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.

It's possible but that's not what it states. I agree there's perhaps been some wires crossed.

DH and I can both wfh and neither we, nor the DC have any clinical vulnerabilities.
I’m desperate for them to get back to school, and cognisant of those DC for whom school is vital, but I can’t help feeling teachers and all those who are vulnerable to Covid are being thrown under a bus.

Infection rates are rising and that doesn’t really matter for me and mine but these half-baked plans to reopen all schools, immediately, to everyone must be terrifying if you are at risk.

After the way teachers have been briefed against and disregarded throughout this crisis, it’s appalling that they should be sent into the fray with such little guidance, back up or funding.

@Thunderpunt

And the last few posts are the kind of thing I'm talking about.

If a parent who was already anxious about sending their child to school comes on and reads those posts where teachers are still questioning the safety in schools, then chances are they are going to think 'well the teachers don't think it's safe so I'm not sending mine'

Well, that's because it's less safe than it was at Easter in terms of the lack of social distancing, and while case numbers might be lower now they're certainly increasing. Teachers are right to counter the lie that schools are Covid-secure.

The problem is that it isn't safe.

Not that people are talking about how it isn't safe.

If a parent who was already anxious about sending their child to school comes on and reads those posts where teachers are still questioning the safety in schools, then chances are they are going to think 'well the teachers don't think it's safe so I'm not sending mine'

Well, they aren’t safe; do you want people who say this silenced?

I got annihilated on here a while back for stating that schools aren't "safe," and that parents needed to accept that that is the case as part of their decision-making in sending their kids back (I suppose I was meaning all those who were throwing their hats in the air and celebrating the prospect).

It’s totally 1984 that there’s more of a focus on what people say about safety than actual safety.

My ds is 13. English home learning was studying Animal Farm. Pretty timely

Thanks to posters who appreciate teachers shouldn’t be lying about safety instead of wanting actual safety. It can get pretty dystopian on here at times

You ain't kiddy @TheHoneyBadger.
Many seem to want to either Nash the teachers or stick their fingers on their ears and pretend everything is aye ok.

Some particularly snarky and downright nasty posters on my thread here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4004131-Thats-one-third-already?msgid=99430479

WHEN the house of cards comes crashing down these twerps will no doubt blame the teachers.

*kidding

And thank you to the parent who acknowledged their child might have been the swearing at teachers child. Being sworn at doesn’t make you a bad teacher it means you’re dealing with kids who find meeting classroom expectations really bloody hard sometimes due to a myriad of reasons.

Anyone who works supporting teens in non selective comprehensive settings knows that.

Being accused of being a crap teacher because you’ve been sworn at is ridiculous. We’ve taught kids who found it impossible to make it through a whole school day without being removed or having to take time out from a lesson. It didn’t mean their teachers were shit, quite the contrary to be honest. Someone who’s only ever worked part time in a private schools and thinks poor classroom management is the only reason for being sworn at has no business commenting on other teachers.

Teaching cared for students with massive attachment disorders requires being sworn at today and welcoming them back with the same positive fresh start regard tomorrow and the next day and the next. It’s bloody hard work and we’ll moan like hell behind closed doors sometimes but we may be the only examples of adults not shouting or hitting or walking out that those children have seen.

Sorry. Will get off the soap box but helping someone like the pp son get through school and come out with good grades is way more of an accomplishment and worthy endeavour than helping Tarquin get an a* in Latin any day and it requires more skill.

Sorry obf. Haven’t got the energy for same tossers different thread. May the force be with you!

I'd love to see @lifeafter50 teach in a real comprehensive. That would be a treat.

And you THB.

Rest well kind lady. And your post unthread about working to support very disturbed young people brought a lump to my throat.

Thank you for all you do.

No Thank you. I’m shit at it a lot of the time I’d happily see them excluded or put in a juvenile detention centre on bad days because it’s so fucking exhausting lol. No saintly halo here.

@TheHoneyBadger

And thank you to the parent who acknowledged their child might have been the swearing at teachers child. Being sworn at doesn’t make you a bad teacher it means you’re dealing with kids who find meeting classroom expectations really bloody hard sometimes due to a myriad of reasons.

