The government is trying to make you think schools will be socially distanced

[noblegiraffe]

The government are currently running a (well publicised) propaganda campaign to say that schools are safe. They are using social media influencers, journalists and friendly scientists (firmly ignoring any unfriendly ones like the Royal Society). Branwen Jefferys of the BBC tweeted “So how high is government anxiety about school return? A PR company acting on behalf of the Cabinet office is now emailing media offering experts to support the “messaging”. Strange way to approach news journalists ..”

And just about every news outlet running stories about schools seems to be rotating stock footage of half empty classrooms with teachers miles away from the kids. There have even been photos of kids getting temperature checks (not allowed). I was watching Sky news where a commentator was saying how awful it was that kids would be sent back to socially distanced schools. The PM gave a rambling speech to carefully spaced kids in a library. And in a visit to a classroom it’s clear that the kids were all shoved down one end in order to give some lovely spaced kids at the other end for the PM to pose in front of.
metro.co.uk/2020/08/27/boris-johnson-staged-school-visit-social-distancing-13188600/

Matt Hancock was on the news saying it was really important for teachers to stay 2m from the kids to avoid spreading the virus between all the bubbles they’ll be working in, despite knowing that this will be utterly and hopelessly impossible.

Why are the government lying? Why are they sending the ‘right’ experts to the press? Why are kids being spread out for staged photo shoots instead of honest pictures?

And why are the press largely going along with it?

Schools are going back, in a lot of cases to an estate that is unfit for purpose. Old buildings, no ventilation, large class sizes. Pupils will be crammed in facing a teacher who won’t be able to stand 2m from them. If it’s so safe, why aren’t they showing and acknowledging the reality?

YABU: what they are doing is fine and there are perfectly reasonable explanations for all the suggestions of socially distanced classrooms and schools in the media

YANBU: the lying liars are lying to us again

How would you like it to be addressed? What action do you want people to take as a result of your thread?

It depends on their level of power, doesn't it?

Some people are writing to their MP. Others are providing equipment to schools. Others are reporting biased media reports to the regulators. I'm sure others with more power can do much more.

Me, I want people to know what's going on.

FrippEnos
Your made up percentage was
if 88% of teachers had stepped up
or do you have a link/evidence for that?

"Four in 10 pupils have had little contact with teachers during lockdown"

"seven out of 10 state school children (71%) had had between none and one online lessons per day"

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jun/15/2m-children-in-uk-have-done-almost-no-school-work-in-lockdown

Are we saying then that headteachers are lying in the correspondence to parents? Or that parents aren’t reading it? My children are back at school and the literature from the head around reopening was clear that there would be no social distancing. We have pictures uploaded onto Dojo every day so I can see for myself that there is no social distancing?
Lying and propaganda from the government is what I expect. Yes it’s appalling. It happens all the time.
But why aren’t parents getting the real picture from their schools? Is the truth being omitted, or are parents just not paying attention?

[quote Clavinova]FrippEnos
Your made up percentage was
if 88% of teachers had stepped up
or do you have a link/evidence for that?

"Four in 10 pupils have had little contact with teachers during lockdown"

"seven out of 10 state school children (71%) had had between none and one online lessons per day"

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jun/15/2m-children-in-uk-have-done-almost-no-school-work-in-lockdown[/quote]
So little contact would mean some even if it was just setting work.

and not all pupils are able to have "online lessons" due to lack of facilities at home, so a bit of a nonsense especially as online lessons are not the be all and end all of education.

Your article also says that 42% of pupils didn't do the work set anyway.

And it doesn't mention (that I can see) any percentage for teachers that didn't set work.

But @Clavinova that was 88% of the Government's target, not 88% of the children that need laptops. So even if schools had provided remote learning there would still have been a significant number of pupils who would not have been able to access it. As previously stated our local MAT was one of the ones who only received 20% of the required laptops. So what were the 80% of the pupils who didn't receive their laptops meant to do if the school provided live lessons?

So when people say “we know what’s going on thanks giraffe and it’s all good” what is your response?

Clavinova no the cost of the exam fees, a cleaner to clean between sessions (they aren't usually in then) cleaning supplies, invigilators, my time and my assistant's time over the two half term, printing, extra supplies such as pens etc, one of the students needs an access arrangements facilitator and as none of our usual ones are free I am looking at an agency, the extra time for the caretakers to put up the tables and chairs each day as we have bookings, the extra staff needed to escort students to and from the room. It adds up pretty soon. I also have internal exams planned for some of that time so I can't necessarily share some things between groups that I normally would.

Are we saying then that headteachers are lying in the correspondence to parents?

No, just putting a very rosy spin on things.

I think if you are a primary school parent then you will have a very different view on this. Primary schools are in a completely different situation to secondary, bubbles will be much smaller, most teachers will be staying within their bubbles.

Secondaries on the other hand will be talking to parents about bubbles knowing that the real bubble is the whole school. They'll be talking about zones and one way systems to keep year groups separate while not talking about siblings in other year groups, the fact that they'll be mixing on buses and walking to school, and socialising with each other outside of school. They also don't mention that teachers will be schlepping around the school piercing every bubble, that kids will be left unsupervised while waiting for their teacher, that there aren't enough toilets or sinks for the kids to wash their hands regularly, or money for cleaners to clean properly.

They're not lying, they're just not mentioning an awful lot of stuff.

Perhaps you have misunderstood my point - if 88% of teachers were providing live lessons during partial school closure they would have a good case for blended/remote learning instead of a full return to school.

