Secondary schools are stuffed, GOVERNMENT ADMITS

[noblegiraffe]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55265098

Mass testing for secondary school pupils in worst affected areas.

oh dear that dfe statement appears somewhat dated now. What a shambles.

@CallmeAngelina

Sorry, in the time it took me to find the post, someone else has beaten me to it.

Angelina, snap!

The 'my child's school didn't do x or y during lockdown 1' comments are moot now. Schools have to provide learning. Back in the summer the curriculum was suspended, it's not now. And schools know what they are doing. The laptop allocation scheme has just been increased too. Making that point over again is well, pointless.

If anyone didn’t like their school’s provision during the first lockdown, for most of it, The Oak National Academy was good. My child used it very well and still continues to use it coming into her fourth week of self isolation, as that is easier for me to administer than the other work set by her school, whilst I teach my own lessons from home.
In addition, the government has now provided legal requirements for remote learning now, so anyone using the argument of ‘they didn’t like home learning in lockdown one from their school, so I’m going to use that to argue against safer measures for staff and pupils (not necessarily close schools) and pretend the government are doing a great job. As long as they are not personally affected of course.

@CallmeAngelina

This is what the dfe asked MNHQ to publish on a recent thread (although unfortunately, the request got delayed and was only put on the thread concerned about a dozen or so posts before the 1000 mark, so it sadly didn't get the traffic intended).

"We are aware of some media reports last week regarding the transmission of Covid in schools and understand this has the potential to raise some concern."

"Last week, SAGE (the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) published papers relating to the latest evidence of incidence and transmission of coronavirus in schools."

"The science is clear that children and young people are typically at very low risk from Covid-19 The disease is much less severe for children, even if they do catch coronavirus. And staff are not at higher risk than those working in other sectors."

"Furthermore, the papers say there is no clear or conclusive evidence that schools are playing a causal role in transmission and the spread of Covid-19."

“This is probably because education settings are rigorously enforcing all the mitigations – handwashing, mask wearing, bubbles, isolation of staff and pupils with symptoms etc.”

"The latest weekly figures show that 99% of schools are open and that only 0.2% of pupils are isolating at home with a confirmed Covid-19 case."

"As a department, we have ensured that all schools continue to operate with strict safety measures in place to minimise the risk of infection."

"You can read more about transmission in schools here."

Thanks for this.

This piece of propaganda will not age well.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

The 'my child's school didn't do x or y during lockdown 1' comments are moot now. Schools have to provide learning. Back in the summer the curriculum was suspended, it's not now. And schools know what they are doing. The laptop allocation scheme has just been increased too. Making that point over again is well, pointless.

Yep. Especially when the government has just admitted a problem with infection rates in secondary schools and Christmas free-for-all is fast approaching.

It should focus the mind somewhat.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot it doesn't feel pointless to me. Sorry if that isn't right in your opinion, but I've lost faith in my DC's school. So in terms of my DC education it feels relevant and important.

However, I realise there are more important things to consider than my own DC's education. I've said this over and over on this thread, but it does feel like as a I'm a parent rather than a teacher several posters are determined that I belong in the 'I don't like twinkle camp' regardless.

Yes but you can see why many dp are afraid.

Well, if you have empathy you can, just like the dp who are insistent their dc are in school, and can't empathise with staff?

I'm in a strange position now because my dd came on amazingly well under lock down once we forged our own path and I really feel I could bring her on again.
I'd feel much happier with a whole range of measures in place.

Blended learning, mostly on line though, more masks, schools forget uniform policies, focus on keeping dc warm, with ventilation, etc etc.
At a bare minimum going on line after Xmas for a weeks to absorb Christmas mixing?

Rather like the insanely slow first lock down.. However... We will all be thrown to the January wolves and when it's too late they will say they made mistake.

Then in the next pandemic (god forbid) in 100 years they can learn from our mistakes.

'' I don't like twinkle camp '' is an awful belittling thing to say.

chloe that’s really not what I mean.

The problem is as far as I can see that trust has been lost. Whether that’s true or not, whether that’s justified or not, I think a lot of parents felt / feel let down.

I for one am not going to talk myself out of a job by instructing parents to use oak academy!

It’s a losing battle to an extent because young people aren’t unwell from covid. And I know that doesn’t mean they don’t transmit it and I know teachers in particular might be vulnerable to it, or live with someone else who is, but that’s a problem replicated across hospitals, across other places likely to transmit it. My OH tested positive - no huge surprises, he’s been to work.

