how to do this.

[BigChocFrenzy]

Also need to provide adequate budget for all the extra resources that these plans will require
e.g. staff for frequent deep cleans, support staff for shielded teachers, tech for shielded students ....

[VenusTiger]

@BigChocFrenzy why are you arguing with me? I've shared an article full of fact too - how is it that you're disputing the article from gov. website stipulating the excess deaths and how the UK records them with some apparent reasons (we know at this stage) and how for eg. Spain records deaths 'with', 'from' and 'not from' covid completely differently thus a different angle taken on it being categorised as "excess deaths" in the UK. It also says that for some age ranges the deaths figures are lower than over last five years fact like it not.

[Qasd]

I totally think that the narrative around schools ignores what is happening on the ground. Our school Is offering 20 percent to two of the three year groups and no meaningful education to anyone else yet the narrative is schools are “supporting home learning” and pupils “heading back to the classroom” it’s worrying because the educational impact is going to be far bigger than we realise because my primary school child has had no meaningful education since March yet my mum constantly asks how the non existent on line learning is going!

The reality is a lot worse than those not experiencing it realise and screwed by stories of zoom lessons etc when loads have a few twinkl worksheets and no feedback. The impact will be far more serious for a generation of children.

[UndertheCedartree]

It is annoying the propoganda to make people think all the school children have gone back. I keep getting asked if my DD has gone back (no, she is Y3!). But even among the years that have been allowed to go back they weren't all (or any) back on 1st June. Her school is a large 5 form entry Primary. So even just the years let back was 15 classes to sort plus Nursery. In the end Nursery and YR went back on the 10th. Y1 are going back tomorrow. They didn't think they could have Y6 back but now the guidelines have changed (for the umpteenth time!) so they can use a rota system they will be able to bring Y6 back - I think from 6th July.

All DC back in September is probably going to involve guidelines given at the last minute and constantly changing making it difficult for all planning and training to be done before September. I'm expecting a phased return and perhaps part time initially. Even if it is only part time I think my DD will be happy to be back with her friends!

[BigChocFrenzy]

venustiger Public health experts around the world, including UK public health and government ministers state that the number of excess deaths is the best measure of this pandemic

The ONS has given the total number of excess deaths above the historical average for the recent period, currently over 64,000

Nick Stripe of the ONS has tweeted several analyses of these excess deaths

I'm not sure what you are arguing about

• do you take issue with the ONS totals or analyses that the vast majority of excess deaths had COVID as a main or contributory factor ?

[BigChocFrenzy]

Excess deaths are taken as the best measure,
because regardless of how different countries classify the cause of death, comparing the excess in total deaths from all causes copes with different criteria for calling a death as being caused by COVID

i.e. it helps avoid the dispute of "from" or "with"

The difference in excess deaths and COVID deaths is an indication of how strictly each country is about classifying a death as being from COVID

e.g. Belgium has a v high official COVID toll, which is not much lower than their excess total deaths,
because they count people if a doctor even suspects COVID but hasn't tested,
whereas almost all other countries count only those confirmed by tests

e.g. in contrast, Germany counts a death as COVID if there is a positive test even if people were the victims of an accident or murder, but not without a test

[ProfessorRadcliffeEmerson]

YANBU. DD (year 5) won’t get the chance to go back till September. I would have sent her like a shot if it had been an option, I can see her mental health and motivation spiralling down. School doesn’t give a damn, and is even abandoning any pretence of sending work each week. I feel so angry and powerless.

[BigChocFrenzy]

During lockdown, there should have been specific standards, or at least aims, set for schools across the country by the Dept of Education / government

Schools that could not manage this should have had to state why in an official notification to the Dept of Ed & local authority,
e.g. high % of shielded teachers, lack of space, % of kids without adequate online access
and also stated the resources they would need to attain these standards

[noblegiraffe]

even abandoning any pretence of sending work each week

That’s not good.

www.thenational.academy/

www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize

Daily structured lessons.

[ohthegoats]

During lockdown, there should have been specific standards, or at least aims, set for schools across the country by the Dept of Education / government

Schools that could not manage this should have had to state why in an official notification to the Dept of Ed & local authority, e.g. high % of shielded teachers, lack of space, % of kids without adequate online access and also stated the resources they would need to attain these standards

Totally agree with that.

[ohthegoats]

the educational impact is going to be far bigger than we realise

impact will be far more serious for a generation of children

No, it just won't. Your child is what? 8 or 9. They'll be fine. It'll take a year, or 18 months to mop up for the vast, vast majority.

Meanwhile don't do Twinkl worksheets:

//www.thenational.academy/

I wish I could just link my school's lessons to half the people on here - you could support it by buying a workbook for maths for £2 from Amazon, and the rest only needs a piece of paper and a pencil. The Twinkl stuff just makes no sense to me at all - most people don't have printers.