Anyone who works supporting teens in non selective comprehensive settings knows that.

Being accused of being a crap teacher because you’ve been sworn at is ridiculous. We’ve taught kids who found it impossible to make it through a whole school day without being removed or having to take time out from a lesson. It didn’t mean their teachers were shit, quite the contrary to be honest. Someone who’s only ever worked part time in a private schools and thinks poor classroom management is the only reason for being sworn at has no business commenting on other teachers.

Teaching cared for students with massive attachment disorders requires being sworn at today and welcoming them back with the same positive fresh start regard tomorrow and the next day and the next. It’s bloody hard work and we’ll moan like hell behind closed doors sometimes but we may be the only examples of adults not shouting or hitting or walking out that those children have seen.

Sorry. Will get off the soap box but helping someone like the pp son get through school and come out with good grades is way more of an accomplishment and worthy endeavour than helping Tarquin get an a* in Latin any day and it requires more skill.

That was me!

Ds school were amazing. They learnt he couldn't calm and talking to him made it worse (when the first time they tried that tact and the result was him trying to out his head through a glass door!)

So he had his own spacing in learning support and if he started to get agitated he was to go there. It had bean bags, and soft balls he could throw and with door shut he could swear to his hearts content!

The understanding he was having a meltdown and wasn't in control made such a difference.

But like I say, to us teachers were professional. In fact one memorable day I got a phone call from his maths teacher to apologise that ds was coming home in a state.
Another child was having a bad day and was using ds safe space outside class. Ds obviously decided that was the day to have a meltdown.

The teacher offered ds another space. Nuff said!

I just laughed and said "well at least it wasn't me upsetting him this time" and teacher said he now knows that ds space needs to be his.

But whatever they said away from us is fair game. I'm sure as much as teachers did actually genuinely adore him they also wanted to kill him and needed some more help at times.

I know I do

Aw @itsgettingweird. We had this when my DD was younger and at school. ASD and hard work.

She's still hard work. The staff really did their best but she has PDA traits and every interaction is a challenge.

@Oldbagface

It's possible but that's not what it states. I agree there's perhaps been some wires crossed.

I have no idea what you’re looking at (obviously!) but just check that the conditions are listed to qualify.

Even from this thread you can see people say well we have high BAME, so without a definition people may assume the same and tick vulnerable.

Also I’m not sure what kicks in if they declare ECV but if it’s actual change it may be worth checking.

Yeah I checked. It says "not available to work due to ECV"

I have to say I'm stunned.

I will contact school. It's very odd.

Could be a simple as a blip? Human error?

@Oldbagface

Yeah I checked. It says "not available to work due to ECV"

I have to say I'm stunned.

I will contact school. It's very odd.

My thoughts resemble this face

Does it have to be qualified with a letter?

That’s a lot of staff unable to work!

Ps when you check ask if they provided the list of conditions to qualify as ECV

Yes I will. It's very odd indeed.

The problem is that it isn't safe. Not that people are talking about how it isn't safe.

Blimey, this with bells on.

It goes to show how pampered our society has become that people really think magical thinking works. If we don't talk about it / believe it, it won't happen. That worked SO well in March (not).

The scientific consensus is that safe school reopening looks like this:

Small classes - no more than 15 per class in bubbles so no cross contamination between classes
Good ventilation (which in winter will mean higher heating bills)
Extra cleaning
Adequate sinks ideally that bubbles don't need to mix when handwashing
At least 2m between desks (children sitting alone)
Masks at least for secondary
some say temperature checks
Children to stay home when ill - no exceptions

My DD's school went back like this before the hols. She loved the small class sizes and enjoyed school so much more. But they relied on outdoor space and extra staff to achieve it. They can't do that in Sept.

Says a lot about a country that's willing to waste billions on non-tendered contracts for PPE / test and trace that don't deliver but are not willing to support schools to stay open.

Relatives abroad are having online blended learning. I don't honestly understand the obsession with them all being in all the time, which will inevitably be short lived.