Children and teachers have been thrown under the bus, haven't they?

[ReadTheData]

Can I please urge all of you to write to your MP about this?

The government have had months to prepare and in only the third week of September they have failed already. They have not kept up their end of the bargain for opening schools safely.

Taking two weeks off every time for symptoms is not feasible for children, working parents or teachers, especially in the winter term.

They're deflecting blame to the few that have taken unnecessary tests, but the number of people who would choose to take this horrible test or put their children through it for kicks, a laugh, or whatever, are surely few and far between. And it's a nightmare getting a test anyway! So I don't believe that propaganda for a minute, the government are doing everything they can to wriggle out of it.

I'm sure no parent wants their child to be part of some kind of sick experiment - and I'm sure teachers don't want to be thrown under the bus either. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the teachers went on strike over this.

Please stand up and shout about this to anyone who will listen. I want my children to get in education this year and I want children, parents and teachers to stay safe.

How come we fight an invisible virus if we don't even know how many cases there are? The government need to get their shit together instead of lurching from one disasterous decision to the next.

I'm going to sound like a broken record, and might not even hit the "post message" button, but if we had gone with a proper blended learning solution this could have been avoided.

Our council had worked out amazing plans and had even invested in additional staff and buildings so they would have been able to provide safe, staffed, socially distanced locations for children with no parent at home.

The kids would have been in school half the time and with concrete work to do the rest of the time.

Surely that would have been better for everyone than cramming everyone back in to school as if it were normal. Kids could have seen their friends, had work to do, teachers would have been safer as more distancing measures could have been applied, parents would have known when their child was going to be at school or at home rather than having them home for 2 weeks at a moments notice.

[let the criticism begin]

Can I please urge all of you to write to your MP about this?

I'm going to be writing a letter, I'm extremely frustrated and upset about the whole situation. They have had months to sort this out and come up with a better solution - blended learning / part time schooling even.

I also think the government need to have some system in place like furlough to make sure that employees are being paid for any isolation period.

Us For Them (or really Us For Ourselves) have a lot to answer for as they were quite vocal in wanting schools to go back as normal. Now look at the shitshow! We’ll all end up in lockdown again. Planned part time and provision for those who needed support with childcare would have been a better option.

I know this is going to sound sexist so apologies but this is what happens when you have men in charge. I don't suppose anyone in government has ever paid any attention to how often their children are off sick with colds/ have coughs, fevers etc.

@Worriedmum999

Us For Them (or really Us For Ourselves) have a lot to answer for as they were quite vocal in wanting schools to go back as normal. Now look at the shitshow! We’ll all end up in lockdown again. Planned part time and provision for those who needed support with childcare would have been a better option.

I agree with you 100%. But previous suggestions of that same point have not been well received on here.

I really do despair about those in charge. How could they not have foreseen the surge in demand for testing once schools returned? It seems that the most basic and obvious things are a complete mystery to this government. As for giving the contact for Track and Trace to private firms such as Serco run by their pal Dido Harding and calling it 'NHS Track & Trace' that is just a sham.

A school near me has a full year isolating due to some pupils having symptoms, but cannot get a test, so theyhave been advised that they whole bubble had to isolate. So in effect there are approx 100 children isolating for what could be the common cold/another virus to covid, 100 families having to now juggle between work and looking after a well, but isolating child, most likely not being paid. If testing was as it should be, and indeed the symptomatic children were negative, those children could be in school, they parents not having to worry about money, teachers not having to worry about their health or the other implications of isolation they will occur.

It is a bloody mess!

I was one of the first teachers I think to be self isolated. I return on Friday after two long weeks teaching from home.

I return to two year groups who now have been completely self isolated and random other students also.

In the meantime, we are being used as cover to teach other lessons (not the end of the world) and have to plan lessons 3 times - one for school, one for home learning via the powerpoints and another for paper based learning.

I know I speak for many others when I say, I’m exhausted and it’s week 3. This isn’t normal.

I feel so sorry for the students and parents.

What are we writing to our MPs about? I assume you haven’t literally been throwing children under a bus. A lack of availability of tests?

@CayrolBaaaskin

What are we writing to our MPs about? I assume you haven’t literally been throwing children under a bus. A lack of availability of tests?

