Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

If You Could Choose Any Education Option for Sept

999 replies

IDSNeighbour · 14/08/2020 22:54

I'm getting so confused by what parents actually want to happen with schools right now (I'm not a parent, I'm a teacher). I want to know what home opinions my classes are going to be coming in from in Sept - whether they're likely to be nervous or confident, whether they will want to SD or not, etc.

I know parents aren't one hive mind but the 'loudest voice' seems to keep changing its mind. Or I hear different ones, idk.

I'm sure there used to be a board for polls and surveys but, if I wasn't imagining, I can't find it.

So, if you're up for an unscientific straw poll to help me gauge general feeling, can you post A, B, C, D or E in the thread (you can explain if you like, I don't mind!)
A - I want full time schooling as close to the old normal as is allowed
B - I want full time schooling but with safety measures such as social distancing and masks for all who can and are old enough.
C - I want blended learning (half in the classroom and half online)
D - I want to keep my child at home all the time, home school them and not be penalised (ie, I want my place back when I think it's safe)
E - I think schools should remain closed for most children for now.

OP posts:
TaxTheRatFarms · 15/08/2020 23:21

“my patients”

A healthcare worker who hates teachers, and spams threads with attacks on teachers? We’ve been here before, haven’t we. Grin

askmehowiknow · 15/08/2020 23:22

Poor ventilation could be the phrase of 2020!

Frlrlrubert · 15/08/2020 23:23

@noblegiraffe

assumes that you'll require the word asymptotic more frequently than asymptomatic?

Maths teacher problems.

Just noticed mine did it too and I had to look it up (science teacher shame), autocorrect is clearly cleverer than me when it comes to maths :)
noblegiraffe · 15/08/2020 23:25

There is no evidence teachers are infected above community levels

Do you think that is likely to change when schools open and secondary teachers are crammed into poorly ventilated rooms within 2m, possibly 1m of hundreds of different students with no mitigation measures?

If not, is it because you believe the pandemic is a hoax?

Alittleodd · 15/08/2020 23:27

I would really like to explore the idea of an asymptomatic asymptote. I feel like maybe it's just a horizontal line.

Iamnotthe1 · 15/08/2020 23:27

@askmehowiknow
Err no it's not!

Yes, it is.

www.pnas.org/content/117/30/17513
www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2020-07-07/silent-coronavirus-transmission-the-primary-driver-of-covid-19-outbreaks

I appreciate that the studies and facts don't support your narrative but that doesn't get rid of them.

askmehowiknow · 15/08/2020 23:28

@noblegiraffe

There is no evidence teachers are infected above community levels

Do you think that is likely to change when schools open and secondary teachers are crammed into poorly ventilated rooms within 2m, possibly 1m of hundreds of different students with no mitigation measures?

If not, is it because you believe the pandemic is a hoax?

Is the only reason you can think of that parents want children back at school full time is because they think coronavirus is a hoax?

What world do you live in? You have seen the A level results just out? Or are they a hoax too?

Iamnotthe1 · 15/08/2020 23:31

Again with the A Level "what about..." distraction tactic. You're confusing people wanting their child in full time with people wanting their child in full time with no protective measures. Those are two very different groups.

fabricstash · 15/08/2020 23:32

A - my 2 boys have been really good holding their mental health together over lockdown but if they did not go back in a semi- normal form I think they would crumble. The September date has kept them going. Plus there is no SAHP to run 'school' for them

noblegiraffe · 15/08/2020 23:32

Is the only reason you can think of that parents want children back at school full time is because they think coronavirus is a hoax?

What world do you live in? You have seen the A level results just out? Or are they a hoax too?

..... is not an answer to this post:

“Do you think that is likely to change when schools open and secondary teachers are crammed into poorly ventilated rooms within 2m, possibly 1m of hundreds of different students with no mitigation measures?

If not, is it because you believe the pandemic is a hoax?”

Do you think transmission to teachers will increase when they are put into a work situation that SAGE designates as one of the highest risks for transmission?

Or do you think the pandemic is a hoax, ask?

fabricstash · 15/08/2020 23:33

Ps shut the pubs

IloveJKRowling · 15/08/2020 23:33

A would be short-lived, no matter how much people want it to happen.

This.

So properly funded B from me - which isn't the government's plan so far. They need to put money in right now or schools will shut sooner or later.

Properly funded B will allow schools to stay open longer.

I'm dreading the disruption of the cases in bubbles and the quarantining and the school closures. I'd far rather a really well managed B and less disruption for my children. But we have the same government pushing for schools open without any extra money for safety measures as the one who's just fucked up the A-level results so not much hope really (despite the best efforts of excellent teachers and schools).

