School re-opening under threat - thread 2

[DomDoesWotHeWants]

First thread here -

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3981349-School-re-opening-under-threat?msgid=98768334

It seems to me that Johnson is creeping towards masks in schools come September, given that he's extended the paces they have to be worn.

Do teachers think that's enough?

I would prefer reduced pupil numbers over masks. I felt safe working in school with smaller groups.

Pmk

Yay. Thank you. I just started a part 2. Will ask for it to be removed.

parents don’t want to look after their own children

Oh do bog off. Parent want their kids in school so that they can be educated. If you don't think schools are needed for that. we'll close them all, make all school staff redundant and sell off the land for housing.

That is really rather unfair pineapple

Pineapple that is as unreasonable as those that say its only the flu, or that teachers don't want to go back because they are enjoying sitting at home.

Idiotic comment pineapple.

I’m a little concerned my three will have to wear masks. They all wear glasses, and despite paying out for thinning, they are still quite thick.
(Think +10 on the prescription spectrum).

The steam on their glasses would be very annoying, and could hinder learning. I presume there will be some exemptions, particularly for children with SEN.

I have to say, I think children can be adequately educated by attending part-time and having access to homework and distance learning the rest of the time. That would enable safe working conditions as well as education. Insisting on full-time attendance is more about parents wanting childcare than it is about education.

FFS. I've been looking after my children just fine thanks. I just don't happen to be a science teacher, a maths teacher, an English teacher, a history teacher, a geography teacher, an arts teacher, a music teacher, a drama teacher, a Spanish teacher nor an engineering teacher and I can't play the fucking violin either for three kids spread over ks1, ks2 and ks3 at the same time while doing my own job.

As a parent, I'd be far happier if it was possible for 1/5 of the school to go in one day a week and have that time to SD socialise, do PE, a few lessons, and come home with homework to do for next week's day.

I appreciate that's just not possible for parents who aren't working from home, or whose kids are younger and so can't work independently at home. But perhaps there could be some kind of compromise, so that schools are not just packed with full classes of 30 just like normal, as that's likely to end up in classes and years shutting down all the time, people getting ill, and threats to health.
I'd rather have a guaranteed day a week of education and socialising that's safe than risk unknown illness/lockdowns happening at any point.

(A tip for glasses that steam up is meant to be putting a thin layer of washing up liquid water on them in the morning btw. Not sure if it works, but have seen it recommended a lot)

@LegoMaus

This isn’t true though. For many children the home is chaotic. If you’re living in cramped quarters/have noisy neighbours etc your child cannot get peace and quiet to learn, no matter what tech they may have, or how motivated they truly are.

I find that a very mumsnet attitude.

The inequality is going to be massive after all this, it already was pre covid.

Also, I can’t for the life of me teach maths. I’ve taught sex Ed and PSHE successfully to KS3 and 4, but yet I struggle with my primary kids school work.

I am not ashamed to admit that. I wouldn’t class myself as thick, but maybe I am compared to some mumsnetters.

As a teacher and a parent I think everyone who can wear a mask should wear a mask.
Primary should have class sizes bubbles with funding for extra toilet blocks and cleaning.
Secondary should be year groups zones and extra funding for more toilet blocks and cleaning AND blended learning. This would double my work as id have to do the online bit and the in class teaching bit at the same time, but would be much better - otherwise it will be the Covid hokey cokey..

With innovation, imagination and the will, it would be more than possible to provide a good education and safer environment with part time attendance. The child would be kept on track and motivated by the attendance they do get.

For those it truly isn’t possible for, something could be worked out but if this is done for as many as possible it could work.

@PineappleSquosh

Yes masks should be worn. But also contact hours should be reduced so children can attend in smaller groups and SD more effectively. There also needs to be funding for professional cleaning. Of course this won’t happen because the government doesn’t want to spend any money and parents don’t want to look after their own children.

That's really shitty and a totally unfair comment.

"As a teacher and a parent I think everyone who can wear a mask should wear a mask.
Primary should have class sizes bubbles with funding for extra toilet blocks and cleaning.
Secondary should be year groups zones and extra funding for more toilet blocks and cleaning AND blended learning. This would double my work as id have to do the online bit and the in class teaching bit at the same time, but would be much better - otherwise it will be the Covid hokey cokey.."

This sounds good (thanks for what you're doing as a teacher).
The only problem with the year group bubbles for secondary is the numbers - there are plenty of schools (like my children's) with 4, 5, or even more groups of 30 in a year.

A bubble of 150, especially if they have siblings in different bubbles of 150, feels far too big. But I appreciate it's impossible to make it less - although like you say, blended learning can help to reduce numbers in at one time.

I just think people are very fixated on returning to the education that was provided prior to Covid. Six hours a day, five days a week - maybe that can’t realistically be offered any more.

“Insisting on full-time attendance is more about parents wanting childcare than it is about education.“

I’m not, and I don’t. I’m a stay at home parent and more than happy to look after my kids. But I’m not stupid enough to think that the only reason why a parent might want childcare full time is because “they don’t want to look after their own kids” (with attendant overtones of parents either can’t be arsed or don’t like their children). Couldn’t possibly be because they have to work or otherwise be plunged into poverty. Is that the teacher’s problem? No. Should they, to use the ridiculous hyperbolic phrase “sacrifice themselves”? Of course not. But there’s no need for the accusations of basically being a crap parent.

Worth noting that smaller bubbles would logically less closures of school for cases. Which is surely good for us all! Surely steady part time is better than unpredictable on off full time.

I would be happy for part time in any form either week on week off, mornings/afternoons or 2/3 full days a week.
Anything is better than weeks or months off with only repetitive worksheets and zero other contact from school.
My only child needs to be around other kids now.
Not sure how I will juggle part time with work but it will be easier to do if prepared with some form of a plan than to be called on a morning because there's not enough staff or having to isolate for days because someone coughed.

@PineappleSquosh

Yes masks should be worn. But also contact hours should be reduced so children can attend in smaller groups and SD more effectively. There also needs to be funding for professional cleaning. Of course this won’t happen because the government doesn’t want to spend any money and parents don’t want to look after their own children.

I’m guessing pineapple that you are able to work from home or don’t need to work. Not that I don’t want to look after my kids at all but I need to work and can’t do that at home, I got a job to work around my children being at school and if school is closed again and I can’t work again I don’t have money....this will be the reality for many people.

Cleaning only stops surface transmission and given its airborne isn’t going to help a huge deal in reality.

I’d prefer an online system, the less people out and about mixing the quicker numbers will go down.

Failing that, part time in groups of no more than 10 so that SD is in place. Also parents signing up on agree to testing when asked and also not mixing outside of school.

My daughter is old enough to look after herself when I am working all day, and her adult sister is working from home but I want her to return to school because A, she has barely seen anyone / done anything for months and B, I want her to get an education

Dancingalong, is your workplace following measures though or are you packed into a room with no distancing and no PPE for six hours with at least thirty different households? That’s what expected of teachers, so many seem to think school staff should just be a casualty of the situation so they can get on with their own lives as usual.