Why aren't the government being given more credit for prioritising education?

[annabel85]

The government have risked a lot by putting schools first, selflessly knowing that a second wave would reflect badly on them. This is how it's turning out, but they're still even now fully committed to keeping schools open.

They could have just had blended learning or even carried on demanding tutoring from home for the the winter term, but they've stuck their necks out by getting every child back to school.

Basically, just a reality check for people who are criticising the government at the moment. They've made big mistakes but the kids are their priority and they deserve credit for that.

I'd laugh, if I wasn't fucking fuming.

Really?! If they were prioritising education the schools would have re-opened BEFORE pubs and other non essentials and when schools did reopen for new term they would have done so Covid secure.

OP did you sleep through lock down- what on earth are you saying?!!!!

How have they prioritised education?

1. Requested all pupils back to school this month for the new school year, rather than learning from home

2. Not panicked at a second wave by shutting schools, instead have opened themselves up to criticism by bringing in the rule of 6 to try and keep cases down, in order to keep the kids at school

hi Gav you absolute selfless hero 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

No, they have prioritised the economy because that’s what Tories do - if they fuck up the economy irredeemably they will be unelectable for generations.

For the economy to run, schools need to be open or many many people can’t work.

Wow. I think loads of people think this. We are fucked.

@CKBJ

Really?! If they were prioritising education the schools would have re-opened BEFORE pubs and other non essentials and when schools did reopen for new term they would have done so Covid secure.

I'm talking about the here and now, not previous actions or mistakes

Is that you Gavin?

Children aren’t the spreaders or sufferers of this virus - he prioritised: golf clubs, pubs, etc they didn’t try and let exams continue- when they could have!!! They made no provisions for home learning, it look a footballer to show that disadvantaged kids will be going hungry ffs!!!

🤭

Schools haven't caused the second wave at all, I've no idea why youve made that conclusion apart from the rather unfortunate timing. I expect the statistics will be out next week telling us that about 1% of the current wave of cases are either school children or school staff. Very interested to hear how or whether these early cases have spread in schools. Schools are clearly taking up a massive proportion of the testing capacity though due to colds, not due to a mass of covid cases in schools....

Oh and then they had the cheek to threatening fines again for not sending kids back after scaring people!

I'm kind of with you OP. I don't think they've put education first tbh, the economy is definitely first BUT with so many workers also being parents of school age children, what else could be done to get people back to work?

They're in between a rock and a hard place. It was either take the fallout of what could happen with schools opening, or maintain lockdown and emerge months from now with an economy so buggered it can't be saved, and get a merciless slating for that instead.

I'm not sure 'selflessly' was the right word to use though...

Are you joking OP?

Testing is a shambles - no one can get one without jumping through so many hoops or travelling for 100s of miles.

How is that putting schools first? When teachers and school staff can’t get tests what do you think the consequences for children will be? Weeks in isolation for children and staff who have already been out of education long enough, and for the common cold most likely.

Testing is the cornerstone of managing this pandemic. For schools and the economy. Our government is failing on that basic principle. Therefore failing our kids.

Posts like this make me despair.

WTactual F
I don't even know where to start with this.

Schools will inevitably have to close soon due to not so much covid 19 but total inability to get tests. Teachers should totally be prioritised for these.
They won't be able to use supply teachers so once a teacher is ill (or simply is self isolating because he/she can't get a test) the whole class is basically at home.
Government found millions to build nightingale hospitals which although necessary were never used and to my knowledge have not paid a penny to help schools with everything they need to safely reopen .And I found out last week that this money that's apparently coming to help students 'catch up' - schools have to pay 25% of it. Where exactly is that coming from?

Please do enlighten me as to what they have specifically done to prioritise education. As far as I can tell it's politically unsatisfactory to keep schools shut so they might as well open them then blame the schools when they can't stay open safely.

It's a complete clusterfuck

That's one way of looking at it suppose.

However, if that was the case, why did pubs, restaurants, non essential shops etc open up before schools?

Couldn't agree more OP!

Can't stay though, must dash off to dig out my grouse hunting apparatus.

Tally-ho!

😂

I’ve fucking heard it all now.

The government are selflessly “opening themselves up to criticism” - which they will ignore anyway - but the school staff who are actually there getting the schools open armed with only an empty bottle of hand sanitiser... we’re whining workshy leftie snowflakes.

For the economy to run, schools need to be open or many many people can’t work.

This^^ If they were acting selflessly about kids' education they'd be closing pubs and restaurants, making sure there was testing capacity and given schools £££ to make their sites covid secure, provided resources for kids that are still unable to return to school. And perhaps not utterly fucked up exam results.

Schools will have to close teachers and children will get covid due to the Governments "selfish" actions. No SD, no PPE and no way that the schools can be covid safe under their guidelines.

The government will have no idea which schools have a covid outbreak as this data is not being recorded

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Oh and then they had the cheek to threatening fines again for not sending kids back after scaring people!

You can disagree with it, but it's a measure of their seriousness in prioritising schools and education at this stage.

1. Because they didn’t prioritise education. They prioritised pubs and restaurants.
2. Because schools and the government had months to put adequate plans in place for schools to return SAFELY, like when they opened in the summer, knowing that the important things to consider were improved cleaning, distancing and smaller classes.