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

She’s not my kids’ teacher.... ☹️☹️
Why all the nastiness piled onto teachers. They are doing the best for our children. It’s the Govt & DfE you should be fuming about!

Of course. I'm not sure why you quoted me when you said that given that I don't pile nastiness onto teachers.

@lucylocketspockets huge apologies! I’ve no idea what happened with quote there. I was trying to agree with you.

lucylocketspockets

In truth the "new" quoting thing is a bit pants and you can't edit the quote down.

But I agree in that I would love @noblegiraffe to be my kids teacher.

Contrary to what some on here might believe, I am looking forward to teaching some maths again. I do like my job. It’s just, y’know, global pandemic, fuckwit government. Bit of a downer.

As I’ve said, I’m not a teacher but I have in rare occasions helped my own. I grab a chair, pull it next to them, lean over their book and try and fathom what their trying to achieve. From around 30 cms away. I realise teachers have skills that I don’t possess but do they also have cartoon eyes on springs and Mr Gadget robotic arms. I just can’t envisage how you can teach from 2m. It’s quite a long way. How are you even going to see the child’s book? There must be hundreds of scenarios where teachers (& other school staff) need to be close to their students. Hundreds! The whole social distancing in schools has to be a fib for both primary and secondary. Why are DfE even pretending?

Why are the government lying?
Why are the press going along with it?

Funny how people think the government are lying about how safe schools are and disgusted the press are publicising it, but believe everything else the government and media have scaremongered us with for the past 6 months

Funny how people think the government are lying about how safe schools are and disgusted the press are publicising it, but believe everything else the government and media have scaremongered us with for the past 6 month*

And your evidence for this gross generalisation is?

I have found it very irritating, I cannot seem to get my dc a pair of glasses as staffing is low and the manufacturing of glasses has slowed down due to social distancing...

... however from next week I will be crammed in a room with classes of up to 34 at at time. A room with little ventilation and no hope of social distancing. That could be up to 150 students a day. Don't worry, we do have hand sanitizer and wipes though so should be fine!

I agree that we should all be back at school and am looking forward to getting back in the classroom but the government aren't being completely honest here. Have they been about anything?

@noblegiraffe We are all entitled to an opinion on here and maybe you should learn the trait of teaching that people are allowed to voice theres’ because the last time I looked we lived in a democracy. It isn’t the case of I speak and you should follow or is that what you teach.

@Piggywaspushed

Aha! It has come from the gaming community.

I'm surprised my 16yo hasn't used this one with me yet then 🤣

@noblegiraffe

Omg I need to try to find the arsehole kid video.

If you do link here

[quote Nard75]@noblegiraffe We are all entitled to an opinion on here and maybe you should learn the trait of teaching that people are allowed to voice theres’ because the last time I looked we lived in a democracy. It isn’t the case of I speak and you should follow or is that what you teach.[/quote]
If you bothered to read and had the ability to comprehend nobles posts you would see that this is not what she does at all.

She actually posts facts.

Latest fact she posted with which this thread is based on is the truth.

The government want to believe children will be socially distanced at school.

They won't.

That's fact.

You are entitled not to care that your child won't be SD.

But you not caring if they are or not doesn't change the facts of the situation.

@itsgettingweird anyone with half a brain knows that kids aren’t going to be SD at school. I don’t need you to tell me whether I care about my kids or not. I wouldn’t be on a form like this if I didn’t care. FACT kids not going to SD at school. We all know that and we don’t need to be told this by @noblegiraffe I think we can work it out for ourselves. These are the same people moaning they don’t want to send their kids to school but are quite happy to take them to an overcrowded pub. What’s your solution keep them at home for the next year and then we can leave you to deal with the mental health pandemic we have on our hands.

@NotDonna we won't be able to see your chid's work, full stop. It's not just a matter of being two meters away- I'll literally be standing in a taped off rectangle at the front of the room that I can't leave and the students can't enter.

But do they also have cartoon eyes on springs and Mr Gadget robotic arms

I mean we do but...🤣

Nard75

So what is your opinion on how the government are doing re schools?

Ah, sorry Nard you answered. So you think the government are lying charlatans as well.

Why are you having a go at noble, then? That’s what she’s saying 🤷🏻‍♀️

[quote Nard75]**@itsgettingweird* anyone with half a brain knows that kids aren’t going to be SD at school. I don’t need you to tell me whether I care about my kids or not. I wouldn’t be on a form like this if I didn’t care. FACT kids not going to SD at school. We all know that and we don’t need to be told this by @noblegiraffe* I think we can work it out for ourselves. These are the same people moaning they don’t want to send their kids to school but are quite happy to take them to an overcrowded pub. What’s your solution keep them at home for the next year and then we can leave you to deal with the mental health pandemic we have on our hands.[/quote]
My God

Indeed, BumblingAlongHappily thus making your job even more difficult.

nard
anyone with half a brain knows that kids aren’t going to be SD at school
Good, so we can agree that the government and the media selectively showing half empty classrooms and carefully staged press conferences in schools where there's only 10 children in a large space is deliberately misleading the public.

Which is what Noble was saying.

Not read the thread, but without pupils in on a rota. There is no possibility of sd in most schools.

It's a crock of shite.
We'll just have to see what happens.

Re :hand sanitiser.

Covid doesn't emit from hands. It lives in the throat and is an air Bourne respitory illness.

Oh @Nard75. Hasn't it occured to you that pupils' mental health is going to suffer anyway, with the constant stop/starting? Their education could also suffer if their teacher contracts Covid and ends up absent for weeks (I'd not be going back with lasting effects).

I know this isn't the point of the thread but you kind of derailed it.

@SaltyAndFresh

Oh *@Nard75*. Hasn't it occured to you that pupils' mental health is going to suffer anyway, with the constant stop/starting? Their education could also suffer if their teacher contracts Covid and ends up absent for weeks (I'd not be going back with lasting effects).

I know this isn't the point of the thread but you kind of derailed it.

My DC are going to really struggle with the stop/start that is likely to happen & that's before we even get in to how much they'd worry/be upset/struggle if one of the teaching staff became ill - not for education purposes either.

noblegiraffe

Omg I need to try to find the arsehole kid video.

I will ask my daughter.

skwawkbox.org/2020/08/27/video-itv-mics-pick-up-schoolboy-calling-boris-johnson-an-rsehole-as-johnson-claims-schools-are-safe/