Schools to remain closed until October half term?

[stopcollaborateandlisten]

Lots and lots coming out in the news how schools will finally be re-opening - anyone else think it might get pushed back at the last minute to after the October half term?

So all of this:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52984742 is fake?

"Cancer Research estimates about 2.4 million people in the UK are waiting for screening, treatment or tests with a potential 23,000 cancers having gone undiagnosed during lockdown."

"British Heart Foundation on Friday warned of a backlog as an estimated 28,000 heart procedures had been delayed since the outbreak of coronavirus."

"The NHS Confederation is simply saying that an independent forecast that the waiting list for routine surgery in England might hit 10 million by the end of this year looks reasonable."

In that context 'most children doing well' looks pretty good, by comparison, tbh.

@cantkeepawayforever

Let us set out what we all agree on:

• Remote education has not, for many children, been as effective as in person on-site education.
• Not all schools have delivered perfectly during lockdown.
• It would be better if all schools could return full time for all students, with no interruption, for the whole of the next academic year.

I don't think anyone would disagree with these.

The reason for remote learning was obvious - the Covid pandemic.

The reason for the variability in delivery between schools is a government policy error, not a school one - in fact, schools delivering a curriculum were going against the letter of the government guidance, which simply stated that the curriculum was suspended. The Government COULD have mandated a minimum level of educational delivery. It did not. It could have released funding to fill the gaps in technology provision that dogged many schools' delivery to their students - it did not, until too late to make a difference.

The reason that schools may not be able to deliver in person full time leaning for all for the whole of next year without interruption is due to the government's handling of the pandemic. Cases in the community are still too high, and as a result, there will be outbreaks in schools. the government guidelines for schools are far too lax to prevent these from spreading, and schools have no funding to fill the gaps through their own actions. Unless parents and teachers are willing to take the 'collateral damage' in illness and deaths of unrestricted outbreaks running through schools, closures are inevitable.

Can you explain just why this is the fault of teachers?

I think we do agree on a lot.

My frustrations are that some schools show no initiative, many kids have had no education, teachers won't share what works.

Obviously kids need to get back to full time education in September. No one is contesting that. There have been 6 months between then and March. Absolutely nothing has changed.

I think in the NHS we are more used to innovation and sharing best practice. Plus continuing to work for our patients no matter what. Maybe just a different culture. But I think education could learn from us

Well, there must be some reason for a five month closure of the clinic necessitating an eight month delay.

Maybe the clinicians were involved in supporting other departments? Or maybe they were sitting at home in the garden drinking gin, like all the teachers? No?

@cantkeepawayforever

Hospital admissions are unchanged. Outpatient appointments are continuing as normal (throughout) in my department. Phone calls or virtual or face to face.

And that is universal? So every patient, in every department, in every hospital, who would have had a consultation between 20th March and now has had an unchanged experience in terms of waiting time and availability of treatment?

Are you sure?

I can only comment on my department. I'm not in government!

@Danglingmod

Well, there must be some reason for a five month closure of the clinic necessitating an eight month delay.

Maybe the clinicians were involved in supporting other departments? Or maybe they were sitting at home in the garden drinking gin, like all the teachers? No?

As far as I'm aware oncologists all focused in oncology. You could ask your department though?

Plus continuing to work for our patients no matter what.

The vast majority of teachers work for their children, no matter what. the teachers delivering meals and workpacks, the teachers following up children who had gone 'off the radar', the teachers chasing up services for whatever was needed for children whenever a problem came to light (the first day back of partial opening saw a LOT of referrals).

What is your evidence that 'nothing has changed'? And is the lack of change at Government level, or school level, or teacher level?

Many other specialists diverted to covid. But not oncology...

And THAT is exactly what teachers have been doing on here for months.

If I tell you that my school's provision, both educationally and pastorally, has been excellent throughout and that all students who engaged with the work provided have made excellent progress, you'll believe me?

Schools will open in Sept. I'm a secondary teacher and worried about going back. My sister (primary) will have a class of 30 and she's terrified. Government guidance is minimal and not timely- all responsibility is with individual leaders which is worrying. I'm desperate to teach again but am pregnant so very apprehensive about my health and safety when we return.

@cantkeepawayforever

Plus continuing to work for our patients no matter what.

