‘Will we have to homeschool again?’

[Teainagreenteapot]

My DD overheard the news and asked me this yesterday.

I said I hoped not and the government (who are useless - I didn’t say this bit) are trying to keep the schools open.

Are anyone else’s kids wondering about this?

I think we will OP. My one son's school has three years out in just over a week (including his own, y10).
His twin's school has cases in three year groups, so it's a matter of time.

There are more than 50 schools, probably around 75 in our region now, with cases. After just two weeks.

It's unsustainable. Staffing is becoming more of an issue. There won't be enough to keep schools open, certainly not in my city, which is also on local lockdown.

@Ellsbells12 Unfortunately I think yes, Senior School pupils preparing for Public Exams need to be prioritised. They should be the years who need to be receiving face to face teaching. If children are really struggling and considered vulnerable they’ve always been allowed in anyway*

As a parent of two year 10s, one of whom is 'off' due to a case in options group, I agree. But what I've seen to date is prioritising primary schools due to working parents.

When will this Govt prioritise education over economy? These GCSE years cannot simply catch up or easily retake school, as I've seen cited on another thread today ("it's only 6 months" the poster said - well try adding the 2 weeks to that that have now been added and so on).

[quote middleager]**@Ellsbells12* Unfortunately I think yes, Senior School pupils preparing for Public Exams need to be prioritised. They should be the years who need to be receiving face to face teaching. If children are really struggling and considered vulnerable they’ve always been allowed in anyway

As a parent of two year 10s, one of whom is 'off' due to a case in options group, I agree. But what I've seen to date is prioritising primary schools due to working parents.

When will this Govt prioritise education over economy? These GCSE years cannot simply catch up or easily retake school, as I've seen cited on another thread today ("it's only 6 months" the poster said - well try adding the 2 weeks to that that have now been added and so on).[/quote]
But @middleager is not the most basic thing the need for parents to be able to pay to house/feed their children? Primary age children cannot be home alone. Secondary children can be. They don't need to be looked after. And they are capable to some level of independent learning but I'm not even thinking about education in this post.

People being able to pay to house and feed their children needs to be number one priority, and it's far harder for parents of primary aged children to be able to work if schools are shut.

Sorry that should have been @Oaktree55

@middleager it’s not that simple. It’s the fact we’re in a Pandemic. Our economy is already in for a long recovery even if this is magically solved tomorrow. If we’re in for a depression effectively there won’t be jobs available for school leavers/University leavers.

It’s not as simple as “close the pubs to keep schools open”. It doesn’t work like that.

The only think which works is an effective tracing system. Also proper sustainable class sizes, ventilation in schools. Proper measures to ensure safer school environments.

This is such a complex problem we’re facing it can’t be solved with simple suggestions. I personally think (and I’m not a fan of banding the term mental health around) the mental health of kids will be far more adversely affected by decimating any economy we may have left. They won’t have any prospects left to go to. It also will impact on many children’s home situations with loss of jobs etc.

We need to start thinking about what education actually truly means and finding ways to ensure it can continue in a different way to which we’ve become accustomed.

The key public exam years really matter.

Secondary schools should not be lumped in with primary schools, as the populations are so different. Those in years 11 and 13 are educational priorities.

If childcare is needed whilst schools are closed, because schools cannot be made safe, then that need sit be tackled separately.

It could be by limited provision using school buildings? Or perhaps (as I've seen posters mentioning) other unoccupied/under occupied buildings? They might have to bust the 'rule of 6' but they could perhaps be smaller than whole class/year bubbles. You'd need at least one suitably qualified and vetted person per setting, with other DBS on catch up?

@RainbowParadise possibly that’s why France have introduced a scheme paying lowest paid parent to remain home. School imo shouldn’t be a childminding service. That’s not it’s primary function.

Its (typo)

[quote Oaktree55]@RainbowParadise possibly that’s why France have introduced a scheme paying lowest paid parent to remain home. School imo shouldn’t be a childminding service. That’s not it’s primary function.[/quote]
You know the reality of modern life means that school effectively is childcare for a large number of parents. Parents who at the moment are not allowed to use grandparents for childcare, who previously would have been able to help.

When I had my DC, I was a SAHM, my ex husband had a well paying job. Never did I imagine that he would become severely abusive to me and I would have to go back to work after leaving him. Life changes, people's circumstances change. School is vital for me as single parent with only my income.

[quote Oaktree55]@RainbowParadise possibly that’s why France have introduced a scheme paying lowest paid parent to remain home. School imo shouldn’t be a childminding service. That’s not it’s primary function.[/quote]
Rereading that again, it's clear isn't it, France's scheme is for couples, the lowest paid parent in a couple. I don't have that luxury. It's just me. What do you propose I do?

Do you have faith that our system would work well enough to catch up children like my Y1 son? Because I don't.