I worried about it. I was in my third trimester when I went back. But I also was worried about the poor work set during the summer term, and I have to admit if my own DCs had been school age, I wouldn’t have been thrilled.

But then I also think we should have closed the schools sooner in March. Possibly I’m just never content

On that note, I’d better get some sleep.

It's not pointless from your family's point of view, it's pointless to keep saying it in these threads. Some schools were crap (my own child's), some schools were great (the one I work at), but there is nothing I can do, or want to do about that now, so I'm not going to use it as a reason for children and staff to be exposed to unsafe working conditions.

If you don't like your child's school, move them. You have the choice.

I’m a parent and a teacher and I hate Twinkl, if it helps

I do think one of the many issues was that no clear guidance was given in advance. If HTs had known in March some year groups wouldn’t be back until September a more conducive plan might have been forthcoming. As it was, it appeared to be two weeks initially (although some were definitely in the know) and had that been the case, Twinkl would have been fine.

So - God knows!

a problem replicated across hospitals, across other places likely to transmit it

Where risk assessments involve adults who understand the risk.
Where PPE is worn.
Where social distancing is understood and/or possible.

it doesn't feel pointless to me

If you're having to hark back to lockdown provision to assume that your kid would be provided with no work should schools close early for Christmas, then you are in the pretty fortunate position of your kid not having had to isolate since September.

Things really have moved on since March.

rule so teachers do not understand the risk, so all workplaces that have remained open during lockdown have provided full PPE, and you really think social distancing happens in hospital?

This isn’t an attempt to turn the discussion into teachers vs other professions. It’s pointing out that realistically, for most people in a workplace, they will be exposed to coronavirus, sooner or later.

That meant my DH gave it to me at 34 weeks pregnant. It was what it was.

I love twinkl for spelling and times tables stuff.
I think I like Oak less as it's so twee and un-editable... although I have directed 'off by choice' parents in that direction/recommended options.

Tbf giraffe you often point out not all schools do the same thing with regard to PPE: the same is true of remote learning.

Ours is still pretty abysmal.

so teachers do not understand the risk

Are you being deliberately obtuse? Most work places involve adults only. Schools don't. It's not the adults who are the sole vectors.

Ours is still pretty abysmal

Complain. You have the law on your side.

@Welcometonowhere

Tbf giraffe you often point out not all schools do the same thing with regard to PPE: the same is true of remote learning.

Ours is still pretty abysmal.

But it’s legally required and there are standards to complain about if not met.

Totally unlike lockdown.

So perhaps parents should not be encouraged to assume that nothing has changed.

Of course I’m not being obtuse, but children have decisions made for them on behalf of their parents and this is no exception. In any case, children themselves aren’t thought to be at risk: it’s the transmission in the community which is problematic.

Why would I complain rule? I am talking about the school I work in. My own child is a baby.

I'm going to leave this thread now because despite my absolute support for the OP's POV for some reason I'm getting flack.

I would like to make it clear that I do want to see changes to keep teachers and pupils safer and for learning to go online to help that to happen.

The assumption that my DC have not had to isolate is incorrect- this has happened and no online learning was provided by school and no contact was made. I followed it up multiple times with school to no avail, and ended up setting work myself.

I also don't have a choice of school for my DC. They go to the local secondary- where I live you can not pick and choose your school unless you can transport DC a very long way to nearest non-oversubscribed school.

Being rigid, judgey and unpleasant to posters like me does nothing to help more people understand and get onboard, not does it build trust or confidence in your POV.

not does it build trust or confidence in your POV

The data is there whether people like it or not. People will die over Christmas unnecessarily if no action is taken. The government have lied and gaslighted and deliberately and knowingly sent people into unsafe workplaces while claiming that the risks were minimal. Now they are panicking that it’s gone to shit on their patch but what they are proposing is still inadequate.

That won’t change if I am polite about it or not. Not will it change whether you were unhappy with your school’s lockdown provision (a well-hashed argument that seems pretty irrelevant in the current circumstances) or not.

I’ve been posting these threads since August pointing out what is going on. The government have finally admitted there is actually an issue and people still want to go on about lockdown provision? A discussion, btw, deliberately triggered by a person trying to derail the thread. Of course I’m not going to be happy at people falling for it.