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Original poster

No social distancing in 6th form classrooms/common room

440 replies

kitnkaboodle · 02/09/2020 16:44

I know that there was an earlier thread on this that ran to 1000 messages and shut down, but ...

I'm sitting here with egg on my face, as through the summer I didn't believe my DS (16) telling me that in his (new) Y12, they wouldn't have to distance from the other pupils in sixth form or be spaced out within the classrooms. He said that things would be 'the same as normal', and I honestly thought he was talking rubbish.

He's just home from his first day and, sure enough, the WHOLE sixth form is classed as one bubble and there are no social distancing measures at all between the kids there apart from desks all facing the front. I'm not sure about teachers - will ask later, but I presume they aren't in the bubbles and have to keep apart.

I glanced at the earlier thread title (that was something along the lines of 'the govt are letting the public believe there will be SD in schools') and thought it was all a bit paranoid (without reading it). However, I now genuinely believe that photos of all the 'back to school' stories have been carefully curated to show kids standing/sitting at least a metre apart. I'm one of those who thinks that we just need to 'get on with it' now, regarding schools, but I do feel royally hoodwinked by that. It was very subtle ... (and now I have to apologise to DS for not believing him!!)

OP posts:
ChaChaCha2012 · 02/09/2020 18:53

I don't blame you for not realising what the SD situation truly is in schools, because like most people, you get your information from the mainstream media. We should be able to rely on them for honest reporting, but we can't.

The problem we have is that the vast majority of the population do not question anything they see or read, they take it as gospel. I even heard somebody refer to the "oven ready deal" for Brexit today! (Off topic, but you get my point!)

Piggywaspushed · 02/09/2020 18:54

Not only have my teens stayed in , I haven't nipped to the pub or gym....

EDSGFC · 02/09/2020 19:03

@noblegiraffe

I didn't know because I haven't really been following the coronavirus talk page through the summer

Funnily enough, my ‘govt lying about social distancing’ thread started out on AIBU as it was about government propaganda, but got moved to the less popular CV section by MNHQ. I wonder who reported it.

I've seen multiple threads discussing this throughout summer showing up on the active page - you didn't even have to go into AIBU, Covid or even education pages to find them.

I've watched many teachers trying to explain the reality to posters for weeks now only to be shouted down for their lack of a can do attitude and accused of wanting to keep schools shut indefinitely. I'm incredulous at people now claiming to have not realised there is no SD in schools.

CallmeAngelina · 02/09/2020 19:03

One of my two (early 20s) was "invited" to one of the major theme parks with a couple of friends recently. He said "NO WAY!" And he was very scathing about the current increased infection rate locally, because of "stupid-arse teenagers throwing results parties."

phatsandsmall · 02/09/2020 19:04

@noblegiraffe

The problem is there are teachers on here who jump on any threads about schools and covid and complain everyone is bitching about it constantly and don't like people having any other view or opinion than "theirs" shouting them down and it gives people a false sense of security as they think if teachers aren't bothered then we should not be as parents.

Hang on phats, you think that covid threads have been full of teachers jumping on posters and telling them they're worrying about nothing??

Nope! I never said "FULL of teachers" at all... certainly didn't imply that either!! It only takes one or two teachers to go on a discussion about safety of schools reopening shouting everyone down and saying how they are fed up with negativity surrounding it and how they are sending their DC back etc to lead people into a false sense of security.

I was trying to back you up- please don't mis quote me and try and make out i am saying this place is something its not. Thank you.

CallmeAngelina · 02/09/2020 19:06

Eh? I'm confused. Which teachers have been shouting people down and fed up with negativity and sending their DC back?
I've not seen many.

Piggywaspushed · 02/09/2020 19:07

Oh, I can think of a few!

noblegiraffe · 02/09/2020 19:08

I wasn't trying to misquote you, phats, I was just genuinely surprised at your view of how threads have been. Maybe you've been on different threads...the ones I've been on have been full of parents telling teachers that they are bonkers to be concerned about the lack of mitigation measures in schools and should suck it up.

Really wasn't having a go!

So teachers think they've had parents shouting down their concerns and parents think they've had teachers shouting down their concerns?

In both cases there's an awful lot of shouting down of concerns going on, isn't there?

LondonJax · 02/09/2020 19:09

Our secondary school has a new intake of year 7 running at 400 pupils. All in one bubble. Most of the other years are 350 plus - again all in their year bubbles. There aren't enough teachers to do less than 30 kids per class and the class room can't have walls pushed out so the kids are in exactly the same set up as they were in March.

