Surely they can’t keep schools open as normal if cases keep going up like today!

[Worriedmum999]

My daughter went back to school last Thursday. She really needed to go as lockdown played havoc with her mental health. She was fine doing her academic work but she is someone who needs the social side of school.

We are a vulnerable family and, with this shitshower of a government, I had no faith that cases wouldn’t rise and I wouldn’t be forced to take her out of school again. But I cannot believe that she has been back 2 days and the jump in cases has been so huge. I honestly expected us to be able to get to half term. Of course deaths are going to rise now. Why wouldn’t we follow the pattern of the other European countries. Add to that the fact that people can’t get tested now and we’re fucked. And I’m so fucking angry and upset about the damage that this is doing.

What are the government going to do? Surely it will be impossible to expect parents to keep sending their children to schools when the death toll is huge again and the ICUs are full.

Lots more cases on that Twitter site today. Feels like the calm before the storm.

@EducatingArti

Also, hospital admissions with Covid are now starting to increase in Greater Manchester. They have doubled in the last 11 days.

I believe there were 8 official deaths yesterday. 7 were in Greater Manchester. A couple of weeks ago the MEN was reporting how Greater Manchester had gone several days without any deaths at all.

The problem is particularly localised which is part of the problem. Its like whack-a-mole but you've got to predict where its going to hit next.

Hopefully LockDownchecker will update to include schools.
For those who don't want to use a random unknown site

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/seven-more-people-died-greater-18905404

And for those wondering wtf I'm on about is the direct link.

www.lockdownapi.com/

Opps wrong news source for the lockdown checker.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51768274

I feel your concern. I am so worried about my two going back. Their school doesn't seem to have anything in place. It feels almost like normal! With the cases going up and up, I am seriously considering pulling them and trying homeschooling.

@anna114young
Don't make a rash decision about pulling them out. If your a vulnerable household, contact the school about the concerns.

Homeschooling is hard work. If secondary it is incredibly difficult and costly.

And once you de-register it will be a case of reapplying if you find it doesn't work.

Obviously if your one of the homes that have made a success of it over the past few months, you know what you are facing to get them to do it, but do you also have the time to plan their lessons, mark work etc?

Do research it more, FB usually have local home school networks. Some areas are set up better than others, and have qualified people who can grade work which as GCSE level this is a requirement,

@anna114young

I feel your concern. I am so worried about my two going back. Their school doesn't seem to have anything in place. It feels almost like normal! With the cases going up and up, I am seriously considering pulling them and trying homeschooling.

Even if not vulnerable, our head has said fines happen after discussion.

The deregistration issue, threat of fines is disgraceful.

If anyone in the family were to have a 'cough' your children need two weeks off anyway which gives time to think.

"No disrespect to TA's I wouldn't want them teaching GSCE Math for example unless they have the ability to teach it correctly. They need to be confident when teaching and to be able to answer questions."

In my idea of homework clubs, the TAs and child care workers would not be teachers. They would play the role of caring and interested adults, supporting the students in doing the "out of school" part of their work, just like parents would do at home.
Students would be able to feed back difficulties to their actual teacher and they can either guide the student to more support "watch this mathswatch video, go through this bit of BBC bitesize, watch this Oak academy lesson, look again at this PowerPoint where I talk through the issue" and/or address it when they are next in school.
It will make more work for teachers but there will be some balancing out by having smaller groups at any one time ( students can get more individual attention and may "get it" quicker than in a larger group) and teaching the same ( or similar) lesson twice.

Have they updated to be fully cover the GCSE curriculum. When I used to work in education, these sites were used predominantly by primary and SEN schools. Mainstream used whatever was on their portals like Grid for London etc and well as their own presentations.

And if they cannot answer the questions then what is the point them being there? Secondary might as well just stay at home instead, struggle to do the work, email the teacher and google oakacademy or whatever themselves.

Educating

It's a great idea given we're in the middle of a pandemic and we can't have 'normal' - sorry I couldn't remember whose idea it was.

Shame you're not a member of the cabinet really.... :)

The homework clubs would be for younger secondary whose parents didn't want them home alone all day and those who don't have facilities or suitable environment at home for study. There would be the option of working from home with parental support.
"Have they updated to be fully cover the GCSE curriculum. When I used to work in education, these sites were used predominantly by primary and SEN schools. Mainstream used whatever was on their portals like Grid for London etc and well as their own presentations."