Your article also says that 42% of pupils didn't do the work set anyway.

Another reason why pupils should return to school!

@alljustamoopoint

So when people say “we know what’s going on thanks giraffe and it’s all good” what is your response?

I'd say, on this thread, 'you know that the government are lying to you and you think that's fine?!'

Obviously I'd disagree.

@noblegiraffe

Are we saying then that headteachers are lying in the correspondence to parents?

No, just putting a very rosy spin on things.

I think if you are a primary school parent then you will have a very different view on this. Primary schools are in a completely different situation to secondary, bubbles will be much smaller, most teachers will be staying within their bubbles.

Secondaries on the other hand will be talking to parents about bubbles knowing that the real bubble is the whole school. They'll be talking about zones and one way systems to keep year groups separate while not talking about siblings in other year groups, the fact that they'll be mixing on buses and walking to school, and socialising with each other outside of school. They also don't mention that teachers will be schlepping around the school piercing every bubble, that kids will be left unsupervised while waiting for their teacher, that there aren't enough toilets or sinks for the kids to wash their hands regularly, or money for cleaners to clean properly.

They're not lying, they're just not mentioning an awful lot of stuff.

So you do think schools should be closed?

Those of you saying Noble shouldn't be starting her threads or it's not helping.

How many of you supported the NHs staff when they were on TV daily asking for suitable PPE, saddened by the deaths oh hospital staff, clapped for them weekly, agreed with them over finding supermarkets empty? Agree with closing down hospitals from operations etc? GP surgeries that still aren't open? How many agreed the constant testing was necessary?

How many agreed that the handling of care homes was horrendous. Agreed the despite 84% being private government should have provided PPE to all. Thought it horrendous people were discharged to care homes without testing and when there was a case that everyone wasn't tested for asymptomatic cases? How many agree that the rolling system of testing is the right thing to do? That the deaths were at times avoidable?

How many agreed and supported the police that they didn't have enough capacity to deal with guidance Vs law due to the 20,000 police cuts made. How many agreed it wasn't fair to expect them to understand unclear guidance? How many felt they should also have PPE when dealing with public?

How many of him were also saddened by deaths of transport workers. Agree again they should have been provided with proper and effective PPE and better law and guidance around use of transport and enforceable rules?

If you didn't why not? Is it because youve never worked public sector service and just don't understand how cuts have affected these services?

If you did - why do you have such an issue with people from education launching their own campaign now? Why can't education try and get better for your children and the staff? Why don't you think a campaign for change as the other services above made should be limited to those and not education?

Why can't you equate what other services did and succeeded in as equal to this?

Did you tell nhs staff and transport workers for example to just be quiet and do their job as that's what they are paid for?

BlueBerryBiscuit
How many exam invigilators do you normally employ and pay during the summer term?

Should have had a fully in the GP surgery sentence! Fully open!

I think it isn’t helping noble herself. I honestly am a bit concerned about the number of threads started and the time given to replying on them.

Clavinova

I am not arguing the reasons for going back to school. I think that school is the best place of most of the pupils to learn.
I will argue that it isn't as safe as it could be
and I will argue people's points about it though.

And on that point you have no evidence that
if 88% of teachers were providing live lessons during partial school closure they would have a good case for blended/remote learning instead of a full return to school.

It is a supposition and nothing more.

Even when we ran running live lessons we were getting between 40 - 60% of the pupils (possibly) watching.

So you do think schools should be closed?

Weird thing to take from that post that didn't once mention schools being closed.

25 but I may need to recruit more as many will be busy doing internal exams. If I have to spread across rooms I pay more of them. I had to pay them a retainer over the summer and I've had increased costs from the way results days have happened so my savings aren't as big as initially hoped.

Those thing you mention such as secondary children having brothers and sisters aren’t likely to be solved in any other way, are they?

ineedaholidaynow
So what were the 80% of the pupils who didn't receive their laptops meant to do if the school provided live lessons?

Attend school and work in the library/computer room in June/July?
80% of how many?
What Year Groups?

@noblegiraffe

How would you like it to be addressed? What action do you want people to take as a result of your thread?

It depends on their level of power, doesn't it?

Some people are writing to their MP. Others are providing equipment to schools. Others are reporting biased media reports to the regulators. I'm sure others with more power can do much more.

Me, I want people to know what's going on.

I'm happy to write to my MP. I don't know of anything else I can do.

As for people knowing what's going on... I honestly don't think half of them want to know. Around half the country seems not only happy to be lied to, but incensed by anyone telling them they are being lied to. And it doesn't matter how much information you give them, they don't want to hear it, they don't want to know, they can never admit they've been taken in.

if 88% of teachers were providing live lessons during partial school closure they would have a good case for blended/remote learning instead of a full return to school.

It is a supposition and nothing more.

Or common sense.

@alljustamoopoint

I think it isn’t helping noble herself. I honestly am a bit concerned about the number of threads started and the time given to replying on them.

Oh mate, you haven't been here long have you, if you think this is a new thing?

alljustamoopoint

Congratulations.

Its the first time I have ever seen someone try to shut someone down by pretending to care about their health.

As a mum I think schools should be open (as ideal and best place for normal schooling) BUT Covid secure. That is the problem as we all know schools will be another "care" home Covid incubation station. Is it possible to have social distancing in an indoor setting designed initially for half the school population and now over crowded? All the usual school illnesses like chickenpox and lice etc spread like wild fire so why is Covid (part from being more asymptomatic and more highly contagious) not going to spread in school incubators?