But there is sanitizers, the kids are supposed to stay in their seats during lessons, double lessons to stop too much movement, entry and exit doors for buildings, each year have their own buildings apart from where they have to share (like science labs), only two years doing lunch or break at each point, one year having lunch in the canteen - the other in a portable canteen so each year don't mix, kids stay in the classroom and the teachers come to them (again except where they have to use science labs or the music rooms). The school can only do their best and if Williams and Johnson want every child back in school full time, that's what they've got...with 400 kids in a bubble.

phatsandsmall · 02/09/2020 19:09

@CallmeAngelina

Eh? I'm confused. Which teachers have been shouting people down and fed up with negativity and sending their DC back? I've not seen many.
So if you haven't "seen many" then you must have seen a few?? That doesn't make sense? Are you calling me a liar then??
phatsandsmall · 02/09/2020 19:13

@noblegiraffe

I wasn't trying to misquote you, phats, I was just genuinely surprised at your view of how threads have been. Maybe you've been on different threads...the ones I've been on have been full of parents telling teachers that they are bonkers to be concerned about the lack of mitigation measures in schools and should suck it up.

Really wasn't having a go!

So teachers think they've had parents shouting down their concerns and parents think they've had teachers shouting down their concerns?

In both cases there's an awful lot of shouting down of concerns going on, isn't there?

No problem! Sorry i got defensive I just know what people can be like on here and didn't want what I said twisted. It was just a general observation i have made. Like someone else said up thread there are teachers in their school who are not bothered about the virus and standing close up etc - there are obviously teachers like that who use mumsnet too! You are of course correct in that I have seen plenty of both sides shouting each other down.
Piggywaspushed · 02/09/2020 19:13

Oh dear, so many crossed wires!

Peace out!

CallmeAngelina · 02/09/2020 19:13

@Piggywaspushed

Oh, I can think of a few!
Grin OK, one then.
CallmeAngelina · 02/09/2020 19:15

So if you haven't "seen many" then you must have seen a few?? That doesn't make sense? Are you calling me a liar then??

What??!! Calling you a liar? How on earth do you get to that? Is that how you talk to people in real life?

Pugdoglife · 02/09/2020 19:16

Government guidance is that social distancing doesn't have to be maintained within a bubble, I can't blame any student who is sat in a row directly next to other students in a classroom for not then social distancing with the same students in a common room.

Teachers have pointed out the risks, especially with older students and repeatedly been told we are just work shy and looking for excuses to keep schools closed.

I can't understand any parents being shocked today.

noblegiraffe · 02/09/2020 19:18

I can't blame any student who is sat in a row directly next to other students in a classroom for not then social distancing with the same students in a common room.

What is going to be even more difficult to explain to them is that they may be in a bubble crammed into classrooms at school but that doesn't mean that they can party with each other outside of school.

It doesn't make sense, tbh. The word bubble is meaningless.

RubyViolet · 02/09/2020 19:20

BBC just reporting that infections are spreading in schools in Glasgow now.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-54005621

OverTheRainbow88 · 02/09/2020 19:20

Everything seems to be planned to the nth degree and it still makes no sense.

Because being ‘covid secure‘ and being in a school environment is impossible to achieve

phatsandsmall · 02/09/2020 19:22

@noblegiraffe

I can't blame any student who is sat in a row directly next to other students in a classroom for not then social distancing with the same students in a common room.

What is going to be even more difficult to explain to them is that they may be in a bubble crammed into classrooms at school but that doesn't mean that they can party with each other outside of school.

It doesn't make sense, tbh. The word bubble is meaningless.

I agree!! You are clearly only protected in school grounds not socially outside of school Wink they even told ours they have to wear masks outside school grounds but take them off as soon as they get to school Hmm
ekidmxcl · 02/09/2020 19:23

I think that blanket policies, like “all schools to go back in full” are a mistake.

The “bubble” is a made up piece of bullshit.

One size does not fit all. Some schools and universities have educated fully on a remote basis. Those should continue IMO.

I am dreading my kids going back to a gigantic secondary.

CallmeAngelina · 02/09/2020 19:24

@OverTheRainbow88

Everything seems to be planned to the nth degree and it still makes no sense.

Because being ‘covid secure‘ and being in a school environment is impossible to achieve

Which is what some of us teachers have been saying for months - to ridicule and insults.
hopefulhalf · 02/09/2020 19:27

I have been really strict with my teens. None of us have been in anyone elses house all summer until this last weekend when we stayed with MIL who is widowed and we are bubbled with. Both have met friends out doors and socially distanced. DS has attended football training Dd has ridden her horse. That's it. Now they are freely mixing in groups of hundreds. I can't keep restricting them.

Pugdoglife · 02/09/2020 19:30

"It doesn't make sense, tbh. The word bubble is meaningless."

I totally agree, I think bubbles are a waste of time, I think blended learning should have been allowed to enable social distancing, at least while we could monitor any effects of reopening schools. However anything less than full opening to all students was never going to be good enough for some, despite the obvious risks.

monkeytennis97 · 02/09/2020 19:30

@ohthegoats

I fucking love this thread. You lemons...
Yup another secondary teacher here. We have been saying for months that the bbc etc are peddling misleading bullshit with their photos etc etc

I didn't have any soap/sanitiser/no cleaning had been done in my department yesterday. We have now had that rectified after emails galore today.

THERE IS NO SOCIAL DISTANCING IN SCHOOLS!!

monkeytennis97 · 02/09/2020 19:31

Instead of bubbles think blisters, far more realistic.