The vast majority of teachers work for their children, no matter what. the teachers delivering meals and workpacks, the teachers following up children who had gone 'off the radar', the teachers chasing up services for whatever was needed for children whenever a problem came to light (the first day back of partial opening saw a LOT of referrals).

What is your evidence that 'nothing has changed'? And is the lack of change at Government level, or school level, or teacher level?

So are you a teacher? What were you doing with your pupils? From March. Or will you also not share

Ask, to be fair, the only oncologist i know personally was allocated to the Nightingale ...where they sat around unused for a while, and then went back to their own hospital, and again were unused as the way the hospital had been reconfigured for Covid meant that they could not work safely. Just starting a little part-time work now.

@cantkeepawayforever

Ask, to be fair, the only oncologist i know personally was allocated to the Nightingale ...where they sat around unused for a while, and then went back to their own hospital, and again were unused as the way the hospital had been reconfigured for Covid meant that they could not work safely. Just starting a little part-time work now.

I can guarantee they won't be being paid full time to work part time!

Yes, I don't actually think that they were diverted but what else could they have been doing that should satisfy patients as an excuse for cancelling appointments for minimum five months?

Or maybe we accept that it wasn't safe for them to see patients for five months and it's shit but we accept it.

@Danglingmod

And THAT is exactly what teachers have been doing on here for months.

If I tell you that my school's provision, both educationally and pastorally, has been excellent throughout and that all students who engaged with the work provided have made excellent progress, you'll believe me?

Of course. What have you been doing? How can we learn from you?

Ask, I told you upthread what I did for my pupils.

I re-planned, and delivered online, a full primary curriculum.

I resourced every lesson appropriately for the delivery method, and marked every piece of work.

I answered every question, and interacted both on safe social media and on Zoom.

I continued to do this while teaching a 'bubble' of 15 in school 4 days a week, again a full curriculum, marking work as required.

And continued to do the social work aspect of my role - chasing any 'disappeared' students, following up any reports of illness (significant), referring to appropriate other agencies etc.

Iwas a class teacher. It just happened to be online.

@Danglingmod

Yes, I don't actually think that they were diverted but what else could they have been doing that should satisfy patients as an excuse for cancelling appointments for minimum five months?

Or maybe we accept that it wasn't safe for them to see patients for five months and it's shit but we accept it.

In my department we have maintained every patient contact. None cancelled. Not all face to face.

I'm just interested what schools have been doing. But no one will share!

@cantkeepawayforever

Ask, I told you upthread what I did for my pupils.

I re-planned, and delivered online, a full primary curriculum.

I resourced every lesson appropriately for the delivery method, and marked every piece of work.

I answered every question, and interacted both on safe social media and on Zoom.

I continued to do this while teaching a 'bubble' of 15 in school 4 days a week, again a full curriculum, marking work as required.

And continued to do the social work aspect of my role - chasing any 'disappeared' students, following up any reports of illness (significant), referring to appropriate other agencies etc.

Iwas a class teacher. It just happened to be online.

Ok. But planning etc part of your job anyway.

A bubble of 15? 4 days per week?

Wouldn't it normally be more kids 5 days a week?

Maybe not. We're any kids left out?

I think in the NHS we are more used to innovation and sharing best practice.

There's plenty of innovation in schools.

The problem with sharing best practice is that most schools aren't under lea control and schools are essentially in competition with each other. In every school I've worked in the first item of the first day back is 'here's our results compared to the local competition'. Even within a school, our results are compared to our colleagues so my best chance of being awarded a point on the pay scale is not to share with my colleagues. I do share, btw, but if I was thinking selfishly, and some do, then I wouldn't.

Sorry just saw you also delivered (all?) your classes online too

How did you find this for primary? What evidence do you have re effectiveness?

Loads of people have answered both on this thread and others over the last several months of relentless teacher and school bashing. Enough.

I'm back at work on Monday. Threads like this belittling what I have been doing since lockdown are just the boost I need to encourage me to put myself and my family at risk by going back into a school without SD or mandatory mask wearing.
Thanks for that.

I can guarantee they won't be being paid full time to work part time!

Um - there you would be wrong. Not required, then unable to work safely, and therefore not fully used, but paid full time.

Complained of boredom, but certainly paid.

A friend worked on a covid ward and was then sent to a Nightingale. She said it was boring and there was very little to do and she felt embarrassed taking her wages. I of course reminded her that she can only be expected to do as directed.