NEU calls for two week closure for secondaries and colleges following leap in infections

[noblegiraffe]

The NEU has called for a two week closure of secondary schools and colleges following a more than 9-fold increase in the infection rate in secondary school children in a month.

www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-teachers-demand-2-week-school-closures-after-cases-jump

The infection rate in Y7-11 was 0.5% last week, according to the ONS survey of random households, but this nearly doubled to 0.93% in the latest set of figures. This rise cannot be ignored or passed off as relating to university students as has happened so far.

In other, entirely unrelated news, 61% of teachers report that if a student doesn't wear a mask in a school where they are mandated in communal areas 'nothing happens'.

www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-61-staff-say-nothing-done-if-pupils-wont-wear-masks

And Teacher Tapp data from yesterday had 26% of teachers reporting that their schools were partially closed to students.

In the meantime, the testing positivity rate in 10-19 year olds is 17%, which means that this group is severely under-tested and lots of cases will be missed. The rate should be below 5%.

Yet the insistence continues that in any lockdown scenario, schools will remain open. Idiocy.

Forth, so how come our dd very well off academy school with low fsm did zero and the school less than a mile away, opposite, gave out weekly work?

Provision was inconsistent because the government removed the expectation.

Teachers in my LA volunteered their time in central hubs. Some schools, especially those requiring improvements used the time for action planning, evidencing the impact of change, catching up with policy writing, visioning and CPD, develop skills and revamping the curriculum ready for their next OFSTED. Some spent time cleaning out cupboards and refurbishing outdoor areas.
Schools run to very tight budgets ( many in deficit) they are so limited for time outside of time with the children, that lockdown time was used so wisely and in so many much needed ways.

maybe their parents were working on line, like actually starting at 8.30 and finishing at 6?

Yep, like me, working in education from 7.00am until 7.00pm through lockdown ( on a good day...weekends on rota, no holidays including Easter BH) all to support schools.

Part of the difficulty is that, whatever schools produce, it may not be what parents want.

We produced a weekly programme of work. 5x math, 4x English, 1 x Reading comprehension, at least 1x each science, History / Geography, Computing, Music, PE.

The week's programme was published to the school website every week, along with any printable worksheets. All online work was linked through an online platform (and marked), with Maths being via a separate proprietary platform (and marked). Teachers were available to parents by e-mail, and to children via a safe 'social media type' platform.

We had weekly online meetings with every child invited. All of us also taught either keyworker bubbles or returned year bubbles 4 full days a week from 1st June.

We had complaints, by the stack. A perent complained that all the staff must have been furloughed because 'there wasn't any work online'. When the above was outlined again, it was stated that this didn't count, she expected her child's teacher to be on video continuously from 9 am - 3.30 pm. More parents claimed 'it was too hard'. Some complained 'it was too easy'. Many complained because we didn't completely entertain their child throughout school hours, and they as parents had to spend some time each day making sure that their (primary age) children knew what to do. Lots struggled with device availability (we lent out all the school laptops to this group), while some wanted no online work but instead asked that we should deliver printed packs to their door each day / week.

We have revamped our offer again this term. I expect there will still be significant complaints that we are not 'teaching' full time - but we have to be mindful that the vast majority have families are sharing 1 or 2 devices across home-working parents and several children, so this simply isn't an effective or inclusive approach.

[quote RubyandBen]@DreamingofBrie I don't think anyone can doubt any of the teachers on this threads commitment to their students.
I also have a new level of admiration for the teachers at my DCs schools. Both seem to be on track now despite the months off.
I think my biggest concern is that I watched my DC gradually turn into zombies during lockdown - so much time on screens with no real interaction. Seeing the massive change in them by being back at school has been so amazing and such a relief. I'm just worried about their well-being if we have another long spell of starring at screens again and no social contact.[/quote]
I agree with you about too much screen time, I have the same concerns for my own dc. Once they had finished the work set from school (which was about 3-4h per day at primary and full day for secondary), and I had done a day of teaching, it was hard to motivate ourselves to get out for a walk or some exercise. They did kick a ball about in the garden and go for cycle rides, but this will be harder in the winter.

Thank you for acknowledging the efforts of the teachers though. I was marking till 2am most nights and had to redo all of my lessons for remote teaching, as my whiteboard software wasn't compatible with my inking tablet. I've just started recording PowerPoint for an A-level class and they take SO LONG, with all of the retakes!

Forth, but as can be seen by posts on here, if it's not visible, then it seems it doesn't count!
Bit like that dustman analogy earlier in the thread.
I suppose vicars suffer the same way - people reckon they only work on Sundays, as that's what is seen.

Yes cant I know my school had complaints about the lack of live lessons but also compliments from parents who thought the provision was great.

There seem to be a loud contingent who think that live lessons are not only the gold standard but also that all parents want them and schools are withholding them for no good reason.

I don’t want a full timetable of live lessons at all.

The only time the secondary got many complaints was when it switched from early June provision to 25% in. Not their fault obviously and too reduced imo

But since then they’ve received overwhelming support.

