Are the unions going to kick off about back to school in September?

[Flippetydip]

Is there going to be a big hoo ha from the unions about the "everyone back to school at full capacity" announcement from the PM today?

Any teachers on here care to give a view?

And as teachers there is nothing we can do,

As our school recently communicated do not send emails to us about it, write to your MP. I’d say the same. It’s a numbers game and the more the better.

Emoji but people need to do something otherwise are when the current year 12’s ask in years to come why their life options are so much more limited then others are we just going to say that society didn’t care enough about them to do anything?

And yes I have written to my MP, the Education Secretary, the PM and my County Council - none have replied. I have also written to my children’s school (and some individual teachers who have been beyond amazing to thank them.

*but people need to do something otherwise are when the current year 12’s ask in years to come why their life options are so much more limited then others are we just going to say that society the Tory government didn’t care enough about them to do anything?

Fixed that for you.

Kitty,

Write to your MP, and to the DfE, and to the Education minister (exactly as teachers, heads and unions are doing).

Teachers and heads (who care deeply about the children in their care) can do nothing without timely direction - and funding - from the Government, so lobby the Government.

cantkeep as I’ve said I’ve written to all these people (many weeks ago).

Everyone’s just saying their hands are tied - it’ll be too late at this rate - yes great for future years but that doesn’t make it any better ...

As a teacher, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want to go back. I’ve never worked so hard, and mentally exhausted. I think some have the view we’ve sat doing not very much - I’ve been in school most days. But in a school of almost 2000 students, I am very anxious

The NHS are urging people to get in contact with any issue even though they're exhausted and it will increase their risk again. I just don't see the same in the education sector.

I suppose this makes a change from the 'how dare you tell us to contact schools' responses that have been prevalent here.

@DomDoesWotHeWants was that really necessary? Using my child (and others their age) to take a swipe at the government? This isn’t about point scoring and the more time people spend doing this the less time there is to find a solution for these young people.

I have only ever voted labour fyi.

And Dom you fixed nothing for me just came across as smug and not very caring - hope that helps!

The reason I see what the NHS is doing is because there is a big campaign to encourage people to use their services.

I don't see the same from the education sector. I don't see the public encouragement from the sector to send kids back to school. Maybe I am wrong and there is a targeted campaign aimed at vulnerable families telling them it's beneficial.

This isn't a knock at teachers but lots and lots of parents are saying they've had no direct contact from their school.

Being aggressive when people raise concerns is not helping these kids.

Kitty, the Government's hands are not tied - unless they choose to tie them, or make an excuse that 'someone else' is tying them [not true, but a convenient excuse].

So continue to lobby them.

It is a bit melodramatic to talk about 'life options being limited' and hand wringing about telling young people that society/Tory government didn't care enough about them.

None of us know what the future will look like. Life options eg travelling abroad, HE in a shrinking sector, jobs in a recession will be limited, not because no-one cares but because there has been a global pandemic.

I really feel for young people, but it's ridiculous to say that no-one cares. Teaching staff are often the ONLY people who care about the future of many young people. They're not 'advising' people to get in contact if they need help, they're the ones who have been contacting isolated and vulnerable families, organising food drops, referring to food banks and god knows what else.

That the world is a hostile place to many young people, that vulnerable families and those in lower socioeconomic groups will be the most disadvantaged by whatever happens, and that much of the education system is too rigid, centralised and test driven to be fit for purpose in the modern world isn't news to teachers.

And yes, the more people writing to MPs, the Boy Gav and anyone else who actually has some influence and power in this situation (hint, it's not teachers) the better.

I don't see the public encouragement from the sector to send kids back to school.

That is because the Government has given us conditions that mean we CANNOT (however much we want to) invite all children back into school.

I know no school which has not worked extremely hard to get all those who CAN come in to do so (especially primary). But we cannot encourage Y2-Y5 in, because the Government's priorities and conditions mean that we have no space for them.

@averysuitablegirli don’t think it’s melodramatic year 12 have lost a minimum of 25% of school time for their A levels and it will be a hell of a lot more by the time anything is sorted out. They are supposed to take exams which are hinted will be different but nobody has suggested how they may be different. Yes of course there is a pandemic but year 12 stand to be far more affected and yes their life choices will be more heavily affected if they leave school with less education/ qualifications- tgat is fact not hand wringing.

I know year 12’s who are dropping subjects/ courses because of the disruption to their education and as a result will not be able to follow their chosen paths.

