Sorry depressing thread. Are the Government deliberately drip feeding us on schools? So sick of it.

[purplerain2020]

I think I read somewhere that there is a schools review on 11th August. A while ago we were promised summers schools, not that I believed but they never happened. They promised laptops for those that needed it, only a few get it.

We've been promised that schools will fully open in September. I believe they will open and they won't back down on this. But, I think they are fully aware that within a few weeks, schools will be closing left right and centre and working Mums are going to be scrabbling around looking for someone to look after their children while they work and praying for the goodwill of their employers. The Government will have done what they promised, got everyone back in September, after all, they didn't say how long it would be for did they? Surely they must be getting advise by the Scientists of what is likely to happen with the procedures or lack of them for schools in September?

I keep hearing Mumsnet poster say but how can we work? How can we pay our bills? How will we keep a roof over our heads if the schools don't open full time? I am beginning to realise that it may well be the case that indeed, we won't be able to work and we won't be able to pay our bills and there is nothing we can do about it. It will be down to us to step up and educate our children when schools are shut because the government has been underfunding our schools for years. I work part-time from home, 25 hours a week, even that is looking rocky at the moment. DH's job is ok but I feel like he is hanging on by the skin of his teeth. So sick of our lives being turned upside down.

I'm in my early 40s, I was a child in the 80's and my family was hit hard by the recession. I've got a sick feeling in my stomach that the future is going to repeat itself.

Oh, ok. That's really bad. Headteacher's still have discretion, don't they? Maybe most will veto it.

Absolutely. The gov will get the credit for full reopening. Teachers and children will become ill. Unions will get involved. Local lockdowns will occur. None of this will of course be Bojo’s fault.

But it’s ok, the housing market will be buoyed by the stamp duty holiday and you’ll be able to eat out when you feel like it.

(I say this as a teacher who WANTS to be back full time - one of those mythical teachers with a toddler that has to be largely unsupervised while I teach from home)

I work in a private school and we will be required (due to the parents paying fees) to help any children whose parents don't want them to attend to keep up via online learning. We're not yet sure whether that will be by getting them to 'log in' to the physical lesson on Teams and sort of be there via the computer or just by daily emailing and use of the online learning platform. But we will definitely have to provide for them and aren't allowed to penalise them for being unable to attend school.

@manicinsomniac I can buy that version too. It’s all behavioural science. The reaction of those that want to keep them off must be quite predictable.

I agree it's going to be very very difficult, but surely the reason research is only now coming out about schools outbreaks is because previously schools across much of the world were closed?

And you pretty much can't research transmission among children without education and childcare settings being open.

@itsgettingweird

We'll go back.

Transmission may spread - especially areas of high cases.

Schools will close under bubbles and track and trace.

They'll find a way to blame the teachers or just Joe Public in general.

We'll all get a free Nando's delivery to cheer us up

Hey now lets not get ahead of ourselves. It'll be a 50% off voucher only to be used on weekdays between the hours of 9am - 3.30pm...

"It's almost like the media is run by middle aged middle class men for whom childcare is a distant memory or whose privately educated children are not faring too badly."

For too many men with young children, childcare is not on their horizon, just something for women to organise

It's not "coronaphobic" to be averse to the idea of developing a fatal blood clot leaving my three young DC's motherless. A phobia is an irrational fear. Being afraid of contracting a novel virus with as yet unknown effects for which there is no cure does not make anyone "cowardly", what an idiotic post.

@ColouringPencils I agree.

But you see this attitude on mumsnet too. Threads slamming down posters that were really struggling with 24 hour days working full time while trying to simultaneously homeschool, saying they need to try harder. And insinuating they are failing their children, in fact suggesting they should be putting homeschooling first and the mortgage payments second. A thread on gcse’s with posters piling in saying that the new year 11’s have not been at all disadvantaged . I can only presume most of the criticisers were not trying (and failing) to combine schooling with a full time job, or their kids went back to school in June.

It's several weeks until the children go back. This government will punt a few ideas in The Telegraph and nudge the faithful who are susceptible to that kind of thing to "change the conversation" and reopening plans could change. Especially as Scotland go back sooner and their plan is notably better.

The English plan as is is a complete nonsense and I fail to see how anyone who has read it and understands the situation could think it was acceptable

My worry is that in failing to think ahead to the obvious and inevitable consequences of what they laughably call "a plan" our children are being used as Guinea pigs.

It's possible that the govt are aware of the alarming number of people who can't extrapolate or think ahead a few steps and have to be shown why it's a bad idea to "just send the children back to school."

The government need to get a "can do" attitude, be proactive and find solutions and stop pretending it's a binary choice between opening the schools like this or not opening them at all. Which I see a lot of on these boards

"none of the SD/mask/'PPE' nonsense "

That "SD / mask / PPE nonsense" is an important part of measures that other countries are taking
The countries that actually plan for schools to stay open, instead of just posturing about it

It's unfortunate that some of the UK imported the US "mask culture war," even the language of "muzzles",
but even Trump has U-turned after rocketing US cases - and falling poll ratings - and is telling people to wear masks

@lifeafter50 do you teach in a secondary comprehensive school out of interest?

If teachers or students want to wear masks, let them

@cologne4711

Personally, I would be a lot happier if we split the bubbles in half and did a week in, week out approach for everyone except Y11 and Y13

This is what my son's sixth form college is saying they are doing anyway. Y13 in the first week and then Y12. So one week on-site, one week online lessons. They are saying for September only and then full-time in college, but I can see it going on for the entire year. And of course it works for those year groups because you don't need childcare.

