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Original poster

Extended School holidays leaked document (Scotland )

414 replies

Peppafrig · 27/11/2020 16:12

What’s everyone’s feelings on the leaked document suggesting school holidays could be extended till the 11th January ? I think it makes sense to keep them shut for the week. Allowing everyone to not mix again for two weeks after the Christmas bubbles end . Seems like it could save a further even longer lockdown later on in January.

OP posts:
DumplingsAndStew · 28/11/2020 19:54

@Baws

All lesson resources are available remotely anyway.

In your school maybe. My youngest child has been off high school nearly 4 weeks and has had a single piece of work online from three subjects.

tigger1001 · 28/11/2020 19:57

@Baws

Some people commenting on here clearly don’t know what’s going on in schools at the moment. Schools are NOT a childcare facility! The education of most children is going to be affected just like all other aspects of life until the vaccine has taken effect. Many children have already had between 1-3 periods of isolation so far this term. Due to restrictions they are missing out on lots of the usual learning experiences such as experiments in science etc. All lesson resources are available remotely anyway. The parents moaning about the possibility of schools being closed for a few extra days and how this will affect their children’s education are probably the same parents who can’t be bothered to make sure their children are keeping up with remote learning. Surely it makes more sense for a planned week which will result in less cases next term and therefore less periods of isolation?
And there lies the problem. What remote learning? It's very much a postcode lottery whether work is given when kids are off school and hasn't happened in my area. Not quality work anyway. P7's being told to draw round their hand and colour it in isn't exactly quality work.

Maybe parents would be more supportive of at home learning if it actually was quality home learning rather than maybe 2 hours work per week.

We are selling our kids short.

Baws · 28/11/2020 19:57

@Nicknacky
Well you’re lucky then! That’s not the case where I work. I don’t think there are any classes where pupils haven’t had to isolate. Nobody is saying that it’s not difficult to arrange childcare but we’re talking about 5 days here. If your children do have to isolate then that will be 2 weeks and therefore more difficult. Life is shit at the moment and we are all having to make compromises. I’m sorry but I’m struggling to feel sympathy for parents moaning about childcare when no concern is shown for the health and well-being of teachers and the risk of children taking it home to vulnerable family members on top of the 16 hour days teachers are currently putting in as well!

Baws · 28/11/2020 20:01

@DumplingsAndStew
That’s not good, I would speak to the school about that.
We are teaching live lessons for those who aren’t in as well as face to face lessons for those who are.

Nicknacky · 28/11/2020 20:04

Baws Exactly, it’s five days.

If my children have to isolate I can organise that easily at work but with a planned short notice closure I’m not the only one with young children and we can’t all be off, no matter how understandable my work are. And what childcare can I realistically source apart from sending her to her friends house?

No apology for your generalisation about being the type of parent who ignored online schooling? And no empathy to parents at all?

Baws · 28/11/2020 20:08

@GoldenOmber
You have obviously completely misunderstood my points!
By remote lessons I mean live lessons that can be accessed from home. Of course it’s not as good as actual face to face lessons but it’s not exactly uploading a worksheet created by someone else! I’m also not sure why you mentioned an extra week of holiday, where I live if the kids are not in school then we will still be in teaching live lessons as I am doing for most of my classes now.

GoldenOmber · 28/11/2020 20:14

By remote lessons I mean live lessons that can be accessed from home. Of course it’s not as good as actual face to face lessons but it’s not exactly uploading a worksheet created by someone else!

Lovely for you and the children at your school! The 'remote learning' offer at my DC's school is worksheets created by someone else.

I’m also not sure why you mentioned an extra week of holiday

Because that's what's in the SG proposal that the thread is about. Either an extra week of holiday, or a week of fully remote learning.

Baws · 28/11/2020 20:17

@Nicknacky
Wow! You expect me to apologise just because I have a different view to you? Firstly my comment wasn’t directed at you, how could it be I know nothing about your support of your children. Are you going to apologise for insinuating that your childcare issues are more important than the health and well-being of teachers who are putting themselves at risk everyday? I have empathy for parents who have empathy themselves for the difficult situation in schools at the moment.

Nicknacky · 28/11/2020 20:20

Baws How was it NOT directed at me as I am one of the parents “moaning” about any additional time added on after school holidays? You said it was those parents who probably didn’t engage in online schooling.....

I’m going to apologise for nothing. I work in a high risk occupation and I just get on with it. I don’t have two weeks off over Christmas 😂.