I mean personally this is what I'm upset about. I'm ok with being in work and I'm happy to take the risk. I'm not at all happy at children missing chunks of education because the government can't get their sodding act together and work out that come September we probably needed a LOT more tests....

Children get a lot of virus-like symptoms. Especially when school goes back.

Just read on another post Berlin schools had issues then settled down.

Test demand has shot up hugely.

If you write to your MP ask to prioritise schools for tests.

Part time wouldn’t have stopped early disruption although halved community cases coming in. But the other half would have been at home, unless it was lurking then afternoon sessions - would have been same number coming in as a positive.

They have not kept up their end of the bargain for opening schools safely.

The parents/teachers havn't kept up their end of the bargain to abide by the guidance/rules, etc., such as social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, washing hands, etc etc. If covid wasn't on the rise in the communities around schools, it wouldn't be impacting the schools either.

They are prioritising tests now. Might be a bit late but worth a shot to say schools in an email to MP

I will do this.

I have a healthy Y10 in self isolation due to a case in an options group. Some classmates are in getting tsught while he's just had bits at home. GCSE years now and this isn't good enough.

There are more than 50 schools in my area with reported cases in 2 weeks (we know of more that haven't been reported).

I am so angry at the Govt. about this issue.

The parents/teachers havn't kept up their end of the bargain to abide by the guidance/rules, etc., such as social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, washing hands, etc etc. If covid wasn't on the rise in the communities around schools, it wouldn't be impacting the schools either.

Teachers have done absolutely everything the government have asked of them and a lot more besides. Remember it was the government who restricted the numbers of children in school not teachers. Teachers are in crowded poorly ventilated spaces with no distancing and no PPE. They are cannon fodder.

Has anyone got any realistic, bright ideas for getting children educated and keeping children and teachers safe?

@TheLastStarfighter

I'm going to sound like a broken record, and might not even hit the "post message" button, but if we had gone with a proper blended learning solution this could have been avoided.

Our council had worked out amazing plans and had even invested in additional staff and buildings so they would have been able to provide safe, staffed, socially distanced locations for children with no parent at home.

The kids would have been in school half the time and with concrete work to do the rest of the time.
So, why wasn't that implemented in your area? Who put the kaibosh on it?

Unions? Teachers? Govt? Parents?

If you write to your MP ask to prioritise schools for tests.
What, higher priority than NHS workers or social care staff? I think frontline health workers and social careworkers must take priority followed by residents in care homes.

@Itsabeautifuldayheyhey FaceBook group of parents putting pressure for kids to go back full time, so Scottish Government caved. I honestly don't blame the parents though because there was never any explanation as to what blended learning was, and that plans were being put in place for working parents.

@MarshaBradyo If kids were properly socially distanced in schools (possible if less of them are in the school at a time) then they are not close contacts of each other, so only need to isolate if they have symptoms themselves, not isolating whole year groups due to a couple of cases. i.e. even if those couple of cases still happened, most of the kids would be able to carry on as normal.

@Itsabeautifuldayheyhey

Has anyone got any realistic, bright ideas for getting children educated and keeping children and teachers safe?

Teachers had ideas for blended learning, part time schook. The Govt had 6 months to work on a programme, to invest in education, staffing, buildings and IT infrastructure and resources, but the focus was on the hospitality industry. They could have done both.

Would it not help to have staff and pupils wearing masks at all times (at least over age of, say, 8).

@middleager
In terms of buildings, what do you mean? Install lots of portacabins in playgrounds?

I don't think they have focussed on the hospitality industry tbf. All they did was the last minute "eat out to help out' scheme.

I think textbooks, paper or on line ones, are a good way forward. And reading lists.

My DC has come home with a fabulous workbook from school with lots of excerpts from Gothic authors. I plan to use this as a booklist and encourage wider reading, which would still remain on topic.

The great thing about wider reading is that they won't be repeating stuff done in class, it will improve language use and can be cited impressively in GCSE etc. And the stuff they have been given looks really good fun for tweens (mind you Edgar Allan Poe is a tad morbid).

Duo Lingo is useful for MFL and the BBC has some materials.

If I can just find out what century they are doing in history that would be a help.

I am hoping the government will allow temporary homeschooling for the clinically vulnerable and I am wondering whether, in that circumstance, a book club/ study club for the home schooling parents would be good.

How could the govt train thousands more teachers in a few months? I thought it took at least a year to train, including placements?