Helloitsmemargaret there's a pretty big 'campaign' to let parents/carers know that schools are back for some year groupsl.

You might have noticed that the PM /Ed Secretary have spoken about it, that it's been all over media and social media outlets.

In addition, individual schools have contacted their families with information about safety procedures, bubbles, new protocols.

And yes you're right that there has and will be a lot of individual work with individual families that you nor anyone else outside of that family and school knows about.

Just one teeny example of this from personal experience... during the first couple of weeks of lock down a friend of mine with children in the school had a psychotic breakdown. She has an acrimonious relationship with the children's father (who lives nearby) and they were at breaking point.

The children's father phoned the school counsellor, who cycled up from his home, took the two children to the park for a few hours to enable the parents to have some sort of discussion, and organised for one child to attend school full time and the other remain at home (which she wanted).

The counsellor also liaised with social services (they had an allocated social worker) and the crisis team. He has remained available on the phone for the father.

You won't have heard about that. But his timely and thoughtful interventions meant that my friend has had the appropriate mental health support at home and wasn't sectioned, the family has coped during lock down, both children have received some education and both parents felt supported.

So this 'schools aren't doing anything' and 'no-one cares' rhetoric is dishonest and snide and REALLY unhelpful to the children.

KittyMcKitty it is melodramatic hand-wringing.

It's not clear what will happen with public exams, FE, HE etc. But what is clear is that it will have the same winners and losers as the education system has always had.

Children from supportive, well resourced homes will by and large be fine, those from less advantaged backgrounds will be more disadvantaged than ever. Not because they decided to drop an 'A' level but because being out of the structure of school with no support from home will mean that lots never return as they're already caught up in county lines and other terrible lifestyles.

Everyone involved in HE will be profoundly affected. Universities will lose departments, there will be massive cuts/fee increases, lots of now first years will never return, young people graduating will struggle even more to find employment.

It's awful for these young people, but young people change their mind, drop 'A' levels, drop out of university, change courses all the time.

It's important that us older folk help them develop resilience and a sense of making the most of what options they do have, rather than melodramatic proclamations about 'having to tell them that no-one cared'.

If you look back at the paths/options for young people even over the 20th century, they changed dramatically especially for women. Improving mid to late 20th century, then worsening again.

For every teacher on here, can you honestly say that all vulnerable children are in school?

Course not. But ‘vulnerable’ is an all encompassing term and not every vulnerable child needs to be in school because of a difficult home situation. I can think of a blind child I teach, for example, who is technically vulnerable but comes from a very middle class, loving home with a SAHM and a dad in a £100k job. She doesn’t need to be in school. Mum can meet her needs and support her education.

@averysuitablegirl I'm not talking about those year groups I'm talking about the vulnerable children who could have been in school at any point and who haven't been.

kitty , did you see my post from earlier : it might have got lost in a sea of other posts. I was hopeful you'd find it reassuring?

@averysuitablegirl fine I’m a melodramatic hand wringer then but I came from a family who got out of a history of low aspirations/ achievement through education and it worries me greatly.

I’ve spent 3 months putting a positive spin on things for my year 10 & 12 children who are increasingly isolated and worried.

Hellogoditsmemargaret and I gave you some examples of what schools have been doing to get those children into school.

Which will be just a continuation of the work that they do with these families as standard, but without the stick of accelerating absences to the LA.

@Piggywaspushed yes just read it thank you. I know it’s hard for teachers and I do appreciate them.

I think the wheels have just well and truly come off our cart here. 3 months of cheerleading have taken their toll on me (plus my income has disappeared totally - contract work!), my year 10 is in melt down with exams and my year 12 scared and uncommunicative. The year 10 has a day in school next week which should lift spirits.

I’m sure this week is just a bad week and hopefully things will seem brighter soon!

Me too Kitty plus missing all of what is now Y11 and half of my 'A' level teaching due to illness and being in hospital.

Yes we're all working hard to put a positive spin on things for our children. It's really overwhelming and daunting living in so much uncertainty. I often wonder whether all my worry about my children's future will turn out have been pointless as human life will come to an end soon.

But envisaging a future scenario when we have to tell our young people that 'nobody cared' is pretty melodramatic (and not true for either your children or mine).

I do think you have definitely got it tough there with a year 10 and a year 12, and the information black hole we have all been left with. You do have my sympathies.

I can only quote Julian of Norwich, which someone once told me to recite when feeling bleak:

'And all shall be well. All manner of things shall be well'