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

Without sounding too goady, what exactly do you want op? Pictures of crowded classrooms?

But what is wrong with that?
If they want to pit pictures of classrooms to resort sent the return to school then they should chose ones that reflect what the classroom will look like.
Not deliberately over crowded ones necessarily but realistic ones. Two or three children sharing a double desk with no SDing between those children or the next desk along. A classroom full of 30 children and teacher (possible a ta too.) a playground with the year group bubble playing together.

Not the sanitised picture of individual children on their own desk 2m away from the next, with only half the class in the room at most.

It's insulting the public's intelligence at the very least using these kinds of images.

As someone who has a child (the youngest) back at primary school since early June, I'm under no illusions that primary school children will be socially distanced. Nor do I care. I'm much more worried about the emotional & psychological damage we'd do trying to enforce social distancing on a bunch of 7yos for...who knows how long?
I haven't been following secondary school developments closely, but surely the average parent is perfectly capable of looking at the size of the secondary school site, looking at the numbers attending said secondary school, and puzzling out the actual likelihood of effective social distancing. I don't want to sound harsh but it is up to parents to puzzle this one out & if some of them can't then I'm a little....surprised?

@Appuskidu they would just need to photoshop a bottle of hand sanitiser by the door and some hazard tape on the floor on a photo of a pre COVID classroom and that would be pretty accurate

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??

Cost.

DH is a doctor and has managed to stay safe despite seeing COVID + patients and not brought it home

So he had PPE, access to hand washing facilities and hand sanitizer, a one in one out policy, a ventilated room and no expectation that he stood within a metre of his patients for up to 6 hours a day?

However you are allowed to be concerned, and if it’s not for you now then move onto something else and it’s no longer your problem

It’ll be your problem when your child’s school is closed when there are no teachers available through either resignations or illness or self isolation.

The bubbles are the best option.

Even in many primaries the bubbles are meaningless.

We have class groups of 30 but year group bubbles of 90. These are the children. Each year group will have at least six adults attached too.

However some staff work across all bubbles so, for example, my bubble is 270 pupils plus adult staff.

A friend of mine works in sixth form. They have year bubbles of 600-700 students but staff work across both - so the staff bubbles are much larger.

This whole media campaign from the government is disgraceful.
Bare faced lies with made up school photos to go with it.
Hopefully parents will hear the reality next week from their own children.

@Aragog

Without sounding too goady, what exactly do you want op? Pictures of crowded classrooms?

But what is wrong with that?
If they want to pit pictures of classrooms to resort sent the return to school then they should chose ones that reflect what the classroom will look like.
Not deliberately over crowded ones necessarily but realistic ones. Two or three children sharing a double desk with no SDing between those children or the next desk along. A classroom full of 30 children and teacher (possible a ta too.) a playground with the year group bubble playing together.

Not the sanitised picture of individual children on their own desk 2m away from the next, with only half the class in the room at most.

It's insulting the public's intelligence at the very least using these kinds of images.

This is school reality and if this is ‘safe’ then images like these need to be shown.

@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.

I would love to know how they afforded that.

Maybe all the teachers who have been told to resign should all take the same day off sick and then the parents can see what the reality would be if those teachers did resign.

@RigaBalsam

What a nasty little poster you are. It’s a free country I AM entitled to an opinion

Anyone, of any profession is allowed to leave said profession at any point if they are no longer happy there

It’s a fact, we don’t live in a dictatorship where once you have a job that’s it you can’t move

If the op is not happy, and she obviously isn’t then she has a choice to leave. There is nothing stupid binary or immature about that comment, nor an I throwing any baby out with any bath water

@starrynight19

This whole media campaign from the government is disgraceful. Bare faced lies with made up school photos to go with it. Hopefully parents will hear the reality next week from their own children.

The thing is we know the reality. We know how lovely it was to have half the school in and ft childcare for those that needed it. Trouble is the amount of exclusion that went with it. So it’s not an option anymore.

@Enoughnowstop

I've bought my own visor! School staff are used to buying their own classroom supplies, so I wouldn't say it is cost.

This is school reality and if this is ‘safe’ then images like these need to be shown.

And then what is your preferred outcome? Only 70% turn up not over 90%

Cost

Clearly schools will have savings in other areas, for example;

AQA - 2019/20 entry fees -
"As an education charity, here to help young people progress to the next stage of their lives, we have no wish to gain financially from this summer’s exceptional circumstances. As a result, we’re passing savings of £42 million back to schools and colleges by refunding 26 per cent of entry fees for this summer."

But if only 70% turn up that shows some families have been taken in by the false images shown.

Chloemol

Most people know that images are way more powerful than words.
Images stay in the mind much longer than text.

Which is why we should use accurate imagery.

It's not hard to get these honest photographs. Look for any taken pre Covid. Millions of them are available to use.

Why do you think they aren't using them? What message do you believe they are trying to put across by their selective use of specific photographs?

As I've said many times, I acknowledge schools need to restart. Our children need to be back in school.

But I also believe we should be treating the parents, and children, fairly by showing them honest images. That way no one risks being surprised at what schools will really be like.

As it stands the images used are inaccurate and bit a true reflection.

Aragog yes images work but what outcome is most likely? More students don’t turn up. Is that better?

I’m sure that helps Primary Schools @Clavinova.

And then what is your preferred outcome? Only 70% turn up not over 90%

Why would only 70% show up if, as some posters are saying, that parents know what schools are like anyway?

@ineedaholidaynow he does carry his own for just in case yes. There is currently hand sanitiser provided but at the height of the pandemic patients/families were stealing whole units off the walls of the hospital so he had to provide his own for a while as there was none available. I also had to make him some scrubs and extra face masks as staff were going through them at such a rate that supply was unable to keep up. All school budgets will be blown to smithereens before December comes I suspect but that should not prevent children from accessing their education. It’s going to be hard enough when cough and cold season comes to work out whether children should be going home and isolating or not.
I welcome the new flu jab programme-all children up to and including year 7 and all who are 50 and over so am hoping that will help reduce winter pressures somewhat.

Well what’s the issue then if they know already?

Let’s say most know and a few are influenced. Do you want them to be influenced or keep dc home?

To Aragog

@MarshaBradyo

Aragog yes images work but what outcome is most likely? More students don’t turn up. Is that better?

I can’t believe anyone would justify the media using deliberately misleading images with the aim to deceive!

What else would you like all the press to deliberately and inaccurately report on?

The media has manipulated us the whole time. Including fear to make us stay home. Now they have to undo that part a bit.

Overall I’d prefer people learn more about the media so they can read it better.