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

I’ve been here years, “mate”, and I’ve already said, I don’t think endlessly starting threads and spending all day arguing on them during the summer holidays is healthy. Shoot me if you want, your thread invited opinions, that’s mine.

@alljustamoopoint

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

Well, it's about honesty isn't it? Using the word 'bubbles' in application to secondary school is just total nonsense. There's this massive charade going on to pretend that year groups are bubbles when we know they aren't. And what does bubble even mean in this context?

Previously the word 'bubble' has been used to mean a group that you don't have to socially distance with - support bubbles where you can hug your mum for example. But we are going to be teaching teenagers who will be sat shoulder to shoulder for hours on end and then have to explain to them that no, they shouldn't be having a house party with those exact same kids because that's somehow different?

I agree with the premise of the op and personally find the staged images and misleading terms used make me feel the opposite of reassured.

I think the government manages everything like it's still an election campaign, but this is about a core component of everyday life.

I'd prefer honesty.

@alljustamoopoint

I’ve been here years, “mate”, and I’ve already said, I don’t think endlessly starting threads and spending all day arguing on them during the summer holidays is healthy. Shoot me if you want, your thread invited opinions, that’s mine.

I don't believe it invited your opinion of me.

@Clavinova why couldn't the Government just provide the laptops requested.

If schools have to go into self isolation what are those pupils going to do now, those 80% still don't have laptops. If school is closed due to self isolation those pupils have to stay at home. How will they access live lessons?

Do you genuinely believe schools have the right amount of funding to provide a world class education to all pupils, or do you agree that they should be doing their best on a shoestring budget? You can post all the data you want about bits of funding here and there but it doesn't touch the sides on what is actually needed in the Education sector.

It’s not an opinion of you, personally, it’s an opinion on the threads. You don’t want discussion - you want people to agree with you. I don’t, I’m sorry.

And with regard to the other point, I think parents are well aware secondary aged children have siblings. It’s about minimising risks, not removing them altogether.

You don’t want discussion - you want people to agree with you.

Er, I'm the one starting threads and inviting discussion of the issue, you're the one telling people that they shouldn't be starting threads and worrying about the amount of time they spend discussing stuff.

If anyone doesn't want discussion, it would appear to be you. Oh, and the government.

It’s about minimising risks, not removing them altogether.

Which is a laudable aim, but the government isn't minimising risks really, just pretending they don't exist.

I'd personally prefer if they just said 'we can't be arsed to invest time or money into making schools safer, so take your chances'.

Because that's the reality for secondaries!!

Only another 668 posts to go until this thread is also put out of its misery....

Don’t care, don’t care, don’t care.. she is back at school today.

That is honestly all I care about!

@alljustamoopoint

It’s not an opinion of you, personally, it’s an opinion on the threads. You don’t want discussion - you want people to agree with you. I don’t, I’m sorry.

And with regard to the other point, I think parents are well aware secondary aged children have siblings. It’s about minimising risks, not removing them altogether.

What's you opinion about what I posted above about other services?

I think the government manages everything like it's still an election campaign, but this is about a core component of everyday life.

Not only that, it's about public health and safety during a global crisis.

Contrast with how Jacinda Ardern talks to her country.

Only another 668 posts to go until this thread is also put out of its misery

On the up side, the posters in question will have a lot less time for this from next week.

@noblegiraffe

You don’t want discussion - you want people to agree with you.

Er, I'm the one starting threads and inviting discussion of the issue, you're the one telling people that they shouldn't be starting threads and worrying about the amount of time they spend discussing stuff.

If anyone doesn't want discussion, it would appear to be you. Oh, and the government.

I’m not saying ‘people’ shouldn’t be starting threads at all. I’m pointing out you have started a lot of threads about the same thing and I don’t know what else you want.

If someone does disagree you immediately become defensive and upset. That is where my ‘not healthy’ comment stems from.

