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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:
herecomesthsun · 16/08/2020 12:01

@lifeafter50

I realise that for you this is just about children, Which is precisely who we need to prioritise now. People are fudging the issue by talking about 'cases' which is the wrong measure to consider in opening schools and keeping them open. It doesn't matter if cases are 100% and risk of serious illness vanishingly small, and of death negligible unless you are over 80 and/or serious obese in which case shield if you want to, but not at the expense of younger people who keeping society functioning. Children do not die of this unless they are already terminally ill -ONE case in the UK of a child with no KNOWN prior risk factor. If people don't choose to work in the school system for (irrational) fear -resign If parents are terrifying their children about a non-existent danger /de-register and home school.
If you want to send our kids into a school with inadequate social distancing etc then go ahead love.

Don't tell people to de-register in a pandemic. it may well not be in the best interests of their family. You do whatever you want with your kids.

Letseatgrandma · 16/08/2020 12:01

@ineedaholidaynow

But remember *@FrippEnos* *@lifeafter50* believes that teachers should still come into school even if they have symptoms, so there won’t be anyone going off sick!!

I just hope @lifeafter50 isn’t a teacher at my DC’s school

Has someone said that teachers should come into school even with symptoms??

I seriously hope that person is not a teacher in anyone’s school.

lifeafter50 · 16/08/2020 12:01

The Gvt just needs to change the guidance on isolation. No isolation. If you are too ill to work, then stay off, as with every other illness. If a child is too ill to go to school (for any reason) keep them off.
Re-read the stats -cases are not deaths! Or even hospitalisation.
It is irresponsible to conflate 'cases' with deaths, simply to fudge the issue to push an agenda.
And the people who should resign are those resisting going to work in an environment conducive to learning, which the 'masks and asD) are advocating.
Yes we hear of blackmail in 'there won't be enough teachers' well call their bluff. Scaremongers are not people who should be in the profession anyway. We should not keep inadequate people simply because they have a pulse.

herecomesthsun · 16/08/2020 12:02

should say "your" not "our" Smile

TammyTwoSawnson · 16/08/2020 12:03

D.

Possibly C for ds2 as his school are actually putting safe measures in place. Ds1's school is not doing anywhere near enough and they're putting the kids at risk unnecessarily so I don't want him to go back until it's safe.
We are/were a shielding family.

slatternissima · 16/08/2020 12:03

A, all the way.

Fortunately my DC's (independent) school agrees.

monkeytennis97 · 16/08/2020 12:06

@lifeafter50

The Gvt just needs to change the guidance on isolation. No isolation. If you are too ill to work, then stay off, as with every other illness. If a child is too ill to go to school (for any reason) keep them off. Re-read the stats -cases are not deaths! Or even hospitalisation. It is irresponsible to conflate 'cases' with deaths, simply to fudge the issue to push an agenda. And the people who should resign are those resisting going to work in an environment conducive to learning, which the 'masks and asD) are advocating. Yes we hear of blackmail in 'there won't be enough teachers' well call their bluff. Scaremongers are not people who should be in the profession anyway. We should not keep inadequate people simply because they have a pulse.
Oh my God you really are clueless aren't you?! Sorry but teachers are not the enemy here. We didn't go into the job to see kids fail and lose out, QUITE THE OPPOSITE. I don't have the energy today to go through everything that has been said so many times by so many (teachers and non teachers) about this issue which would make schooling a little more sustainable over Winter. Argh!
ineedaholidaynow · 16/08/2020 12:07

And what about pupils who had been shielding just a few weeks ago, are they expendable @lifeafter50?

Keepdistance · 16/08/2020 12:07

The peak in apr was with SI for family with member with symptoms though!

mrshoho · 16/08/2020 12:07

I am sceptical of anything @lifeafter50 posts regarding schools returning. The proud boasts of being a scondary teacher, not wanting SD or masks and seeing no point in them in UK secondary schools. Belittling other teachers for voicing concerns. I think in one post he/she went as far as saying they would rather resign or refuse to teach with masks. He/she is disingenuous at best as what lifeafter50 doesn't say is that he/she works in an independent school that is a far cry from the majority of state secondary schools. Nothing wrong with teaching in an independent but be honest when you are preaching from your high horse.

twinkletoesimnot · 16/08/2020 12:07

@lifeafter50

The government will probably listen to you .......

