Parents are the blockage at schools re-opening, not teaching unions

[noblegiraffe]

The government has spent months demonising teaching unions and blaming them for blocking schools re-opening, including in June when it was actually the government’s own guidelines that prevented the further re-opening of primary schools.

This has left them in a bit of a pickle because schools are re-opening in September, the unions aren’t blocking it, there are no plans for teacher strikes, but the latest survey data from the ONS says that only 90% of parents are fairly or very likely to send their kids back. If the data is similar to back in June, better off parents are more likely to send their kids back, and more disadvantaged families are less likely.

So the government are now running a campaign aimed at parents, putting out articles across all newspapers. The Chief Medical Officers have dutifully said that schools are safe. And the responses are ‘see, schools need to reopen, our kids are being thrown under the bus’. The message is being read the wrong way. It’s being read as being targeted at teachers and unions who it is supposed are stopping schools opening, and not at parents who don’t want to send their kids back.

And this is the government’s fault. Because they have spent months creating a fake war, they have dropped the ball on a real issue - creating safer schools that parents are happy to send their kids back to.

The government isn’t taking the tack of blaming parents (unlike how they blame teachers for wanting safer schools), they’re campaigning to encourage parents to believe what is currently in place is safe.

You shouldn’t be right but sadly you are. The government have invested far more in manipulating public opinions than they have in making schools safer.

In fact the only thing they have done re making schools safer is launch this campaign (which is clearly going to have zero effect on the actual outcomes).

This campaign is the only money they’ve invested on preventative measures for an airborne virus. Wash your hands and walk one way around campus. I refuse to mention bubbles. They’re communities.

They are a farce. Why wouldn’t they spend money on the safeguards - hand washing and extra cleaning??? Because they will make little difference to an airborne virus’ transmission rates maybe??

I’m just consoling myself with the fact that ultimately people aren’t stupid. They will wonder about the parents they’ve not seen on drop off and the children missing from class. They will start to get uneasy as more and more cases pop up.

There is safety in numbers and as the penny drops and stories of local cases rise they will begin to vote with their feet. Leaving at school shell shocked teachers and scared children who need to be there.

We need to be protecting teachers, key workers children, vulnerable children and all the “new” children that now need to attend because of mental health or financial reasons.

Where is the care? Where is the planning? Where is the sustainability? Where is the plan B?

I’m still hoping unions are biding their time, but every day makes me think you might be right @noblegiraffe that it might come down to parents following their instincts. I have heard that classes are not full by any stretch in Scotland. And this is in a country with less cases and a lower r value than us.

@noblegiraffe

The government isn’t taking the tack of blaming parents (unlike how they blame teachers for wanting safer schools), they’re campaigning to encourage parents to believe what is currently in place is safe.

@noblegiraffe there is a spammer in our midst.

@noblegiraffe

The government isn’t taking the tack of blaming parents (unlike how they blame teachers for wanting safer schools), they’re campaigning to encourage parents to believe what is currently in place is safe.

Well I don't believe they are safe & after being told if I deregistered my DC then the LA have no responsibility to issue him a EHCP in future, then I'm not left with a choice. It was a fight to get him the EHCP & the school place he has, after reading the Dundee school news I do fear for the next school year. I'm aware someone is going to come along and say ''Children don't get it'' or whatever they like to say at the moment. That's not my point. Adults do. Teachers are adults. Without the teachers & teaching staff schools close. If they close, it disrupts his routine, that's before I even get in to how upset he'd be to learn his teachers are not well!

My other childs school, mainstream, may as well have just said all back as normal in September just with handwashing because that's what it amounts to.
My youngest is supposed to be starting nursery in Sept, whilst I'm aware others will say young children ''don't get it'' they do get all bugs going in Nursery, it will add a whole extra chance of having to isolate.
If I don't send him, they won't keep him on their 'books' and I have to go through the process of registering him for a place all over again. Despite me just wanting to wait & see how things went for the first few weeks.

Shit show.

Ours will go in, cases are low at the moment here but expect they will rise

Be surprised if they last until October half term.

I have been offered a very, very part-time job but feel the possible time off school that might be required in next 6 months (2 kids 2 different school bubbles) I can't take the work as it would be unfair on everyone.

All balls really.

But they are going back see what happens. Step by step, day by day.

As ever, @noblegiraffe is spot on.

The only thing I've heard from the NEU recently is about exams 2021.

I'll look out for the bus adverts.

To be honest, if there was more faith in the government at tackling Covid generally, this wouldn't be such an uphill struggle.

I have absolutely zero understanding of the reasons behind the plan to send all children back full time from day one.

Yes our children need school, parents need to work. But we have all been doing this since March. They is no reason I can see why we aren't getting everyone back half time, testing things out and then increasing as the situation becomes clear.

I hate the polar opposite views that it's all or nothing!

@lunar1

I have absolutely zero understanding of the reasons behind the plan to send all children back full time from day one.

Yes our children need school, parents need to work. But we have all been doing this since March. They is no reason I can see why we aren't getting everyone back half time, testing things out and then increasing as the situation becomes clear.

