I don't understand why blended learning/part time schooling would work

[Whatchasayin]

I thought the argument for not returning to school before the summer was that even with half the class in it was still impossible to social distance the DC and teachers. Our primary only managed 8 DC in a classroom in June. My DCs school has smaller rooms than that so could presumably fit less in. When my year 10 went in for a few days there were 6 in his group to ensure no close contact and they all had to sit on their own table in the hall at lunch. How do you envisage part time schooling being possible at all?

[noblegiraffe]

My school doesn’t have access to webcams so who’s funding that?

[LastGoldenDaysOfSummer]

Blended learning doesn't have to be online. Children can be given workbooks or worksheets to complete when they aren't in school.

[Whatchasayin]

@Enoughnowstop my DCs school are streaming live lessons to the DC self isolating. We've luckily not had to use it yet, but DC who have say it's pretty good. Obviously not as good as the real thing, but nearly as.

[Bollss]

who looks after primary age kids when they arent at school? lots of families have two working parents. Thats probably the biggest issue, followed by a lack of technology.

[DoorWars]

I get that some children don't have the resources at home but if, for the whole population, online or blended learning is the best option, I don't see why it can't be used.

Yes, some children will be disadvantaged but that's a small price to pay if the over all effect if better. These are not ideal times.

[DoorWars]

By which I mean, in ideal times, no, you wouldn't do something if it disadvantaged a few children, but maybe we should consider it now

[LastGoldenDaysOfSummer]

@TrustTheGeneGenie

who looks after primary age kids when they arent at school? lots of families have two working parents. Thats probably the biggest issue, followed by a lack of technology.

Parents make arrangements for school holidays, they would have to do something similar.

The biggest issue is the health of the children and the staff. That should be paramount.

[OliveTree75]

@LastGoldenDaysOfSummer

Blended learning doesn't have to be online. Children can be given workbooks or worksheets to complete when they aren't in school.

Then we are back into "activity" territory with no actual teaching or new learning. My kids did worksheets and online activities until they were blue in the face during lockdown. They learnt nothing new, it was all consolidation of things they already knew. Chidlren, esoecially primary, need input from an adult to learn new information

[GoldenOmber]

Parents make arrangements for school holidays, they would have to do something similar.

But they couldn’t, could they? Parents can’t send children to holiday clubs that aren’t operating, or take annual leave for a whole year, and most parents couldn’t pay for the sort of hands-on ‘learning support’ that children young enough to need childcare would need in order to be able to learn from home.

I don’t deny that we need to value the health of children and adults in schools (particularly adults as they’re at higher risk), but we can’t just handwave aside the issues caused by sending younger children home and expecting them to carry on learning from there.

[Mokusspokus]

Dp shouldn't have to go through home learning packs though their teachers should be teaching on line as normal.

For those dc who have issues, the school, wider community, council etc can all help.

[Barbie222]

@TrustTheGeneGenie

who looks after primary age kids when they arent at school? lots of families have two working parents. Thats probably the biggest issue, followed by a lack of technology.

I'm not aware that anyone is proposing primary children learn from home? The thread and current news article reference upper secondary.

In the event primaries had to close, presumably we'd be well into furloughing and wfh just about anyone apart from the key workers able to access school as normal.

If you mean bubble closures then that's the sort of thing teachers would like to stop happening, as has been discussed at length.

[TheKeatingFive]

Parents make arrangements for school holidays, they would have to do something similar.

How does that work with no holiday clubs operating, annual leave totally depleted, grandparent childcare out of the question?

[Bollss]

Parents make arrangements for school holidays, they would have to do something similar

bit out of touch aren't we? like there is enough willing childminders / grandparents to take lets say half of all primary pupils half the week AND do home learning with them - because this is not a holiday remember, this is school at home.

[LastGoldenDaysOfSummer]

How does that work with no holiday clubs operating, annual leave totally depleted, grandparent childcare out of the question?

