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

I don't have a class now, I cover classes in primary. The majority of teachers at my school have already been in school during the holidays for the last 5 days. I know this as I drive past regularly and the car park has been nearly full.

They will be peed off if they suddenly have to change to online learning having prepared for a full class to come back. No notice will be given, I'm sure. We want to be teaching. But I doubt we'll get to October half term without significant outbreaks and closures.

[quote mrshoho]@TheHoneyBadger that's how I understand it too although once the second positive is confirmed it is still not the school's decision to close. This is when PHE gets involved and the school takes their lead from them.[/quote]
Yes that’s what now seems to be emerging. I reckon mobile testing unit will come as happened in Leicester. It’s as if they want to let it spread for as long as possible.

Comment again what funding? Or are you suggesting making all school staff redundant and selling the building to hand over billions to private tutoring company tycoons? Boris has already given them a huge back gander but won’t pay for soap in schools.

I thought the government said no part time opening of schools? It would make so much more sense if they did. Kids in school 2 or 3 days a week, more space in classrooms, more space in lunch hall, new work being set by their actual teachers, online submission of homework and online marking.

Agree with education being prioritised above everything else in September - pubs, holidays, etc,
Education should be prioritised now. It'll be too late in September once cases have already risen, and schools will be set up to open and then close again - with the maximum disruption to parents and children.

Hang on a minute - we have teachers on this thread (well, at least me), saying we are prepared to teach half the kids one week, full time, half the kids the other, full time, and then on top of that, also provide complimentary off site learning for the other week, and the response is, "Let's privatise the education system to get better value out of it?"

yes oak academy is food but there should be competition introduced. I think people are underestimating how much funding would be available if you didnt pay teachers' wages to be honest.

@oldbagface I’m sorry, you (& other parents) should not have to make that difficult choice. Boris is so good with his chirpy bluster and his enthusiastic sound bites but the reality is far different to what is pledged.

You maybe right. I read an interview on BBC news today with a sound woman jetting off on holiday. She said ‘I’m entitled to’. If everyone has the same view then we will see numbers increase. We have seen in Leicester that local lockdowns are possible so it’s not scaremongering to suggest schools will close too if they’re in an area with a resurgence.

Good luck with your decision.

3750 per pupil if parents got the monry direct is that 3.5 hrs 1:1 tution a week.

It’s just sheer malice nello. Pay it no mind. Though we’d probably have smaller groups, more money and better working conditions if they sacked us then we set up online schools and we’d be able to take term time holidays

You are totally right. I know a few teachers who have left, moved into private tuition and made good money. That was before Covid. We should form an online Mumsnet tuition school with all the disillusioned (but obviously really bloody good) teachers who have met on the teacher bashing threads on here.

@nellodee I'm up for that

It's not actually a bad idea!

Funding would be £130/week for primary aged child, £170/week secondary. Free access to Oak academy and other public services, plus the ability to buy tutor services from third parties such as teachers and private sector providers. Seems like a reasonable solution if schools shut.

Competition would come to fore. It’s be ok

Plus online.

If people keep arguing for closed schools and stating parents should step up. Ok I’ll have the funding and carry on. Cut out the people not turning up.

It’s be ok

It’d crikey phone does not like that

Closing schools would get around the issue of teachers having to work till Christmas if they resign today. We could get onto that lovely tutoring money right away.

This is a great plan from a teacher perspective. I’m surprised it’s being proposed by a parent.

Me too. I can do all humanities at a pinch to gcse and philosophy and ethics and sociology at a level. Get about 5 of us together to cover the whole curriculum and charge 5k plus vat and take on 100 kids and split the profits?

Teachers would of course provide tutorial services through competetion - that's the point, the best teachers would make much more money than vis the public sector and eventually would improve academic excellence nationally as the poorer teachers would be forced to catch up.

At my girls' school, the staff will be using a gadget to spray a 'sterile solution' into the air once the children leave the classroom (only for specialist classrooms - the teachers will be moving to the children for all other lessons). I'm not sure quite what they were told that would do. It won't do a thing.

Would it be possible to set up an online free school?

Thank you @motherrunner. I wish you luck for the new term

I've seen lots of parents of small children out enjoying themselves in coffee shops, restaurants, getting together at each other's houses for parties, shopping trips together, driving off to France for holidays and jetting off on holidays to various destinations in Europe, especially Spain.

They will all bitch mightily if their children don't go back to school in September.

I won't feel sorry for any of them. They will have all contributed to the problem imo.

Never mind those poor kids, or the safeguarding of those at risk or equality or all the million other issues schools take care of for society. I’m sure something can be done with them. Workhouses maybe?

Lougle, that's awesome. It's like something from Gwyneth Paltrow, Goop

• schools division.