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

Ds's school have emailed and they've added sinks all over the school, hand sanatising stations and even added 3 new toilet blocks. I'm quite impressed with that.

The government has lied to us consistently before and during this outbreak. Boris himself has been sacked from two jobs due to lying. I'm not sure why anyone is suprised? We're about to come up to "done in a day" "oven ready" Brexit without a deal. It's just all on us now to make our own choices and get through it as best we can.

Ultimately and honestly, I think any alternatives such as continued closure of schools or part time schooling would be so disruptive and difficult to coordinate that sometimes not perfect solutions are needed.

This is one of those times

this

If you are worried don’t send your kids in. I think that the risk to them and their future is greater if they don’t go in. It’s called being an adult and making your own decisions. I’m at a place where I’m happy with my decisions and am happy with the provisions my children’s schools have made.

Public information campaigns always have to concentrate on the main message or the message is lost.

Look at drink driving campaigns as an example. Now clearly the effect of one unit of alcohol on a seven stone 5' woman will be much greater than on a 18st 6'3 man. They don't go into those nuances in the media campaign do they? No, they get across that people should not drink and drive so they keep it simple.

Same here. Return to school is needed and is safe enough. Keep the message simple.

Personally, I would much prefer a part time, socially distanced option.

You might prefer that. At a societal level though, it’s really problematic, for lots and lots of reasons.

@Bbq1

Ds's school have emailed and they've added sinks all over the school, hand sanatising stations and even added 3 new toilet blocks. I'm quite impressed with that.

So am I. Where the bloody hell did they get the money for that from?

Can assure posters that that is not being replicated in all schools.

It isn't acceptable that we're being misfed information noblegiraffe and they're also using it as a distraction from the fact that trade negotiations with Europe are breaking down and we're heading for a hard Brexit.

We live in Leicestershire and school re-opened on Wednesday. The secondary school has been zoned into year groups. Where possible the subject teacher comes to the classroom to teach. If pupils need to move classrooms they are escorted by subject teacher. Pupils have to wipe down tables and anti bac their hands regularly. They are not sitting 1m apart (according to DC so could be wrong), there isn't the space.

However, they need to be back in school. My DC is Yr11 and needs to be taught by their (on the whole) very good teachers not continue eith the inadequate provision they had over lockdown. We have to make this work, we can't magic up space or have pupils in only part of the week because parents need to work.

btw The HT has said pupils can wear face masks if they want to and DC said a handful of teachers were wearing visors.

If you are worried don’t send your kids in.

I'm a teacher. What do you suggest for me?

Surely parents know their childs school though, and they know what will/won’t be possible to manage regard distancing? You’d have to be pretty stupid to watch those videos and then not wonder how that’s possible in your child’s school. I doubt any parent thinks their children will be adequately distanced when they go back to school. The school hasn’t added on an extra wing in the holidays

Ffs i am so sick of these posts

Schools have to go back, they are limited in what they can do, as most are full, don’t have room for extra buildings. Etc etc

However parents do have a choice. If you don’t like what your child’s school is going to do de register then and home school

I’m a secondary teacher. I’ve followed the rules throughout and taught every single one of my lessons during lockdown online.

There will be no social distancing in the classrooms between pupils within a year group. We have put in all sorts of changes to help prevent mixing at break times and classrooms will be disinfected between lessons. It’s not perfect. None of it is. But these kids have to get back to school. It’s not just academics. It’s the social skills and their mental health that are so important.

I want to go back. I’m desperate for normality (as much as possible) and I cannot teach online for any longer.

So if you are a teacher and don’t like the plans then resign and find another profession

Schools our way are allowing teachers to wear masks

Ffs i am so sick of these posts

Then you will have sympathy for people who are sick of being gaslighted by the government with endless cheery depictions of huge, brightly lit, well ventilated classrooms containing a handful of kids?

My son can only play with the kids in his class. That's as far as social distancing goes.

No staggered start or finish times either.

Everyone knows children will not socially distance in school.

I’m sure that won’t be much consolation if it was your vulnerable child, spouse, parent that ended up dead as a result of it.

There are many more risks in life than COVID. We live with those, we will have to cope with this.

The need for education and getting the economy in as good a shape as possible is paramount. We’re looking at a drop of 20% in GDP already, that’s just the start. I wonder if anyone in education has thought about what those figures will mean for them in the longer term?

So if you are a teacher and don’t like the plans then resign and find another profession

Be careful what you wish for.

But incidentally, teachers can't leave till Christmas due to their contracts. What do you suggest now that you know that?

@noblegiraffe

If you are worried don’t send your kids in.

I'm a teacher. What do you suggest for me?

Don’t worry, noble-when you are told to ‘just resign’, I’m sure nobody will be bothered that their child hasn’t got a maths teacher any more.

After all, we can just get one of the spare maths teachers out of the PVA cupboard.

Young Children haven't been socially distanced from each other for quite some time in Scotland and the schools have been back for 2 weeks.
Nurseries have been open for longer than that.
I don't actually know any parent here who is worried about it. I'm sure there will be some but the vast majority aren't.

What do you suggest now that you know that?

Well there was a thread on here a while ago where teachers were discussing their right to go off on stress related sick leave (fully paid) for six months. So there’s that.

I am also friends with 3 teachers and they and their colleagues are all apparently glad to be back.
Incidentally I'm a frontline worker and heavily pregnant still going to work and not worried about it.
Life must go on.

As a parent I feel ok with my child going into her class of 30 bubble without social distancing from the other kids. But what I think isn't being talked about, is the school staff and their protection and safety!

As school member of staff during my days at school I'll be working one day in a 60 pupil year group bubble, another couple of days working 1:1 with an SEN child in a different class bubble and another day in a different class bubble. I did transition days with half the class before the summer holidays and felt ok but now having such high number of kids makes me nervous!

I do wonder why staff can't wear visors in the classroom to try and provide some protection from kids coughing and sneezing on you. Why isn't this being encouraged rather than discouraged??

In our school there is no space to distance children's desks, no space to put additional sinks in and no way to make outside space bigger. Also,there is no money. So, we just have to return and hope for the best.

I am just waiting for all the threads in a few weeks time when parents will be complaining that their school has closed due to lack of teachers as they are either off sick or self isolating. Then maybe they will realise how little funding has been put into schools during COVID and pre COVID.

Not only will children be crammed into classrooms, but many of these classrooms are poorly ventilated. How many parents know if the windows in their child’s classroom are painted shut? I know of schools like that and with external doors that can’t be open due to the site not being secure. Those classrooms aren’t going to be very well ventilated.

But I have seen quite a few reports on the news recently on how important ventilation is. Funnily enough they don’t show the painted shut windows in classrooms in those reports.

I also think part time/ blended learning could have been implemented until at least October half term. To see how the return to school actually faired.

As I know not all cases of positive coronavirus cases were reported for all schools in the news!