That would be up to the parents to decide. Or the LA could hire church halls etc and pay extra teachers or ci;ldmonders to supervise.

bit out of touch aren't we? like there is enough willing childminders / grandparents to take lets say half of all primary pupils half the week AND do home learning with them - because this is not a holiday remember, this is school at home.

That's not really the school's problem. It's a problem for wider society to resolve. You don't really expect staff to risk their health for the convenience of parents, surely?

The priority is to reduce the danger of infection to teachers and children. That's the most important issue.

[LastGoldenDaysOfSummer]

*childminders.

[GoldenOmber]

You don't really expect staff to risk their health for the convenience of parents, surely?

Education is not provided as a ‘convenience’ for parents though, is it? Education is about children. It helps precisely nobody to frame this as “unreasonable parents putting teachers in danger because they can’t be arsed to care for their own children.”

[anothernewone]

@LastGoldenDaysOfSummer did you really just suggest that we should close schools, to protect teachers and children then hire a church hall to send all the children to u der supervision? Almost like a school?? 🤣😂

[Coastercat]

We live in a hotspot. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of cases in the local secondary school since summer. The cases are represented by care homes and universities. I hope they don’t think of shutting our schools.

[Fridgeandkitchen]

I love how there are people on here who think parents just magically find childcare. Like we can resurrect dead grandparents or magically find child-minders who are full or unable to operate at all. Seriously, these people have NO IDEA.

[Fridgeandkitchen]

At my last check, our local primary and secondary school have no cases.

[Fridgeandkitchen]

@LastGoldenDaysOfSummer

How does that work with no holiday clubs operating, annual leave totally depleted, grandparent childcare out of the question?

That would be up to the parents to decide. Or the LA could hire church halls etc and pay extra teachers or ci;ldmonders to supervise.

bit out of touch aren't we? like there is enough willing childminders / grandparents to take lets say half of all primary pupils half the week AND do home learning with them - because this is not a holiday remember, this is school at home.

That's not really the school's problem. It's a problem for wider society to resolve. You don't really expect staff to risk their health for the convenience of parents, surely?

The priority is to reduce the danger of infection to teachers and children. That's the most important issue.

So you are effectively saying start a new school in a church hall or put childminders possibly at risk?

[LastGoldenDaysOfSummer]

[quote anothernewone]@LastGoldenDaysOfSummer did you really just suggest that we should close schools, to protect teachers and children then hire a church hall to send all the children to u der supervision? Almost like a school?? 🤣😂[/quote]
Er, no. Have you read anything else I've said?

I say half time in school, and half time not. This to enable social distancing in cramped unventilated classrooms so that there isn't so much exposure to infection. Why do you see that as a problem?

I was asked what would happen to the other half whose parents were unable to care for them and my suggestion was to use community facilities. Not sure what's wrong with that.

The priority is to prevent the spread of infection.

[LastGoldenDaysOfSummer]

So you are effectively saying start a new school in a church hall or put childminders possibly at risk?

No. I think the children should be at home but some here seem to think that's not what should happen so I made another suggestion. You seem to have firmly grasped the wrong end of the stick. As I said half the time in school half the time not.

Keep staff and children safe.

[Fridgeandkitchen]

@LastGoldenDaysOfSummer

So you are effectively saying start a new school in a church hall or put childminders possibly at risk?

No. I think the children should be at home but some here seem to think that's not what should happen so I made another suggestion. You seem to have firmly grasped the wrong end of the stick. As I said half the time in school half the time not.

Keep staff and children safe.

What happens to the children when they are not in school? Does a single parent need to resign and claim benefits? Poverty. What happens when food is only provided in a school environment. How are homes heated throughout the day in winter. It’s not just as simple as saying send them home half the week is it.

If we go to blended learning, I’d likely have to resign from my job or take unpaid leave. That would utterly screw me financially.

[CallmeAngelina]

"I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of cases in the local secondary school since summer."
With respect, you have no idea of the number of cases in your local school. Even those of us who work in schools aren't being told who/how many cases there are.