IloveJKRowling · 15/08/2020 23:34

(And just like the A level results, THEIR kids in private schools are fine, so they just don't care....)

MrsHamlet · 15/08/2020 23:35

They've already managed not to fund the computer access or the catch up that they promised. This won't be any different.

catsarecute · 15/08/2020 23:38

C for secondary I think is the best compromise position. My last choice would be A, and that seems to be what we're getting. I would be happier with any of the options than A. Very worried about it.

Titsywoo · 15/08/2020 23:38

A - my DD is going into year 11 and another disruptive year worries me so much. My DS going into year 9 is not coping with not seeing friends and having peer groups to work with. He has ASD and for him home is not for learning - it's always been very hard to get him to do homework and revision even though he works hard at school. Last term was very difficult and I may have a breakdown if I have to do it again!

askmehowiknow · 15/08/2020 23:38

You seem very obsessed with the pandemic being a hoax @noblegiraffe

Frlrlrubert · 15/08/2020 23:39

askmehow

Are you deliberately misunderstanding?

noble asked if you think teachers might be more likely to get it at work than at home, and if not is that because you think it's a hoax.

We know you want kids back in school, we do too. I personally am a cold hard bitch who would go back to normal and damn the consequences if I though it would work and only a few grannies would die and maybe some kids with asthma might get some further lung damage, so what, you might get hit by a bus, only one life, greater good, etc (not really but yswim).

But what I'm saying is if we do that they will close schools again and children will miss even more education than they would with blended learning.

I'm out now, I'll catch up in the morning.

Iamnotthe1 · 15/08/2020 23:39

@IloveJKRowling

A would be short-lived, no matter how much people want it to happen.

This.

So properly funded B from me - which isn't the government's plan so far. They need to put money in right now or schools will shut sooner or later.

Properly funded B will allow schools to stay open longer.

I'm dreading the disruption of the cases in bubbles and the quarantining and the school closures. I'd far rather a really well managed B and less disruption for my children. But we have the same government pushing for schools open without any extra money for safety measures as the one who's just fucked up the A-level results so not much hope really (despite the best efforts of excellent teachers and schools).

It's the same Government that:
  • closed schools by suspending the curriculum (meaning schools had no legal requirement to teach students) and put no thought, expectations or guidelines in place to standardise remote learning,
  • promised funded laptops and internet access for disadvantaged pupils and then didn't deliver,
  • promised a catch-up fund for pupils affected by the suspension of the curriculum and then made it so schools would have to fund a chunk of it themselves in order to access the money,
  • told the public they were funding deep level cleaning for schools and then didn't,
  • messed up the A level grading system with a process they knew was only around 60% accurate,
  • is about to mess up the GCSE grading system in the same way.

One of the only consistent things that this Government has shown over the last six months is how little they actually value education.

IloveJKRowling · 15/08/2020 23:41

They've already managed not to fund the computer access or the catch up that they promised. This won't be any different.

Yes. We as parents need to make a lot more noise. The only thing that will work is if they're shamed into providing funding for state schools for covid measures - through lots of negative publicity.

As they were over PPE for NHS staff

And school meals over the hols by Marcus Rashford

And the current backtracking on A-levels (though I don't think they can actually put this one right no matter what they do with 'valid' mocks or teacher assessments).

Heathershimmer95 · 15/08/2020 23:42

Titsywoo Totally understand your position. But A is far more likely to put us back to where we were last term than B or C. I want children back safely and with more stability and continuity.

noblegiraffe · 15/08/2020 23:43

You seem very obsessed with the pandemic being a hoax noblegiraffe

You are obsessed with avoiding answering the question.

Do you think teachers are more likely to be infected in the SAGE-designated high risk setting?

If you don’t think the pandemic is a hoax, yet you answer no to that question, is it because you believe in magic?

IloveJKRowling · 15/08/2020 23:44

One of the only consistent things that this Government has shown over the last six months is how little they actually value education.

For ordinary children. For non-privately educated children. For any child who isn't rich.

They care about education for their own children, which is why they send them to private schools.

askmehowiknow · 15/08/2020 23:44

@noblegiraffe

You seem very obsessed with the pandemic being a hoax noblegiraffe

You are obsessed with avoiding answering the question.

Do you think teachers are more likely to be infected in the SAGE-designated high risk setting?

If you don’t think the pandemic is a hoax, yet you answer no to that question, is it because you believe in magic?

I already answered. Teachers will be infected in line with community rates.
noblegiraffe · 15/08/2020 23:48

Teachers will be infected in line with community rates.

In a SAGE-designated high-risk setting without the COVID-secure mitigation measures that apply to every other workplace?

Why? Magic?