Primary, well probably best to skip over but we’re back now so all really good

I'm also hearing a lot of feedback that it gives a false sense of compliance. Kids log in to a lesson (and parents can relax, thinking they're "sorted"), but actually they're not engaged with the lesson at all, but quite possibly playing fortnite on their phones with their classmates, supposedly out of sight of the teacher.

@noblegiraffe

Yes cant I know my school had complaints about the lack of live lessons but also compliments from parents who thought the provision was great.

There seem to be a loud contingent who think that live lessons are not only the gold standard but also that all parents want them and schools are withholding them for no good reason.

I don’t want a full timetable of live lessons at all.

In primary, a full programme of live lessons would simply be wrong. Far more than secondary, children don't have their own devices, and also at younger ages they NEED adult support to do their work.

Publishing resources to allow asynchronous learning - we found lots worked at weekends, or during specific 1-2 hour periods during each day to fit in with siblings / parents - was by far the best option, and almost all of my class did almost all of the work, every week (even when i was in school teaching another year group).

Interestingly, as a school, we are finding that it is in writing - actual, physical, on paper writing - that there is the most noticeable gap in children's learning. Other subjects, much less so.

@CallmeAngelina

I'm also hearing a lot of feedback that it gives a false sense of compliance. Kids log in to a lesson (and parents can relax, thinking they're "sorted"), but actually they're not engaged with the lesson at all, but quite possibly playing fortnite on their phones with their classmates, supposedly out of sight of the teacher.

Feedback from parents or teachers?

@CallmeAngelina

I'm also hearing a lot of feedback that it gives a false sense of compliance. Kids log in to a lesson (and parents can relax, thinking they're "sorted"), but actually they're not engaged with the lesson at all, but quite possibly playing fortnite on their phones with their classmates, supposedly out of sight of the teacher.

Yep. anecdotally (friend with children at private school) this was a significant issue.

"Feedback from parents or teachers?"
Both.
And in one case, a teacher colleague, whose own teenaged child reported that it was common practice for the bulk of his class to play an online game on their phones during lessons.

Is that primary or secondary Callme?

I did a few checks and saw Ds was writing in his book and actually engaging as it did cross my mind he could muck around like that.

Of course teens are on their phones during live lessons. It’s only through confiscations and sanctions that they don’t do it at school!

I think some parents believe that kids will just work in the presence of a teacher, instead of it requiring massive effort and skill on the part of the teacher in a lot of cases.

[quote RubyandBen]@DreamingofBrie I don't think anyone can doubt any of the teachers on this threads commitment to their students.
I also have a new level of admiration for the teachers at my DCs schools. Both seem to be on track now despite the months off.
I think my biggest concern is that I watched my DC gradually turn into zombies during lockdown - so much time on screens with no real interaction. Seeing the massive change in them by being back at school has been so amazing and such a relief. I'm just worried about their well-being if we have another long spell of starring at screens again and no social contact.[/quote]
I do doubt the commitment of some of the teachers on this thread to put the best interests of children first. Not all.

I do doubt the commitment of some of the teachers on this thread to put the best interests of children first. Not all.

Uhuh. More vague unnamed insults. Nice.

It’s not optimal no. Which is why people prefer in school. Better than last term though by a mile.

Anyway do government respond to this call by NEU or is it likely just to be SM fodder.

I normally don't allow devices out during my lessons unless I specifically say the pupils can use them (e.g. for a Mathswatch exercise). When that is the case, I'll always teach from the back of the room, so I can see exactly what is on screens.

In these times, that's impossible! All the pupils have their devices out as we are sharing resources such as worksheets via OneNote (no textbook sharing or exchange), and I have to keep to the front of the room. I'm certain some of them will be messaging each other, checking emails etc. during the lesson.

*@WouldBeGood: Would you care to back up that smear with some evidence? Who on here would you doubt the commitment of, and with what proof?

I do doubt the commitment of some of the teachers on this thread to put the best interests of children first. Not all.

I think it depends at what cost.

The vast majority of teachers I know in real life are putting the interests of children WAY in front of the risk to their own health. A very few - the older, or extremely clinically vulnerable - are wondering whether that risk is worth it, especially in the face of parents who do not care, and a government who actively choose to expose them to higher risk rather than spend money or thought.

Anyway do government respond to this call by NEU or is it likely just to be SM fodder.

It’s not just the NEU though. More voices keep being added to a general call for a circuit breaker and it will be hard to defend not including schools in that.

"Anyway do government respond to this call by NEU"

Since when has a (Tory) Government given a flying fuck or paid any attention whatsoever to what any of the teaching unions think/say/"call for?"

I do think you have to ask why teachers SHOULD put the interests of children for a marginally-better in-school education, with significant Covid risks, ahead of their own health? Is that reasonable?

Especially as teachers are also bearing in mind the very real risks to highly vulnerable children, and the highly vulnerable adults that may live with the children in their classrooms. it's not a simple equation.

@CallmeAngelina

"Anyway do government respond to this call by NEU"

Since when has a (Tory) Government given a flying fuck or paid any attention whatsoever to what any of the teaching unions think/say/"call for?"

We’ll see but I think that might be the case.