I'd think that the teachers would be capable of choosing the best options to cover their syllabus! The whole "out of school" part would be designed by the teacher to support the student in consolidating their learning.
Of course it isn't as ideal as full time school but it might be a darn sight better than the repeated in and out of isolation/quarantine and partial school closures.
The added ability for better social distancing in school and learning club would also reduce rates of Covid spread making cases in schools, teacher illness and need for isolation less likely too!

Thank you @IloveJKRowling
I'm glad my idea is valued. Do you think I could get a cabinet post? It would pay rather better than what I do at the moment but I think I'd be spending a fortune in therapy!
Maybe I could be some kind of official consultant to the Dept of Education.

@EducatingArti

They need consultants like you. But, let me check, are you totally unqualified and mates with another cabinet minister or Dominic Cummings? Because if not I'm afraid you don't meet the criteria....

Sadly
I have a good understanding of science (physics degree);
Qualified teacher (but working as a tutor so have a lot of experience of how to supplement the classroom experience with work at home);
Live Oop North;
Not knowingly mates with any Tory MPs.

I just don't meet the role requirements do I?

I could claim to be mates with Dominic Cummings though. If his eyesight is bad he may not be sure if he's seen me before or not!!

I could claim to be mates with Dominic Cummings though. If his eyesight is bad he may not be sure if he's seen me before or not!!

Yes, well let's hope, we could really do with someone who knows what they're doing in government!

And for the older ones doing their GCSE's?
Those with SEN who will require additional support regardless of age.
Where would the money come from to pay for the staff wages?
Where would the money come from to pay for the additional community buildings?
Where would the money come from for all the administrative work this would require - crb, insurance, resources etc?
Are the community buildings equipped with the tables and chairs required? If not where do they come from?
Do these buildings have fully accessible toilets with hoist and bench?

I do get where you are coming from, but it's not as simple as open a building and use.

THe government have wasted decades ignoring the fact that when children are not in school they aren't educated by them. It's only become an everyone issue now because of CV. Before this kids who missed long periods of school due to illness were disadvantaged because education doesn't continue at home.

There's parts of the world that children cannot travel to school daily, yet they have always had their education delivered by other sources including CB radio and have been for decades. Yes I know smaller class sizes etc.

They have had 6 months to get organised.

They have wasted millions and millions on not fit for purpose contracts with companies with no prior experience for PPE/ test and trace that didn't deliver. They've found millions when it enriched a select few businesses/ people.

But no millions for schools.

There are people out of work who could be TAs. And if children without special needs are in these extra locations SEN kids can be in the schools,- it will be better - better in terms of covid risk and better in terms of education (not crammed in as usual) for them.

Many schools already use buildings in the community for plays / assemblies / sport. So the risk assessments would only need tweaking.

Yea I know they do. My sons uses the local council gym that isn't fully open so cannot be used by the schools. As a result, PE has been removed.
The other few buildings are already used by others and these buildings rely on funding from others to operate.

And don't get me started on the wank fest track and trace. We didn't need one creating. There was one already in place that tracked this in the first place. That was just the governments' excuse to try and mine our data, thankfully Apple shut that down lol.

Then this antibody test. They could have tested everyone by now and this would have helped in the opening of schools. But of course this wouldn't create mass hysteria is parents knew if their kid was protected, and of course staff.

Instead we have the promise of another farce - moonshot. More promises for more tests when they cannot manage at the moment.

@IloveJKRowling

They have had 6 months to get organised.

They have wasted millions and millions on not fit for purpose contracts with companies with no prior experience for PPE/ test and trace that didn't deliver. They've found millions when it enriched a select few businesses/ people.

But no millions for schools.

There are people out of work who could be TAs. And if children without special needs are in these extra locations SEN kids can be in the schools,- it will be better - better in terms of covid risk and better in terms of education (not crammed in as usual) for them.

Many schools already use buildings in the community for plays / assemblies / sport. So the risk assessments would only need tweaking.

All of this!

Deaths are not rising. Cases are.
Cases are rising due to more testing, it was bound to happen.

@Pebblexox

Deaths are not rising. Cases are. Cases are rising due to more testing, it was bound to happen.

I think they know it’s not just that though as percentages of people testing positive are also going up

Hospital admissions have doubled in Greater Manchester over the last 11 days. That's not just about more testing.

Are think they are trying to avoid the death rises going up, thats the point, if we wait until they are increased we have already lost too many lives

Like you wear a seat belt in a car the precaution avoids the increase in deaths