@RainbowParadise I’m not saying there are easy answers. If there were the world wouldn’t be in this mess. I’m trying (not sure why) to express my view which is that everything is intertwined. Education without an economy for school leavers is a poor choice. Trying to continue as we have is futile we need to adapt (including schooling), at least temporarily until we have some tools to manage the Pandemic.

@RainbowParadise yes I think children adapt well. We all have examples either from our own school days or our childrens’ of pupils who have missed extended periods of school for health reasons. Do they catch up? Yes can’t think of any I know that didn’t. We underestimate children a lot and perhaps over estimate what school is going to be able to offer under current conditions. Approaching exam years excluded from that view.

There might be a bit but not full on like in April. More in the form of blended learning.

@Oaktree55 I agree everything is intertwined- that is exactly why we have these issues. Schools shut means parents can't work. And fwiw I think that system in France is absolutely shit for women given they are likely to be the ones staying at home and missing opportunities at work.

I don't know what the answer to it all is either, and I am in complete agreement about the economic situation for school leavers, as well as the impact on their education. It frankly disgusts me that there have been no decent plans made since the beginning of this- no radical thinking as to how education could be delivered in alternative ways. I'm not surprised with this government. I'm really worried for all children and young people at the moment- they are being asked to sacrifice so much and you can guarantee that there won't be support for them after.

As you said though, the world is in a mess, and it shows how appalling it is that the consideration then becomes making sure parents can work to pay for the absolute essentials. What a shit show. I really do hope that this years y11 and y13 aren't fucked over like last years. It's appalling.

[quote Oaktree55]@RainbowParadise yes I think children adapt well. We all have examples either from our own school days or our childrens’ of pupils who have missed extended periods of school for health reasons. Do they catch up? Yes can’t think of any I know that didn’t. We underestimate children a lot and perhaps over estimate what school is going to be able to offer under current conditions. Approaching exam years excluded from that view.[/quote]
I do disagree there I'm afraid. All children's education is important. If you miss the building blocks then everything else is harder. I'm not expecting normal education for my DC right now- my main concern is that they are actually happy and I have concerns that the school are not taking into account enough the disruption they have been through. I don't have confidence that the education system won't fail them in their response, even once thing with coronavirus have calmed down.

Oak Rainbow not ignoring you, but I have nothing to add as I genuinely don't know what the solution is.

I naively expected Govt funding, contingency plans produced over the past six months. Agree little is said about mental health too.

My son is feeling quite low right now after being so keen to return. Yes he can work independently (and I work so cannot be there for him) but if the work isn't set for the one third of the group at home and there is a major test coming up to set for one subject, then yes, this does impact on both education and mental health. He has an early GCSE next year and also had one in Y9, so catching up is not the solution.

I agree that we need to look at what education will look like now, but 8 month away from a traditional GCSE and I have no idea what the expectations are.

@middleager tbh I don't know what the solution is either.

I'm sorry your DS is feeling low. It's been absolutely awful for young people. The exam years in particular, and I feel so sorry for those just starting uni as well. I genuinely feel young people have had to sacrifice far too much.

I just don't know how adults are supposed to cope mental health-wise either, when losing their jobs, income, especially with children to support. It really is a nightmare.

It's a shit situation but it's honestly made so much worse by the incompetence in government, at the DfE. All of our children deserved so much better.

I don't think there will be a government announced full school closure ( too unpopular) but schools will close ( and the government can say its sticking to it's promise).

Schools are already -

• fully closed ( teachers ill with COVID, two week closure on PHE advice)
• partially closed, ( I think currently 6% in my LA, low risk area)
• struggling to stay open (HT's,teachers, TA's, school caretakers, school cooks ill, in isolation or their own children have COVID, TA's teaching classes, HT's teaching classes and covering staggered lunch times, HT's and all staff covering breaks and lunchtime, cleaning duties and home learning, staff resignations, none return after the summer.

Prepare for a really uncontrolled reactionary school year.

Both my DCs are self isolating for 2 weeks due to positive cases in their year (KS4) and class (KS3). Apparently that means no leaving the house for 14 days, even to go on a supervised walk in a remote area. So that's 14 days of no fresh air and no exercise.

Add to that the fact that the work they have had so far is on a par with the homeschooling pre-summer - so basically totally shit. A couple of pieces of work a day via Google Classroom, that is either totally basic or completely unfathomable.

I am totally dispirited with it all. The govt guidance is confusing - focussing on those who have either 1) tested positive, 2) have symptoms, 3) been identified as a close contact by track and trace. No guidance how it relates when 100s of children have been sent home because of 1 case (that they may or may not have had any contact with).

Not the schools fault necessarily, but the effect on the children is going to be huge. The number of children (according to my DC) who returned to school having done no/limited homeschooling at all the last time, means that they are already going back over work that was set Mar-July, and now there is a further set back.

And talk of an extended October half term, closure for all schools as the 'circuit breaker'.