School re-opening under threat

[jomartin281271]

Headline in the London Evening Standard today that this new surge could threaten re-opening of schools. I'm not surprised. The government know that it's not safe to open schools under their current guidance. Cramming children, teachers and admin staff into those tiny spaces could cause a catastrophe. I feel sorry for teachers. Most of them are really committed to the job and their lives are being put at risk. Scary times.
www.standard.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-second-wave-schools-september-a4511516.html

This is what annoys me. If it was acknowledged that we might face disruptions, we could have spent the summer realistically preparing for them. I have about 2 weeks of work to do over the next month, producing resources to support a full return. I'll be pretty pissed off if having spent a good proportion of my holidays doing that, I am then placed in the position of supplying substandard distance learning at ten seconds notice for a second time around. We had ample time to prepare for a really high quality blended learning regime this winter, and in my opinion, we wasted it.

Do NOT come complaining to me if your child's learning is substandard this Autumn. (I don't know who I'm aiming that at really, it's just a scatter gun rant!)

I am not at all surprised and am holding off from purchasing school uniforms at the moment as a precaution. I think they need to get organised sooner with this, so kids can at least do half school / half home learning if nothing else.

I totally agree, nellodee. What have the D of E been doing for the last six months? Were they furloughed while the schools were closed during lockdown? They could make things easier all round if those parents who were able to have their children at home were allowed to do so, and parents who needed to get to work sent their children in. This might reduce the amount of kids at school by half and allow for social distancing. The D of E have no imagination. Why haven't they set up a decent online platform for the parents who want to educate their children at home?

Well informed one am not surprised!

And YY to using the time to sort out the blended learning approach rather than assume all back then providing panic resources when, surprise!, they are not!

I wondered why you were moaning about the Duke of Edinburgh for a good minute OP. I am very tired, in my defense

The Duke of Edinburgh would sort those idiots out in no time.

@NightSpot

Well informed one am not surprised!

And YY to using the time to sort out the blended learning approach rather than assume all back then providing panic resources when, surprise!, they are not!

I for one.. apologies for typos!!

I honestly don’t think schools will remain open for very long anyway with the complete lack of any Covid secure measures being put into place.

The huge issue with this is that many offices are now expecting staff back in from September (at least a few days a week). If schools don't go back the whole pack of cards falls down (mainly for women).

So how am I supposed to earn a living? Teachers won't lose their jobs if schools close, I will.

That is the point. All of this time wasted while online learning could've been set up. Let those that can have them at home do just that. It will reduce the number in the building making it safer for those who need to be there.

I don't understand how anyone thinks schools stand a chance of being prepared when there is still so much uncertainty.

I feel desperately sorry for teachers - as we see on here all the time, they will be the ones taking the bashing when things don't go the way parents expect them to and schools have to keep adapting.

Quite frankly, my already far far behind year 11 would be better off having a year off and going to college to take Maths and English when he's a bit more mature and able to cope with the disruption. I know that's not completely true and I do say it tongue in cheek but I fear his GCSE results will be terrible and that is really going to affect his self esteem.

I assumed schools would close within a matter of weeks if the government didn't mandate smaller class sizes and masks, but even I didn't think they wouldn't re-open at all.

As others have said, it shows a lack of imagination and preparation.

HT over the road is braced for closing almost as soon as they open.

As my DD is going into the exam year I'm really concerned about this coming school year, the teachers have worked so hard last term to provide a good as education as they can for her and the DofE seem to have taken an approach which will let down both pupils and teachers. They (the DofE) could have used this summer and last term to really put in place a world class distance learning system for pupils and OFQUAL could have made decisions about the A levels and GCSEs next summer so all involved knew exactly what the plan was.

Of course that all needs money and the government have zero interest in putting money into state education. They've made that grand announcement about pay rises for teachers but haven't given schools the additional budget to pay for it.

I voted for this goverment but I feel they are putting all their eggs in one basket without having a Plan B for schools

I posted this on a thread in AIBU about mask wearing:

“I’m still amazed that some parents are opposed to a strategy that could help keep schools OPEN.

