Is a change beginning to happen regarding schools?

[Covidfears]

I’ve been noticing more articles lately in the mainstream press about the difficulties in schools (which will come as no surprise to most people). There’s also been some research which has basically confirmed that schools are driving infections. So, along with it looking like this lockdown has been a waste of time (due to schools being kept open to continue the spread) and people in power calling for Hull schools to be closed do we think that schools will be closing early for Christmas?

Is there any chance that blended learning or rotas will be coming in after the Christmas holidays?

We are a vulnerable family with children in primary school and the risk that sending them every day with no safety measures poses to our family is causing me huge amounts of stress.

4 and 2 (obviously the 2 year old is not at school!). When the 4 year old was isolating we couldn’t do all the homeschooling with him as we are in video meetings for our jobs a large part of the day. I felt like a terrible parent and a terrible employee. The business I work for hasn’t made any redundancies nor claimed any furlough but the flip side of that is that they expect total commitment from their employees as we are all still employed. Tough situation.

So how will you cope if/when the 4yo's bubble is told to self isolate or his school closes due to lack of staff?

This has already happened to a lot of parents, some multiple times...

Schools must stay open for the most vulnerable kids, all scientific evidence points to that. Teachers and unions going against keeping the most vulnerable in schools are hypocrites.

But this is exactly the opposite of what teachers are saying. If schools are to stay open for the most vulnerable, they need to avoid sending bubbles home to self isolate and having staff shortages. The current system does NOT work for vulnerable kids.

Why not engage with the actual reality of what is happening, rather than what you wish was happening?

Switzerland only closed its schools for a few weeks during the course of the whole pandemic.

The average class size in Switzerland is

Musicaldilemma: 'Precisely because they listened to child psychologists and are trying to balance the needs of all in society' = do you not see anything at all ironic in your statement? Feels a bit as if your dilemma is if you should continue playing your violin as Rome falls...

Those saying schools need to stay open and children need an education (which I agree with btw) are neglecting to consider what happens if covid levels creep up and spreads through communities. I am in Kent and many many schools near me are currently closed due to cases in schools. Lots are due to lack of staffing as so many are either positive, waiting for results or isolating due to being a contact. Those that are open are struggling due to lack of staff and moving staff around which creates further issues. These children are not getting a good standard of education and vulnerable children and those of key workers are not attending school in some cases

@Lifeispassingby

Those saying schools need to stay open and children need an education (which I agree with btw) are neglecting to consider what happens if covid levels creep up and spreads through communities. I am in Kent and many many schools near me are currently closed due to cases in schools. Lots are due to lack of staffing as so many are either positive, waiting for results or isolating due to being a contact. Those that are open are struggling due to lack of staff and moving staff around which creates further issues. These children are not getting a good standard of education and vulnerable children and those of key workers are not attending school in some cases

Yes, this.

A lot of schools, all over the country, are not functioning as normal, and we need to acknowledge that.

It’s actually pretty despicable of people to use vulnerable children to try to get what they want, having never given a shit about them before or since.

If anyone is interested in class sizes, OECD have data up to 2018.
Average around Europe is around 21, UK and France 25+
Even Russia is only 19....

stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=EDU_CLASS#

Blended learning hasn’t happened and there is no set detail as to what it will look like should it happen.

There is for some of us. Here in Scotland our councils had to present their blended learning plans back when that was Plan A. Hardly any councils were able to offer children 50% of the time actually in school, or offer anything substantial for children who were at home. Edinburgh children were going to get three or four days per month in school (not per week, per month), with the last three secondary years getting iPads and the rest getting 'home learning packs' to work through.

I don't blame the councils or the schools for this. They didn't have the resources to do much else and I don't know what else they could have done with the constraints they had. But the whole row over that made it very obvious that without a lot of funding to make it work, 'blended learning' is just going to be part-time learning.

During lockdown 1 the most deprived schools in my area really struggled to get the most vulnerable kids into school. That is a fact. Keyworker kids were mostly in, not the most vulnerable. A few food parcels and phone calls home doesn’t cut it. I have friends who are heads and know this first hand. These kids have really been set back.

But it's part-time learning anyway... but without the ability to effectively forward plan and ensure that the curriculum can be delivered in an effective way.

@Musicaldilemma so what is the answer? Vulnerable children will not be helped by schools completely closing due to high COVID levels either

@Musicaldilemma

During lockdown 1 the most deprived schools in my area really struggled to get the most vulnerable kids into school. That is a fact. Keyworker kids were mostly in, not the most vulnerable. A few food parcels and phone calls home doesn’t cut it. I have friends who are heads and know this first hand. These kids have really been set back.

I claim my million pounds.

Your kids have to be in the classroom to encourage those poor vulnerable kids that you really care about back in.

It only just so happens that that arrangement is also what you really want.

@Musicaldilemma

During lockdown 1 the most deprived schools in my area really struggled to get the most vulnerable kids into school. That is a fact. Keyworker kids were mostly in, not the most vulnerable. A few food parcels and phone calls home doesn’t cut it. I have friends who are heads and know this first hand. These kids have really been set back.

So, the most vulnerable kids will only be in if schools are open for all kids? What a dilemma, because schools can't stay open because all kids are in...

Well I know Switzerland very well, thank you very much. Covid is currently a big problem but schools are still open. In March/April cases were low. Class sizes are typically around 24 and class rooms are no bigger than here. Ventilation is being taken seriously and for fire safety reasons, windows in most class rooms open.

@Musicaldilemma

Well I know Switzerland very well, thank you very much. Covid is currently a big problem but schools are still open. In March/April cases were low. Class sizes are typically around 24 and class rooms are no bigger than here. Ventilation is being taken seriously and for fire safety reasons, windows in most class rooms open.

could you add your comments on Hungary? They also went online a few weeks ago.

You can mock me all you like @noblegiraffe but this is the thinking of head teachers I know. They need school to be compulsory for some of their most vulnerable kids to be in.

You can mock me all you like noblegiraffe

Why do you not want safer schools for vulnerable kids?

Ahem. Schools In Geneva have gone online. Sorry to break it to you.

Why are Us4Them currently paying lawyers to organise cases against heads who want masks in classrooms?

Secondary schools.

@Piggywaspushed

Ahem. Schools In Geneva have gone online. Sorry to break it to you.

Nice to know that musicaldilemma thoroughly agrees with Switzerland's safe approach and will continue advocating everything they do

@aleC4 🙌 yep

How can schools be driving infection if my children's schools have controlled any cases with no other cases within the bubble. One TA positive, no other cases. Then one child different class, no other cases. That's it 2, no one dead. Get a grip.

this is the thinking of head teachers I know

Why do people do this?

You having a mate who is a head does not give you the equivalent experience to people that actually work in schools, who are dealing with a situation that is fast sliding into total carnage.

Well rain secondary school pupils are the most infected subset of the population and they are currently mixing freely in large groups every day despite the lockdown.

Do you think this is a sensible idea?

Why do people do this?

It’s appeal to authority. A common crap argument tactic.

@rainonarainyday so those schools harbour have 40+ staff isolating osme of whom have positive tests and 15 confirmed cases amongst children with many more awaiting test results are doing something wrong then?