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.

@HipTightOnions

We need to put out efforts to minimising actual risks in schools not ones that have no scientific basis.

The trouble is it’s easy to ask pupils to bring in hand gel and put up posters encouraging them to wash their hands, so we can pretend we’re doing something.

OK, but just because it's a bit hard to enforce the hand washing and social distancing doesn't mean schools are going to shrug their shoulders and not bother surely.

I'm not a school employee but have faith that it's not beyond their competance to come up with ways to get the message across and get the pupils and parents on side

This is problem when you use gaslighting techniques to maintain control.

Eventually people wise up - and stand up to it.

a bit hard to enforce the hand washing and social distancing

You’re apparently working under the assumption that kids will be expected to social distance at school? They’re going to be crammed shoulder to shoulder in classrooms as normal.

It’s not beyond our competence to get the message across.

It is however beyond the laws of physics to get 30 students into a small room with 1m (let alone 2m) between them.

Or to get 800 teenagers to wash their hands in 5 minutes while remaining 1m apart.

Or for 200 pupils to rearrange themselves between 8 classrooms along a short cramped corridor.

but just because it's a bit hard to enforce the hand washing and social distancing

Pupils won't be social distancing. Nor will the teachers in my place. There isn't anywhere I can stand 1m away from all students.

Bullshit

What about working parents? What should they do if schools don't reopen full time?

@PleasantVille

How many people pass through the average supermarket per day? I have no idea. The school I work in has 1900 students and approx 200 staff I think. It's not huge. Most are there.all day Genuinely don't know how it compares.

Google tells me that the average Morrisons (first result that came up) has nearly 25.000 customers per week about whom they have no information, no way to make sure they wash their hands, no influence over, no working relationship with and thousands of products on the shelves yet no supermarket has ever suggested they close for a day a week for cleaning, it's totally unnecessary.

We need to put out efforts to minimising actual risks in schools not ones that have no scientific basis.

The day a week for cleaning was a suggestion, I did go on to say that the 1 day could be spent on setting and marking.

There's a big difference between people passing through supermarkets and students & teachers spending 1 hour+ in a room not designed for that amount of people. The same amount of people that is actually against the law to meet in 'groups' of that size anywhere else!

We're coming from the same place by the way, I want effort putting into minimising risks at schools too but I don't believe all back full time plans in place are workable.

OK, but just because it's a bit hard to enforce the hand washing and social distancing doesn't mean schools are going to shrug their shoulders and not bother surely

The children won’t be able to social distance in most schools. Space simply doesn’t allow it.

Bullshit

Can you elaborate?

@roarfeckingroarr

What about working parents? What should they do if schools don't reopen full time?

What will they do if schools end up having to close full time? Part time is better than nothing surely?

@Shitfuckoh I don't know. I really don't. I'm so glad I don't have school aged children. I would be able to work from home if need be but so many people can't - do you suggest mothers parents give up their jobs / careers to protect teachers from a potential risk?

The issue seems to be that the government can't reassure parents because the science they use to guide the other community efforts is in contradiction to what they are using in schools.

So they attack the unions instead.

If they'd have followed the or own science and put the same measures in place we wouldn't be here.

They’re not a government they’re a PR team who are constantly in campaign mode.

Instead of spending money facilitating a safer schools plan that allows social distancing, they’ve spent money convincing people it’s safe when it isn’t.

Part time school isn’t the solution. By the time kw and vulnerable dc have ft childcare education suffers across the board.

I would advocate for cleaning and optional PPE for teachers. There was another poster with a good list that didn’t involve part time (Fripp I think).

Part time would be a nightmare for me as a teacher. But I can see that we need more funding for sinks, handwashing facilities and hand gel. Also the requirement to ask for proof of a negative test before a symptomatic child returns.

To me that Morrisons estimate is about 3500 per day. Not far off a large comp with sixth form including staff.
Yet despite the most customers just pass through and dont spend hours there, they have to wear masks.
We have no way of getting secondary students to wash their hands either. Not enough sinks.

Google tells me that the average Morrisons (first result that came up) has nearly 25.000 customers per week about whom they have no information, no way to make sure they wash their hands, no influence over, no working relationship with and thousands of products on the shelves yet no supermarket has ever suggested they close for a day a week for cleaning, it's totally unnecessary

Here they have shorter opening times for cleaning and also many close during day for cleaning if needed.

We are a fairly low rate area.

Coincidence?

@WhyNotMe40

To me that Morrisons estimate is about 3500 per day. Not far off a large comp with sixth form including staff. Yet despite the most customers just pass through and dont spend hours there, they have to wear masks. We have no way of getting secondary students to wash their hands either. Not enough sinks.

Very true!

What about working parents? What should they do if schools don't reopen full time?

Schools are reopening full time. What do you think should be done to get parents who don’t think they are safe to send their kids back into?

The government answer is fines for non-attendance and a poster campaign.

Is this adequate?

@noblegiraffe

What about working parents? What should they do if schools don't reopen full time?

Schools are reopening full time. What do you think should be done to get parents who don’t think they are safe to send their kids back into?

The government answer is fines for non-attendance and a poster campaign.

Is this adequate?

Their choice ultimately. If they want to risk their child's education and a fine, let them crack on.

@roarfeckingroarr I'm not suggesting anything of the sort. It's a minefield of course it is. We should have people in place that we can trust to sort this out & plan it so it's as safe as it possibly can be for everyone.
Instead we've got a government that have said schools are to open full time for all but not provided extra funding or any sort of plans to help make this possible long term.
Others will have a different opinion to me - as a parent to 2 school age & 1 preschool age child, I really do hope it all runs smoothly, I just see a nightmare Autumn term ahead but I really do hope I'm wrong.

@notadaffoldilinsight

Uh oh - it's the teachers turn to get their own back on the parents for all the 'teacher bashing' that they were on the receiving end of earlier in the summer when they didn't want couldn't work due to lovely weather for sitting in the garden a lack of PPE.

What a very goady post

@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, it is the all or nothing that has caused the problems.