I hate the polar opposite views that it's all or nothing!

Totally agree. Something like half in Monday Tuesday, Cleaning Wednesday (this could be the day when teacher sets the 'home learning' work for the class too) Other half in Thursday & Friday. The teacher can 'teach' on the 2 days & then the pupils cover written work / work sheets / online learning relating to that on the other 3 days, with things like PE etc at home.

Allows space for SD, keeps 'bubbles' smaller etc.

No one will go for it though as then parents will see just how much pupils learn when in smaller class sizes & that's not something this Government want anyone to see.

No one will go for it though as then parents will see just how much pupils learn when in smaller class sizes & that's not something this Government want anyone to see.

I think this is a really valid point!

If only the government had put the same amount of effort into making schools safe as they will in lying about how safe they are, the Autumn term would be significantly better.

As I understand it the overwhelming transmission is by inhaling droplets, how is this reduced by spreding 20% of the school year cleaning? Imo that's a waste of time and resources, it seems to me that's ignoring all the evidence as a sop to parents.

So Chris Whitty has been wheeled out to say that children will be safe - yes they probably will be, especially the younger ones. No mention of the risks to adult staff 😡

Teaching unions have never tried to block school 'reopening'. They just want them safe for EVERYONE.

Covid surveillance reports show that when the schools had YR, Y1 and Y6 back the number of reported outbreaks were higher in educational settings than there were in hospitals. So the government thought it necessary to publish the lie that 'there wasn't one case of pupil to teacher transmission'. Ok then 😡 Show me the Track & Trace proof and I'll retract that statement.

What worries me is that there doesn't appear to be a definitive Plan B for when cases start to rise ("Oh we MAY close pubs and shops!") and classes are half full with the other half of pupils self-isolating (and consequently their families) for 2 weeks.

If any of my DC's 'bubbles' have to SI then I do too - that's my class without their teacher for possibly up to 2 weeks.

It's just been one shitshow after another. I think we're in for a rough Autumn term....

@PleasantVille

As I understand it the overwhelming transmission is by inhaling droplets, how is this reduced by spreding 20% of the school year cleaning? Imo that's a waste of time and resources, it seems to me that's ignoring all the evidence as a sop to parents.

Well if the advice it to wash your hands & that's it in schools then I damn well hope they're making time to wash the schools too!

But in all seriousness, Wednesday can be the day the teachers plan/set/mark the work if schools are oh so different to hands... (I've seen our schools. Goodness me)

@lunar1

I have absolutely zero understanding of the reasons behind the plan to send all children back full time from day one.

Yes our children need school, parents need to work. But we have all been doing this since March. They is no reason I can see why we aren't getting everyone back half time, testing things out and then increasing as the situation becomes clear.

I hate the polar opposite views that it's all or nothing!

Absolutely.

but the latest survey data from the ONS says that only 90% of parents are fairly or very likely to send their kids back. If the data is similar to back in June, better off parents are more likely to send their kids back, and more disadvantaged families are less likely.

This is higher than the last poll I heard on this (R4) and pretty high.

When you talk about June who do you mean? Y1, y6 etc some were missing? Or vulnerable dc that had the option? Fines didn’t exist then did they?

I agree it’s aimed at parents, I didn’t think otherwise, but I don’t think they are a blockage to re-opening just at risk of de-registering their dc (which is up to them) or keeping them off.

This is higher than the last poll I heard on this

This is the latest ONS data, I know that other polls have been much worse, but can be more easily disregarded. 1 in 10 kids not going back would be a disaster anyway, that’s three from each class!

I’m struggling with the fact there is no plan B. We are seeing cases rise in Scotland schools but it’s seems as if our government don’t care.

Children need an education there is no denying that but if we had better home learning they would get that. Secondary schools are going to be a mess by October half term. If we had home learning better year groups could be split in half and only Go in half the week with the other half home learning. I feel the closing and opening is going to do more damage. Fractured learning is not going to help anyone.

We go back in less than a fortnight and there is t plans in place if we close.

It’s not a blockage to re-opening but yes it is detrimental if so many stay off, so the message is a good one.

For the small minority who have dc at extra risk, it would be valid to assess each situation, but that percentage is much smaller.

Totally agree with shitfuckoh ... the decision to dismiss a part time solution that would halve bubble sizes was ideological, not practical.

The PHE study that has just been released that said transmission in schools in June was low, is surely a great piece of evidence to suggest that where small numbers of children and adults are in schools, social distancing is possible which was highly effective!

I don’t think they are a blockage to re-opening

No, I didn’t mean they were stopping schools opening, but were the real problem, not the unions,

Well if the advice it to wash your hands & that's it in schools then I damn well hope they're making time to wash the schools too!

You wash your hands so that you don't risk transferring the virus to you face and inhaling it, totally different thing to cleaning surfaces.

From what I've read schools are increasing hand washing and all parents can educate their children on the importance of it and make sure they know to carry sanitizer around as well.

An average supermarket has many many more people through it every day than a school does, they aren't closing for cleaning nor is there any evidence that transmission is happening from surfaces alone.