Why can’t we do what Italy are doing?

[CKBJ]

In Italy schools are opening, the new term is starting. Teachers wearing face masks and visors, pupils wear masks, socially distanced in class at 1m and pupils who live with vulnerable adult(s) can have lessons remotely.

We basically have had similar cases levels of Covid as Italy albeit our hospitals weren’t over run but our death rate is higher. Surely our government could have implemented similar measures to Italy for September and possibly relaxed some of them as the term progresses rather than basically start as normal and hope for the best?

@notevenat20 that funding is £80 per pupil and schools are getting it paid in three instalments across the year.

I completely buy the criticisms but it seems relevant as previously someone said the school couldn't afford 50 quid for a classroom to buy recording equipment.

I guess this is funding for a minority of students so more than 80 quid each?

@notevenat20

I completely buy the criticisms but it seems relevant as previously someone said the school couldn't afford 50 quid for a classroom to buy recording equipment.

I guess this is funding for a minority of students so more than 80 quid each?

The money has been allocated across the board so a school of 1000 pupils where 50 had no access to tech gets the same money as a school of 1000 pupils where 500 had no tech.

So not targeted, no.

The funding formula has been deliberately been altered to reduce the additional monies previously given to schools with deprived pupils. I.e. to increase funding to schools in conservative constituencies.

I know a little bit about school funding and all I can say is we are entering September having reduced staff levels, not increased them. That we have had to put some works on hold, meaning one covered outside space is unusable and that our income from clubs has reduced as their costs have risen so we had to decide to give them free room hire for at least one half term or their business would collapse and the parents rely on them.

It was good to hear someone who actually knows what schools are like!

Haha.. so poster girl for Tory ed policy, Birbalsingh, says stuff about schools and everyone is glad to hear it, but teachers posting the truth on here for months and months, are told we should get back in our viral soup boxes.

US school districts saved money during lockdown - apparently we didn't (according to teachers on this forum);

Our schools saved very little during the lockdown, speaking as someone who actually worked on the budget.

We hired more staff during lockdown because we actually continued to deliver the full curriculum to all students, but did it online.

We also delivered more school lunches than usual (we made them available to every student, rather than only those who qualified), in a more complicated way, during lockdown and throughout the summer vacation.

Our fixed costs (like owning school buses) did not diminish.

Trips are usually paid for through fundraising so no money saved there.

Supplies are bought by students' families.

Staff who weren't working (eg cleaners) were still paid.

We lost money that we would usually have made through sports events, plays, social events.

US school districts saved money during lockdown - apparently we didn't

Did they stop keep paying their staff? Did they stay open for any children?

My school had full bubbles from Easter, so most eligible staff (if not vulnerable) were in. Those at home did the greater share of the hoe learning. Office staff were still in FT, as were the maintenance staff. So everyone was paid. We still had the whole school open so we didn't save any costs there. We spent more on cleaning productions and other items we needed to remain Covid secure. We even needed to purchase some extra laptops for teachers to use at home, as, for example, our classes with shared teachers didn't have enough.

The funding formula has been deliberately been altered to reduce the additional monies previously given to schools with deprived pupils. I.e. to increase funding to schools in conservative constituencies.

That is, sadly, the great majority of constituencies these days and not just the posh parts of the country.

Did they stop keep paying their staff? Did they stay open for any children?

The schools closed physically to students, but continued to deliver the full curriculum online. Devices and (where needed) internet hotspots were provided to all students at home. School kitchens stayed open to make lunches for students, which were then delivered through a mix of pick-up points and deliveries to students' homes.

Administrative staff if anything worked harder, as they were dealing with everything having changed in terms of how they were delivering education during the lockdown, and preparing for how school would work in the upcoming academic year.

Sports coaches did not have to do as much work, but they were still paid.

@notevenat20

The funding formula has been deliberately been altered to reduce the additional monies previously given to schools with deprived pupils. I.e. to increase funding to schools in conservative constituencies.

That is, sadly, the great majority of constituencies these days and not just the posh parts of the country.

Yes, but it isn't in the best interests of Britain.

Sigh. Same sort of uninformed rubbish as “Italians love children” .

Italy has been fighting with the teachers as much as the U.K. govt. Teaching in Italy is generally from 8 till 1 or 2. It was put forward to have two sessions, morning and afternoon, with different groups and different teachers. The teachers are resisting this as they don’t want to work afternoons.

The idea for single desks and screens is all very well but as of today they are not in place.

Some public buildings will be used, but this will be temporary. A church in January? It would be freezing.

The remote learning idea is for the kids to go in week and week about, with the absent group joining over the internet (everyone will get €300 towards a computer). This is also problematic as a) teachers not keen and b) how do you make Luca/Katie turn up/watch the screen for hours on end?

Italy is not always hot and it is not the Dolmio advert.

The public buildings won't be churches!

They are generally local govt office blocks that are no longer used, or even schools that aren't open any more. Many are already in use.

As far as I know, nothing has been said at any point about different teachers in the afternoon.(I think practically the half and half home/online is more probable than afternoons because there wouldn't be enough teachers to cover)
Most school classrooms already have single table/desks so that won't be a huge issue- indeed much of the hoohah recently has come from the Min of Ed buying single desks (on wheels for some bizarre reason) when they weren't needed. The problem does remain that like many countries in Europe many classes are huge and classrooms are small.

Haven't heard anything about €300 towards a computer though during lockdown some schools definitely provided computers to students who didn't have them. It is the kind of throwaway comment successive govts make though which then never lead to anything.

Truth is, with a fortnight to go in some regions, and just under a month in others, nobody knows yet what will happen. The news today said everyone will be in class, everyone will wear a mask. Fact is they need to get some spaces sorted for SD to be possible. Regions do have a lot of autonomy, and so do schools, which is why there was such disparity during the online learning phase, even within the same town in some cases.

The attendance to online won't be a problem if it comes to it I don't think. The students know they got a free pass last year with nobody failing their year (which can happen, rarely, but possible) and attendance online not being compulsory (though afaik there weren't huge attendance issues) This time around it will be compulsory.

Everyone wants to be in class, the kids and the teachers. Just hoping it happens.

Holdmylobster - where did the savings come from then? As they were the only way I could see - out running costs were pretty much the same as normal, hence savings not happening.

@Aragog

Holdmylobster - where did the savings come from then? As they were the only way I could see - out running costs were pretty much the same as normal, hence savings not happening.

There weren't any savings, other than a few minimal amounts.

Clavinova seems to think US schools are awash in spare cash, but ours certainly are not.

Clavinova thinks lots of strange things