Scottish teachers

[Motherwifesisterfriendwomen]

Apologies if this has been asked.
How do you all feel out the sudden change of plans a couple of days before term ? Do you all think it's best etc? Will you feel safe?. I've got dc and I'm unsure on feelings on the subject yet.

Only just noticed where I posted this

I'm pregnant and a little worried. Two of my colleagues were happy to return under the previous guidance (both have underlying health conditions and are slightly older) and they are now very very anxious. My main problem is that whilst it seems our cases are definitely going down, I am worried that there hasn't actually been much research to check this is okay. I understand we will play an important role in getting the economy back up and running and I'm proud and happy to play my part in that but I am concerned that there seems to be no guidance as of yet...

I think alot of us are going into it blindfolded tbh. Never know it changes all the time. Hope you have a well earned rest

How are Scottish schools different? Is it just in terms of timing (3 weeks earlier than England), or is the set up different?

I'm not happy at all. The timing of the sudden u-turn from JS makes it clear it isn't about medical evidence that it will be safe to be back with 100% attendance, it is a response to political and parental pressure - let's hope none of those parents come to rue they day they pushed for a full return in advance of scientific evidence to say it was safe. Not to mention that schools have been busily preparing for a blended return and those plans are now binned. I think returning part time for at least a few weeks would be easier on a lot of children too.

It’s not a blended return, it’s part time school.

JS was making a call on scientific evidence 10 weeks before school was due to return. The figures are getting better by the day and have been for a while. Let’s hope they continue but he should have, from the start, said that they were going for full time but with the back up of part time.

There are 472 people in hospital. 7 critical. 5 new cases yesterday and 2 deaths.

We cannot hold our kids education ransom over these numbers. Teachers can wear PPE. Kids in hubs aren’t social distancing.

Constant talk about school having to be safe. What about the kids at home that are not safe. Thousands have worked throughout this pandemic at much higher risk yet teachers have thrown the towel in and said it’s not safe and are up in arms about annual leave.

Let’s really hope we are back to school properly and the numbers continue to go down.

Can you explain in what way it's part time? If it was part time that would mean part time in school, nothing at home. Blended learning is a wanky phrase but refers to the fact that it would be part time in school, with other work set to do at home. They aren't the same.
I hope you're right that we can be back without an increase in the epidemic because frankly if you're wrong it will be a bloody nightmare.

Mighty Murphy I'd be interested in your views on the speed with which JS changed his mind, did the "evidence" have a massive change in the week he went from no full return for a year to full return in (now) 6 weeks? Nothing at all to do with political and parental pressure groups?

I think it does have to do with parental pressure - and rightly so tbh, my kids have been out of school with minimal support and to be saying 10 weeks before schools were due to go back that it wouldn’t be safe based on those numbers, without considering that those numbers would presumably improve over the coming weeks was ridiculous. I would have been happy with part time schooling as a contingency, with the assumption being that schools would go back full time unless there was a resurgence of the virus. I was deeply unhappy with the prospect of part time schooling indefinitely which is what was being presented to parents.

Children’s needs seem to have been at the very bottom of the list throughout from hub provision, to scant online learning to proposals for returning to school. To be clear, I’m wholly blaming the government for that, not individual teachers, it’s not been good enough.

I do feel infuriated for teaching staff who have worked hard to prepare for a part time return to school only to have the rug pulled at the last minute, but I think it’s the right decision.

Sorry for my possible ignorance here, I'm in England so not really followed what's going on in Scotland or Wales..... have scotland schools now been told they will open as normal in full at the start of the new school year in August ?

I wish people would stop comparing ‘kids in the hubs’ to regular school. In our hub we have had no more than 6 in a group with 1 or 2 adults per class. This is not the same as everyone back in 100%. We have had about a tenth of our usual staff in for one thing.

I’m sick of reading that teachers are asking for something special, only worried about leave, refusing to use their own pencils at home (yes seriously), won’t do anything, etc. I work in a big school. I’m yet to hear anyone complain about this. Yes people want the holiday situation addressed but most of us have already worked voluntarily during Easter and on May bank holidays without pay. Personally I do want my week back somewhere in the year as colleagues in other authorities are not impacted as they have not had their term dates altered.

There is nothing wrong with teachers asking questions around safety. I would like to know how we are managing sand and water play safely and how are we going to manage the gym and PE? Also, how am I going to see parents to have the dialogue we need to have without compromising them or me? What is going to happen if a staff member develops Covid? What if a pupil does? What happens if this happens I my child’s school? Do I then have to be off too and how does that impact the people I have been in close contact with? None of this means I am not willing to go back to school with my class, just that I would like some clarity around procedures.

It makes me mad that some people have not had the home learning experience that they should but that does not mean it was everyone’s experience. For the last 12 weeks I have been available to parents constantly online, recording teaching videos and messages setting work, giving feedback, ensuring challenge, supporting those who are stuck and everything else I would do I class except physically be there. Oh and like all the other parents, I have been trying to work full time and home school my own daughter.

Let’s hope we don’t need to resort to blended learning but if we do, I’m glad I will have the children with me for part of the week so can teach what they will be practising at home.

Yes jellycat, with the usual caveats that will only happen if safe blah blah (we are waitibg to find out what safe means in terms of r number etc) This is only possible because government has ruled no social distancing in schools. You still have to do it everywhere else, but schools are safe. Apparently.
Jellycat I don't agree with you (and have been working flat out with online work and hub provision, like all the teachers I know) but appreciate the balanced nature of your post compared to many I read on here
It's not ten weeks though, even when he said a year it would have been less than ten weeks to go. I feel sorry too for my HT and all others involved in writing the most complicated part time timetable in history, only to be told it was just a plan b.

Personally I do want my week back somewhere in the year as colleagues in other authorities are not impacted as they have not had their term dates altered.

I completely agree teachers need to know when they’ll have their annual leave paid back, and how they’ll be recompensed for working through holidays etc. No other employer would get away with unilaterally making changes to their employees terms and conditions, and while most workplaces have times when extra is needed, they also will balance that with additional pay, bonuses, time off in lieu etc to make sure staff are incentivised and motivated. At very least your contractual terms should be respected.

I also think it’s perfectly reasonable to know the safety measure than can be put in place (and what’s not possible) and to have an upfront conversation about how teachers go about their work. My frustration rests with the government - they have had 12 weeks of lockdown to put a clear plan with detailed guidance in place and yet planning for schools returning feels last minute and vague. I know teachers who have been working day and night to draw up guidance for their local authority while learning a completely new skill set in terms of distance learning. The government, knowing kids would need to go back at some point, should have been putting robust systems in place to support this, not leaving local authorities - and by consequence teachers - to make it work.

I think it’s wholly possible to both want children back in school and to recognise how shafted our teachers have been in this.

Thousands have worked throughout this pandemic at much higher risk yet teachers have thrown the towel

Ehhh? In what way have teachers thrown the towel in?

Constant talk about school having to be safe.

Yes, how negligent of them