Yes, there’s lots of guidance but the suggestions for a safe environment is ‘where possible’. I can hand in heart say in my school, that it is isn’t. I will not be able to stay 1m away from your children, actually not children, adolescents and adults (11-18). Your children will be shoulder to shoulder with each other all day due to the rows (better hope they’re at the end near the door!).

The only thing that can keep me safe is the ‘guidance’ and I will follow their isolation procedures very carefully so instead of soldiering in through the various colds and bugs I pick up I will isolate when I get the start of those symptoms. My colleagues will do the same. Your child will end up with a lack of educational continuity.

We can’t SD in secondary schools, we can’t implement regular hand washing, but we could wear masks.”

And today a HT in NI spoke of his fears of school closures:

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-53578636?intlink_from_url=www.bbc.co.uk/news/education&link_location=live-reporting-story" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-53578636?intlink_from_url=www.bbc.co.uk/news/education&link_location=live-reporting-story

I worry for the mental health of women and children if schools are closed again. To suggest that those who can have their children at home do is grossly unfair, all children need to be back in some kind of educational establishment.

Why the government is not doing whatever is in their power to arrange this over the summer Is infuriating. They need to work with schools to find solutions instead of giving crappy ‘guidance’.

@nellodee

This is what annoys me. If it was acknowledged that we might face disruptions, we could have spent the summer realistically preparing for them. I have about 2 weeks of work to do over the next month, producing resources to support a full return. I'll be pretty pissed off if having spent a good proportion of my holidays doing that, I am then placed in the position of supplying substandard distance learning at ten seconds notice for a second time around. We had ample time to prepare for a really high quality blended learning regime this winter, and in my opinion, we wasted it.

Do NOT come complaining to me if your child's learning is substandard this Autumn. (I don't know who I'm aiming that at really, it's just a scatter gun rant!)

Exactly this. The government should have looked at what was happening in America and other countries in April. Plans were put in place in many US states for schools to be closed for the whole of 2020, and for distance learning to be provided, along with access to computers for all children, for the remainder of the year.

It's going to be another last-minute scramble to put bodged measures in place because the people in charge lacked foresight (or the courage) to face the reality of the situation. Parents, teachers, and most importantly, children are the ones who lose out as a result.

I hope the blame lies at the door of the government when this all goes spectacularly wrong and not at the schools or unions who have said that the dfe have not put in enough measures to keep schools open.
Unless they do have a plan b ??

Agree @pe

I really think my exam classes would do much better if they were in regularly (morning's only, or half the week, or similar) and we could properly socially distance AND wear masks - and then we would stand half a chance of not have all the teachers off sick, and having to have the exam classes away for longer. Or having non specialist supply. If they can find supply willing to cover a Covid teacher that is....
Surely most parents can see that actually trying to keep the teachers from catching it is the best chance of a consistent education this term?

I know the government are desperate for everyone to go back to work, but they should be asking the parents and teachers what they think. Lots of parents need to go to work and the schools could stay open for them. Where the government are getting it wrong is not listening to the parents who are happy to educate their children at home. If they set up a decent online education system that could be monitored remotely by teachers who have had to self-isolate, it could mean that only half the usual amount of children will be at school. This would make it much safer for teachers and the children who were at school.

Honestly I do not understand it.

We have known since March that a second lockdown/ school closure etc is possible. Why hasn't it been planned for?

Why haven't the government explored teaching particularly secondary school children in alternative buildings - church halls, community centres, leisure centres. Where SD CAN happen? Why hasn't it been suggested that primary schools move in to secondary buildings for the space (and secondary children do a more blended learning approach in the above mentioned other buildings). Why isn't their a massive incentive scheme to get teachers who have left the profession back in to teaching to plug the gaps?

Or are the government hoping loads of people will lose or quit their jobs due to lack of childcare. Because school (particularly primary school) is a large part of child care.

Plan B is to blame the nasty teachers and the unions. Some on MN have fallen for that one already.