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?

I think we can all agree SD isn't happening. Especially amongst young people. We can longer justify preventing all children being in school full time, when beaches are packed, teenagers are out shopping (not SD) and pubs are serving.

I just said on another thread. Now is the time for unions to grow a pair.

Why are teachers and school staff less worthy of protection than everyone else? Either all Social Distancing is scrapped altogether or it applies to everyone.

Teachers should not allow themselves to be trampled on in Johnson's rush to regain some popularity and credibility.

He should also remember that popularity and schools is a tightrope , given parental clamour to close them in March and now to open them again from some parents. The stats actually suggest it's still an unpopular move.

He must be feeling the pressure to proclaim again that they will be open by a certain date.

Open to all students that is.

Well it's 3 months away so why not see what the situation is a bit closer to the time

Yes, although given the number of u-turns he has made - all pupils being back before the end of summer term, FSM over the summer - it could all change.

I remember seeing Wilshaw's article about how years 10 and 12 would have to repeat the whole year just after the Easter holidays when they had missed a whole two weeks.

It was obvious then that the right were squaring up for a head to head with the teaching unions.

I - naively - find it staggering that the govt don't meet with the unions before they make these public announcements and that teaching staff find out the DfE's plans via the telly at the same time as the rest of the country.

Hip - the bubble in secondary is the whole year group, to reflect that different children take different options and are in different sets for some subjects.

Can't see how that works for lunch and loos.

If bubbles have to eat at different times that means at a 11-18 school lunch would be spread across 3 and a half hours! (Assuming 20 minutes to wolf lunch down and 10 minutes clean in between)

I don’t know what the solution is but I think it’s unfair that teachers will still get paid if they refuse to go in to work whilst parents are losing their businesses and jobs because they can’t get to work. And the majority of those losing out will be women.

The Gov need to start looking at hiring large places like sports halls, theatres ect.. to get these kids back full time. If PPE is needed let them have it - hell I don’t care if they want to turn up in a black bin bag!

Carottacoffee if teachers 'refuse to go in' they will be subject to the usual absence disciplinary procedures.

It is NOT teacher's fault that parents are struggling with childcare.

Hip - the bubble in secondary is the whole year group, to reflect that different children take different options and are in different sets for some subjects.

Yes, I realise that’s what’s meant. But it’s bonkers to pretend that would work. How big can a bubble get before it bursts?

I agree there has to be a level of planning but surely there has to be some flexibility aswell. Making rigid plans now for a situation that could be completely different surely isn't ideal.

The ideas being thrown around by the government now regarding Ppe and social distancing is causing issues and everyone's up in arms about it and then if they make no plans people are demanding a plan I don't think they can do right for doing wrong

I don’t know what the solution is but I think it’s unfair that teachers will still get paid if they refuse to go in to work

What are you talking about? Of course teachers won’t get paid if they refuse to go to work! Just like anyone else

It might be 3 months away but the schools need to release their plans now.

To do so would be futile : there is no guidance yet.

teaching staff find out the DfE's plans via the telly at the same time as the rest of the country.

Well, now there are no telly briefings, God knows how anyone will know anything!!

@averysuitablegirl

Carottacoffee if teachers 'refuse to go in' they will be subject to the usual absence disciplinary procedures.

It is NOT teacher's fault that parents are struggling with childcare.

I hate that phrase and it’s used so glibly. The government insist that your children go to school. Which creates jobs for teachers. No kids in school - no need for teachers. With out kids teachers wouldn’t have jobs.

With out kids teachers wouldn’t have jobs.

Is this the new “we pay your wages”?

@carottacoffee

Teachers are not refusing to go in.

It’s not new to lockdown that teachers find out what’s going on in education from the news. My first experience of this was watching Ed Balls scrap Y9 SATs on the news and then having to go and teach Y9 who asked me what was going on expecting me to know!

that teaching staff find out the DfE's plans via the telly at the same time as the rest of the country

Apparently we can't be trusted not to blab. Like Johnson himself.

From what I understand from multiple MN threads over lockdown, without teachers, parents wouldn’t have jobs. Can’t look after your kids and go to the office, apparently.

@noblegiraffe

Spot on!

If there weren't ever any children, teachers finding jobs would be entirely irrelevant. And the human race would not exist. Otherwise, fab argument.

School will be closing every other week with bubbles that big.

Typical stupidity from this shower.