I just hope that they don't have blanket rules and lump FE colleges in with schools and at the other end with HE colleges.

My son starts year 12.

They are doing 2 days on site and 1 day blended learning.

They have said the investment into this will mean they are looking to continue it beyond next academic year.
It'll be the post 16 way of the future.

@BigChocFrenzy

If teachers or students want to wear masks, let them

Agree.

And the biggest bug bear I have in the guidance is that it states it's not needed.

But yet in other karts of my life I must wear one as it mandatory.

That's areas of my life I can (mostly because it does rely on other public) SD.

Nit so much at work where my pupils who I adore don't get SD (SS).

But our classroom sixes are generally smaller and we didn't have an outbreak when we were fairly good capacity after half term.

@noblegiraffe

I’m not sure that they’re dripfeeding so much as incompetent.

They react after the fact instead of plan in advance. And they’ve had all the major decisions wrong, fudged or delayed so far.

incompetence pays a large part but I think there’s a level of deliberate planning too. IT’s right out of the Cummings/Gove/Johnson/Vote Leave playbook isn’t it? Promise the Earth, because it’s what the people you want to support you want to hear, worry about inconvenient things like the fact it’s bollocks and how you deliver it later.

The advantage here is that when they pivot on this, the teachers and unions are a ready made enemy for the terminally stupid to blame.

Sixth form is really interesting - because those that are 'stand alone' are covered by the FE guidance, and those that are within schools are covered by the 'schools' guidance.

So stand-alone 6th forms has guidance that says they should be offering blended learning.

6th forms in schools are subject to the 'everyone in' guidance,

It's really interesting watching the 'which way to go' dance where the two types of institution exist alongside / in competition with each other, because when the schools guidance came out it looked like stand-alone 6th forms in competition with schools would lose students if they didn't go in full time, whereas now people are becoming aware that full-time secondary schooling may not be sustainable, those 6th form colleges with good, published blended learning plans are at an advantage.

the teachers and unions are a ready made enemy for the terminally stupid to blame.

Pre-prepared. They’ve already planted stories in the friendly papers saying that the unions are desperate to block the reopening, which is news to the actual union members.

My son is at boarding school we’ve had no guidance yet but are expecting the school to be back and children being taught remotely in their boarding houses no exeats and no weekend breaks. I have held off buying a 6th form uniform as I’m expecting new guidance on requirements. The internationals will be back next week for 2 week quarantine

@ChavvySexPond

Where is Scotland's plan any different? All schools have an optional three day transitional period before all years in full time. Masks are allowed if they choose. Teachers have to SD from pupils and each other.

Let's not forget Cummings was unable to look after his own child and regarded it as exceptional that he might be expected to. Could he possibly imagine the home schooling/ working from home nightmare that has been the role of most mothers for the last 5 months?

@noblegiraffe

the teachers and unions are a ready made enemy for the terminally stupid to blame.

Pre-prepared. They’ve already planted stories in the friendly papers saying that the unions are desperate to block the reopening, which is news to the actual union members.

I agree.

Our union has been really good.

We've had surveys and had information.

But mostly it's all been about making sure we see RA, are given time to read and respond, get personal RA where needed etc.

I'm a first aider. Everything was on ours re personal care etc and mentioned bodily fluids but no specific mention of 1st aid or having a PPE kit bagged ready with first aid boxes.

I simply emailed HT to mention this and my ideas to lower risk and it was included. I also mentioned about finding out kastest guidance in cpr etc and are sold as we have epileptic students. I wouldn't have thought so deeply without union guidance. Which could have meant me having to make a tough decision about risking me or a pupil.

Was so simple to solve - and I got brownie points from slt for also finding the solution and not pointing out the problem - always good to have 1 in the bag

Please try to keep an open mind. I know it’s scary to not know what will happen with childcare. I’m worried too (teacher and parent).

If it helps at all, there may be more planning going on behind the scenes than you realise. My school sent out an email this week about the timetable - all teachers are receiving two timetables for next year (secondary, not primary school). The “normal” one and the “coronavirus” one. The timetabling team have been working their socks off for the last month creating an alternative timetable for the whole school to accommodate keeping bubbles separate. They’ve completely restructured the day so that each year group has their own start and end time and their own lunchtime, and all lessons that do not require a specialist classroom will be taking place in form rooms so that there are fewer children moving around the school between lessons. One way systems have also been put in place to aid social distancing when classes do move around. I had no idea that this was even being worked on as SMT wanted to make sure it could be done before rumours started getting out.

Yes, there will be difficulties. They might be massive e.g. whole year groups or large numbers of staff being off if a pupil tests positive. But teachers and schools are going to do their best, and I bet most Heads are using the summer holiday to get a workable plan in place where possible to minimise disruption.

We want your kids to be in school. We want to be teaching them. We want them to be safe. Yes, it’s a really worrying time, and if you can get contingency plans in place to protect yourself, great (personally, I’m lucky that my DMum is close by and retired in case she is needed). But worrying without a plan won’t change anything.

If you have particular suggestions, contact your child’s school.

I don’t think you are wrong to be concerned, OP.

School staff who similarly don't want to work with children should resign.

Isn’t it possible to want to work with children and not want to expose yourself or family to a new, sometimes fatal disease?