You are spouting absolute crap - I simply cannot countenance someone like you being in charge of a class - no empathy or understanding or ability to understand basic safety measures.
If you are a teacher I really don't know how you can say much of what you do

lifeafter50 · 16/08/2020 12:07

Teachers and pupils were coming into school with symptoms on Feb and March because we had not been subject to the hysteria at that point.
Nobody died and no-one was seriously ill.
Lots of teachers over 5O in the school.
We could easily do distance learning again -it worked very well till the end of term with GCSE pupils getting in three extra months of early A level work -but children deserve face to face teaching and I hate se v them sacrificing precious real life learning for a risk to them that is in practical terms non/existent.
Despite the rantings of some teachers on here (a tiny minority who just happen to shout very loud), in real life, everyone I know want to prioritise the children, not just put in the years to get the pension.

monkeytennis97 · 16/08/2020 12:08

@lifeafter50

Teachers and pupils were coming into school with symptoms on Feb and March because we had not been subject to the hysteria at that point. Nobody died and no-one was seriously ill. Lots of teachers over 5O in the school. We could easily do distance learning again -it worked very well till the end of term with GCSE pupils getting in three extra months of early A level work -but children deserve face to face teaching and I hate se v them sacrificing precious real life learning for a risk to them that is in practical terms non/existent. Despite the rantings of some teachers on here (a tiny minority who just happen to shout very loud), in real life, everyone I know want to prioritise the children, not just put in the years to get the pension.
Teachers and education staff DID die. I know of one personally.
lifeafter50 · 16/08/2020 12:11

know of one personally.
Anecdote is irrelevant in assessing risk.
Look at the analysis of the stats.

twinkletoesimnot · 16/08/2020 12:12

@lifeafter50

So callous

I wonder if you would feel differently if it was your husband / child who was the statistic?

monkeytennis97 · 16/08/2020 12:13

@lifeafter50

know of one personally. Anecdote is irrelevant in assessing risk. Look at the analysis of the stats.
Well your 'anecdote' was an amazing educator and father. I have nothing left to say to you.
MrsHamlet · 16/08/2020 12:13

Nobody died? Nobody got seriously ill? Tell that to a local primary whose head died. Tell it to the boy in my form whose whole family got it and whose mother was hospitalised. Tell it to the colleague whose daughter was intubated.
I want to be back in school. I want to teach face to face, properly. But when the government mandates masks in a museum, they should also be mandated in classrooms to keep everyone safe.

Keepdistance · 16/08/2020 12:13

It's not even that small numbers
1/10 kids has asthma i think
There are 20m vulnerable people. So lots of families will have at least 1. Then the over 50s.
The chance of dying may be low but i think even for 20yo the risk of hospitalisation they thought was 1%.

Iamnotthe1 · 16/08/2020 12:15

@lifeafter50
It is irresponsible to conflate 'cases' with deaths, simply to fudge the issue to push an agenda

It is irresponsible to pretend that the only negative consequence of contracting the virus is the death of that individual. You are deliberately ignoring:

  • long term health implications,
  • mental trauma from the death of a child's teacher or family member as a result of transmission,
  • the impact of future restrictions imposed because of a rising level of the virus in the community.

But I understand that these don't fit with the narrative and agenda that you are pushing so it's better to just disregard them, yes?

twinkletoesimnot · 16/08/2020 12:16

That was just up to 20th if April

26 teachers
Over 60 educational staff dead

Letseatgrandma · 16/08/2020 12:16

@lifeafter50

know of one personally. Anecdote is irrelevant in assessing risk. Look at the analysis of the stats.
But an important fact to mention when you have just stated ‘nobody died’.
Heathershimmer95 · 16/08/2020 12:17

If people deregister from your school, your school gets less funding.

I don’t think many realise this.

HipTightOnions · 16/08/2020 12:19

Nobody died and no-one was seriously ill.

My brother once said “I’ve crossed the road without looking lots of times and I haven’t been run over”. He was about 10 though.

Enoughnowstop · 16/08/2020 12:25

Nobody died and no-one was seriously ill

That’s not the case. Several high profile teacher deaths easily found on the BBC website. Plenty of others didn’t make the news.

Scaremongers are not people who should be in the profession anyway. We should not keep inadequate people simply because they have a pulse

You teach? Fucking hell. If you teach, you know it takes all sorts to make up a staff room. That a good staff team consists of people for the age of 21 right up to retirement. That whilst fads and initiatives come and go, good, experienced teachers are required to support and shape their younger counterparts. You also know that there is a huge crisis in the profession that can ill afford mass early retirement or resignation based on what is, fundamentally, a difference of opinion.