I’m not sure what I’ve said that makes you think I “don’t want discussion” other than the fact I don’t agree with you, and that does piss me off: you immediately become quite personal if someone suggests your way of thinking is blinkered.

@TheKeatingFive

Only another 668 posts to go until this thread is also put out of its misery

On the up side, the posters in question will have a lot less time for this from next week.

I wish I could be as confident!

I do find it sad that so many parents don't seem to care about the woeful funding of their child's education.

itsgettingweird pretty much what I said on page 1. I think it’s an imperfect solution but I also recognise any solution is imperfect. I honestly don’t see a way around it.

The only thing I would change would be that vulnerable staff should be signed off.

Do people really expect schools to be 'covid secure'? How on earth would that work?

OP, yes the government is lying. That's because they did far too good a job of scaring people shitless unnecessarily in the first place and now they reckon the only way to reverse that is to pretend that it is ever even remotely possible to make a public, non-sterile environment 'covid secure.'

If the government were being honest what they should say is 'we tried lockdown, it caused more problems than it solves, now we just have to get back to normal but we freaked the entire fuck out of you so we have to deal with that by treating you like idiots and pretending a highly infectious virus can still be controlled, despite all the evidence to the contrary.' The problem is, lies built on lies just get more and more confusing and even those who believe in 'covid secure' start to get suspicious and ask questions. The question they should be asking is not 'how can this be more covid secure' but 'you're just bullshitting us aren't you?'

If someone does disagree you immediately become defensive and upset.

Weird. Now I'm not only being lied to by the government about my working conditions, but I'm being lied to by posters about my own reactions to being disagreed with.

All in all a bit of an odd week.

@TheKeatingFive

Only another 668 posts to go until this thread is also put out of its misery

On the up side, the posters in question will have a lot less time for this from next week.

Part time, innit?

Not only that, it's about public health and safety during a global crisis.

Yes, quite, and I feel that trust is so important. The country has really suffered for having such charlatans in charge.

I think leaving aside the specifics around schools for one second, use of the word 'bubbles' etc is the same nonsense as 'protective ring' around care homes.

It is just all bullshit. They do it because they have no respect at all for the British electorate. And it appears they don't need to either, because treating us like Muppets does not appear to affect polling yet!

ineedaholidaynow
why couldn't the Government just provide the laptops requested.

The laptops were manufactured overseas - it was an ambitious project during a global pandemic - the government provided over 200,000 laptops/devices.

The scheme is still running - apply here;
www.gov.uk/guidance/get-laptops-and-tablets-for-children-who-cannot-attend-school-due-to-coronavirus-covid-19

You avoided my question - how many pupils in your MAT didn't receive their laptops? Could you use pupil premium funding for 2020-2021? The guidance says schools can use some of the new 'catch-up' funding for technology if justified.

@noblegiraffe

If someone does disagree you immediately become defensive and upset.

Weird. Now I'm not only being lied to by the government about my working conditions, but I'm being lied to by posters about my own reactions to being disagreed with.

All in all a bit of an odd week.

Yep, how could I have accused you of becoming defensive

Seriously giraffe, if you were my friend I’d be urging you to get signed off for a bit. It’s obviously been troubling you. Put yourself first.

I never voted for the charlatans in charge, maybe that’s why I have no expectation of them dealing with any of this shit show in an honest and trustworthy manner.
I get my information directly from the source, I don’t trust that any of the bullshit propaganda they show on the BBC news is in any way representative of the actual situation. That applies to many things, not just schools and Covid.
People know that their kids are travelling to school on public transport. They know that the kids at school have siblings. They know that teachers will be teaching multiple classes. Therefore they should be able to extrapolate from that that the bubble concept is bollocks (particularly at secondary schools) regardless of what the government is telling them.

How about you stop patronising me, all?

I mean, I get that you're trying to derail the thread about government propaganda by making it about me, which is flattering and all, but really, you're getting a bit creepy.