If You Could Choose Any Education Option for Sept

[IDSNeighbour]

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.

Clearly we need to check their Twitter feed before responding. I just need to get some water!

If what they believe in is truly right, they should not need to resort to these tactics.

I joined a while ago because I was willing to hear what they had to say. I like to consider all viewpoints. I guess they think they’re well intentioned but it’s become a campaigning cult that’s about the prize not listening to science and doing what’s right at all. A shame. Imagine if all that energy was put into increasing education standards in general!

Weirdly their stance made me realise how wrong they were!

@Bbq1 thanks. Clearly a very different context. I'm really not sure how my young man will manage without his support and I don't want to send him away to work elsewhere, which is my only other option.

@noblegiraffe

I saw from twitter that they’re not just flooding polls on Mumsnet but also posting threads here.

It is now beyond dispute that children can be infected, will be infected, some of them will get sick, and unfortunately, as we know, some of them will also die.

Why are Us For Them so keen for our children to be infected?

First and preferred choice is option B - I want full time schooling but with safety measures such as social distancing and masks for all who can and are old enough.

But possibly if Covid situation worsens say people are criminally negligent in all Covid mitigation measures like militant unmasked pro herd immunity brigade etc then option C - I want blended learning (half in the classroom and half online)

However ideally I would for primary schools and so very young children ban all weak link safety bubble use of non Covid friendly mass hop on hop off shared public transportation for all including staff who reside outside school catchment area. I would prefer parents and children waking to local school (as they should ordinarily anyway) masked so that you are physically able to social distance to and from school daily so not compromising the enlarged mass multi household school bubble. Minimising Covid risk by staying away from inevitable Covid tag team musical chairs Russian roulette packed commuter bus or train with no ventilation but recirculating air conditioning or heating. Possibly request staff to travel via car (eg staff car pooling), motorcycle or cycling if unable to walk or use an electric commuter scooter.

@ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia our risk assessment specifically mentions car sharing as a bad idea. My colleague and I can either a) drive together b) drive separately or c) use public transport. Usually we pick c but the timetables won't work in September so we'll have to drive. But I'm in 4 bubbles and she is in 6... so that's problematic.

C or E

[quote MrsHamlet]@ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia our risk assessment specifically mentions car sharing as a bad idea. My colleague and I can either a) drive together b) drive separately or c) use public transport. Usually we pick c but the timetables won't work in September so we'll have to drive. But I'm in 4 bubbles and she is in 6... so that's problematic.[/quote]
The school daily commute in terms of methodology, duration, distance, frequency and number of non social distance contacts are the material risk factors for likelihood of potential vectors for Covid exposure and onward transmission. This is naturally the biggest concern despite best efforts within the school boundaries. The schools bubble is obviously not always Covid proof but obviously all it takes is for an inadvertent super spreader to enter and turn the school into another "care home" incubator scenario. You thought school spread of chickenpox or lice etc was bad enough. With those the fatalities is non existent and the symptoms are visible! That is the major concern because there is no Covid cure nor any compulsory accurate and frequent mass rapid results testing to track, trace and isolate Covid compromised. There is even a relaxed social attitude for use of face coverings and PPE generally (apparently human rights are preferred to risk of death or long term suffering) so obviously the figures of Covid fatalities and daily infections reflect our don't care attitude when compared to more serious risk savvy and concerned neighbouring nations with much better Covid data.

I am unsure as what the solution to this risk element is. Perhaps the school need to lay on minibuses and take away limited budgets from non core education so that only bare bones Covid schooling is resumed?

A

C. I’d be happy with a combination of B and C. D if necessary and a right to D for all. Absolutely not A.

B

C so smaller bubbles and more space. A if smaller bubbles and more space was achievable (which it isn't)!

@RedCatBlueCat "in my head, you teach to half the class, and then send them away with work to be getting on with at home. Then the other half come in, and you teach the same thing. So 50% teacher input, 50% independent work." That's how I see it too.

@PiataMaiNei

Also it seems a no brainer to me to allow D, while we're still dealing with this situation. It's all very well saying people have the right to homeschool so this isn't necessary, but of course wanting to do it temporarily during a pandemic is a totally different kettle of fish to making a longer term commitment. The reality is that some people live in areas where school place provision is really patchwork and complex.

This. Disgusting to penalise parents who TEMPORARILY don't want to send kids in, due to a risky environment. FWIW, I didn't vote d.

B, with plans to fall back to half time (for all) and then educating remotely. Even 2 hours 2 days/week would mean progress on English/maths and a bit of seeing friends.

Anyone who wishes to keep DC at home should not be penalised (for starters they will make it slightly less likely that the school will shut), but I will send DS in .

I think people should declare if they are part of the UsForThem brigade when voting and whether or not they have been directed here through orders from twitter/facebook.

Usforthem are also retweeting people that are going to ignore the isolation rules on returning from holidays.

That seems to me to be a bit self defeating.

Oh I get it! I keep hearing about people who what us to "stay in lockdown forever" but have never met one. That's what U4T want, really, isn't it? I mean that's the only actually logically sound explanation for the stances they seem to be taking.

Of course people are ignoring Covid mitigation rules! It's inevitable. People even think it's just a bit of flu and something that just don't happen to them, family, friends and neighbours etc. Lots of people even criminally fight for supposedly lost civil and human rights than apparently be told to wear a home made or shop brought face covering to potentially save their and their live ones lives and livelihoods.

The last second lockdown and Covid blanket hotspots rules seems a touch ad hoc and sums up the political leadership approach so far - slightly irrational and so does not entrust complete compliance. I am assuming with the incubation timings and as yet no promised world class (anything let alone) test, track, trace and enforced home imprisonment - there will be an unpleasant surprise in time for schools reopening in parts of the UK still on school summer holiday break. Seems very déjà vu but this time possibly not just via Italy but other neighbouring European nations too. Be on the lookout school system!

I’ve seen Us4Them admins being called out for abusing teachers on twitter too.

At least they’re doing it under their own name there and not pretending to be completely oblivious to the group like they do on here.

@noblegiraffe

I’ve seen Us4Them admins being called out for abusing teachers on twitter too.

At least they’re doing it under their own name there and not pretending to be completely oblivious to the group like they do on here.

So it all started out nicey nicey but is turning into a battle ground.

There whole argument is flawed when it is lead with

"All schools must open"

We already know that this is happening. yet this is what they lead on every time.

@RubyMuseday

C. I’d be happy with a combination of B and C. D if necessary and a right to D for all. Absolutely not A.

That's the realistic assessment of the situation we're in.

[quote locked2020]@RedCatBlueCat "in my head, you teach to half the class, and then send them away with work to be getting on with at home. Then the other half come in, and you teach the same thing. So 50% teacher input, 50% independent work." That's how I see it too. [/quote]
I was envisioning morels an alternating three days in two days at home with much better ventilation than currently.

I think the afternoon classes breathing the air from the morning lot would fe a bad idea.