Baws · 28/11/2020 20:21

@GoldenOmber
It’s unlikely to be a week of extra holiday though!
If you’re not happy with the quality of resources at your child’s school then why not take it up with the school? I know very little was being set during the start of the first lockdown but most secondary schools are teaching live lessons now. The only exception is if staff are off with covid. That’s an increasing issue at the moment!

GoldenOmber · 28/11/2020 20:24

It’s unlikely to be a week of extra holiday though!

Okay, and yet, the actual proposal is still for that.

I know very little was being set during the start of the first lockdown but most secondary schools are teaching live lessons now.

My DCs are at primary.

dementedpixie · 28/11/2020 20:27

My secondary is not teaching live lessons. If you're lucky they put some work on teams (only if you're really lucky though!)

Baws · 28/11/2020 20:27

@Nicknacky
Because many parents don’t bother! Can you speak for every parent and tell me that they do?
Attacking the holidays now! 😴 Do you also work 80 hour weeks and through most of your weekends and holidays?
I’ll happily swap your ‘high risk’ occupation for a week! I bet it’s a doddle compared to what teachers are currently going through! 🙄🙄

Nicknacky · 28/11/2020 20:30

Baws How can I speak for all parents? That’s the problem when you generalise about parents......you won’t speak for them all so maybe rephrase your posts in future.

If you think doing my job is a doodle then come swap😂😂. You wouldn’t last a day.

Baws · 28/11/2020 20:30

@GoldenOmber
That’s different. Where I live the extra week of remote learning was only for children over 13. I don’t think primary aged children would sit through live lessons! I would still take it up with the school.

Baws · 28/11/2020 20:32

@Nicknacky
But it’s ok for you to generalise about teaching! 😂😂😂 You really are clueless! I don’t think you’d last 10 minutes in teaching! 😂

Nicknacky · 28/11/2020 20:32

Baws Where did I generalise about teaching? Can you point me to that post?

papaelf · 28/11/2020 20:33

I’ll happily swap your ‘high risk’ occupation for a week! I bet it’s a doddle compared to what teachers are currently going through! 🙄🙄

😂😂😂

GoldenOmber · 28/11/2020 20:35

[quote Baws]@GoldenOmber
That’s different. Where I live the extra week of remote learning was only for children over 13. I don’t think primary aged children would sit through live lessons! I would still take it up with the school.[/quote]
There's not really much point my taking it up with the school, since my DC are not old enough to work through a day of any kind of remote school independently and there's no way I can sit with them supporting that all day while also doing my job. (I don't blame the school for that, either; what else could they really do?)

Baws · 28/11/2020 20:39

@Nicknacky

Baws How can I speak for all parents? That’s the problem when you generalise about parents......you won’t speak for them all so maybe rephrase your posts in future.

If you think doing my job is a doodle then come swap😂😂. You wouldn’t last a day.

@Nicknacky You are clearly insinuating that a teacher wouldn’t last a day in your job. In a previous post you mentioned that you had less holidays than a teacher. Your derogatory opinion of teachers is clear from these comments. Go on what is this job where you have to work more than 80 hours a week and for 35 of those potentially exposed to over 100 cases of covid? This was my week last week!
papaelf · 28/11/2020 20:42

@Baws

You might want to give up tbh

Covidnomore · 28/11/2020 20:43

Baws teachers have it tough at the moment. Its a shit time.

But many others do too and it doesn't really do your cause any good when you cannot see that others have it tough too.

My life is not as tough at the moment, but move to blended learning then it will be every bit as tough if not tougher than many teachers as I have an intense job and 2 young children to teach.

Nicknacky · 28/11/2020 20:45

Baws I didn’t say I get less holidays, I said I’m not off for two weeks over Christmas.....

Again, where did I generalise about teachers apart from replying to YOUR post where you think my job is a doodle? I said you wouldn’t least a day, not all teachers.

You don’t think I’ve had 80 hour weeks, been interrupted on my days off, been in work (unpaid) during annual leave? You are so blinkered in your own unhappiness you think have it worst.

Covidnomore · 28/11/2020 20:46

And where i say tougher, I mean compared to teachers who do not also have to school their own children.

Teachers are working parents as well who also must rely on childcare. Lets not forget that........

Baws · 28/11/2020 20:47

@Covidnomore
Of course they do, everyone has it hard at the moment. I don’t appreciate the teacher bashing on this and many other threads. I’m sick and tired of it.