Greenwich schools closing tomorrow

[Starch1e]

Leader of Greenwich council tweeted an open letter this afternoon asking schools to close from Tuesday. Our school is complying.
I need a meltdown emoji. Work is stupid f*king busy this week for me and DP and I cannot do it with 4 & 7 year old at home

@midnightstar66

"So unfair for children who are not keyworker children though. Keyworker children get taught. People who have one parent not a keyworker had to somehow do their job and have children at home and teachers them."

When children go to school because parents are keyworkers they don't get taught, it is more childcare. So when my DC went to school while I worked I then had to do the home teaching after work.

You would think the penny would have dropped by now. Ignoring the schools situation, pretending everything is fine, keeps saying a few slogans. Will not keep schools open. Like last time LA’s will do it for the government until they are forced to act. If people spent half the time lobbying their MP for safe schools as they do gaslighting posters that everything is fine (when it is clear they don’t see is inside schools). Then maybe there would be no closures.

Hint - doing the same thing over and over again and expecting schools to magically be ok, isn’t working!

Nothing on radio yet. Wish they’d get in with it.

I’m not feeling kindly towards Khan atm

@ChloeDecker I agree about safer schools and even just allowing parents to keep their children at home who want to would do that. It seems that there are quite a few parents who want to keep their children off, it seems madness to me that this isn't allowed, this would mean less children in school so more allowance for social distancing. Safer for everyone.

[quote ThreeTwoOneGoo]@midnightstar66

"So unfair for children who are not keyworker children though. Keyworker children get taught. People who have one parent not a keyworker had to somehow do their job and have children at home and teachers them."

When children go to school because parents are keyworkers they don't get taught, it is more childcare. So when my DC went to school while I worked I then had to do the home teaching after work.
[/quote]
Many would take it anyway but I agree that it’s not a good solution for both groups.

Here's the BBC article (from first page of the website this morning)

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55298095

It's also running on SKY

The council have forced the hand of DofE, because they can't just overrule PHE and come up smelling of roses. They will need to show their reasoning - the press have been fairly supine about risks in schools so far (doesn't fit the agenda of those who backed the Great Barrington stuff, such as The Guardian, or any 'education whatever the cost' 'our kids need to be in school' angles)

Keyworker children get taught

I would not make that assumption in all schools and across all age groups. It is common for them to use school computers to join in the same online provision as those at home.

@Walkaround

Teacher of unknown type - maybe one of those types that comes into multiple schools to cover for staff sickness? That data is seriously out of date, anyway - from September to October. Most schools I know, the issues started after half term. It’s now coming into winter - some winter statistics are required. What’s happening in schools now? What’s happening in hospitals now?

I found out that they're releasing data on Covid on schools on Thursday. What useful timing!

[quote monkeytennis97]@carcarbinks School staff are on their knees, is this really a shock to you? Wow if it is. 'Twas ever thus the last week of term. What do I remember from my primary days (70s/early 80s)? End of term board game days, party games and the tv being wheeled in for a film... I've sorted out quizzes for this week- busywork is alive and well in schools.[/quote]
monkeytennis97 I'm a teacher too (although not working at the moment). This time last year I would have been organising many of the things you mention, including one film as a treat / reward for good behaviour. Sitting the children in front of films for most of the week is the kind of thing that encourages people to bash our profession and, rightly, would not have been allowed where I worked.

But you're right; this year has been an exception. to all the school staff out there doing amazing work.

@EdithWeston

Keyworker children get taught

I would not make that assumption in all schools and across all age groups. It is common for them to use school computers to join in the same online provision as those at home.

It’s true. The hubs (where DS went) didn’t have qualified teachers. They were supervised and it was stated on the direct.gov that this would be the case. Towards the end I think some parents had a word with the staff and this resulted in work sheets.

@carcarbinks they bash it whatever the fuck we do😉🤦‍♀️

Our school (secondary) made it very clear that key worker children are not taught, they use the computers in exactly the same way as the children at home, accessing Teams and having their lessons, there was an adult in the room but not necessarily a teacher. That was during the first lockdown as well, I think they had mainly Y7 there as parents didn't want them at home alone.

SEN children are different, they try their best to continue with the provisions and help with learning but parents have to be realistic and things are limited due to staff shortage.

@FrogToad

Of course COVID-positive teachers can spread it to DC *@Walkaround* . But I suspect the vast majority of outbreaks in school are initially started by teacher to teacher transmission.

Much of this will occur in staff rooms during coffee breaks and similar settings.

Or in Fairyland, Narnia, Utopia or The Land Where the Bong Tree Grows, among other unlikely and possibly mythical places. During Gaudy Night.

@FrogToad

"Of course COVID-positive teachers can spread it to DC @Walkaround . But I suspect the vast majority of outbreaks in school are initially started by teacher to teacher transmission."

"Much of this will occur in staff rooms during coffee breaks and similar settings."

You "suspect?" You SUSPECT? So, no fucking idea then?
Give us some official, undisputable facts from a reputable source, and we might pay some attention to you.

I love how people think teachers are keeping away from kids in the classroom and taking every precaution and no COVID transmission happens in the classroom because it's virtually impossible but then the break bell goes and teachers go all crazy and become COVID is a hoax idiots passing COVID to each other sharing cups of coffee in the staff room because that must be the likely explanation of COVID cases in schools.

It's really concerning people actually think teachers act irresponsibly to catch COVID and it has nothing to do with the kids in the classroom in small classrooms

I'd go for insulting, tbh.

I very much doubt teachers are acting irresponsibly. I very much doubt teachers are even utilising their staff rooms.

In the last week we’ve had two reminders sent out by the school to remind parents that when one family member is isolating and awaiting test results, that it isn’t okay to send your kids in. Boggles my mind that people don’t get that.

I’ve no doubt teachers could pick up Covid from outside work (just like us all) but I’d actually bet it’s more than likely they are getting it from the students.

I’m not looking forward to January. It’s going to be grim with more Covid and brexit. Not looking forward to it at all.

Why do you keep changing your name @FrogToad but still keep spouting the same rubbish. There can’t be 2 posters who are so deluded.

@ineedaholidaynow, it doesn't matter what the name is. Some people are always completely recognisable with the first post after a name-change.

So can dfe force council change mind
Sadiq Khan wants all London schools shut

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9050405/Millions-face-childcare-crisis-Sadiq-Khan-calls-schools-close-TODAY.html

"There can’t be 2 posters who are so deluded."

Mind you, I think you'll find that there can be!! Plenty of examples on these threads.

Good old Daily Mail.

I genuinely don't understand why closures can't be on a school by school basis. What is the logic?

If your school is relatively unaffected it stays open, if cases are skyrocketing, it closes. Why isn't this possible?

@CountessFrog. I think some bin men died, and supermarket workers. And a dog walker, a florist and somebody who works in a bakery. Our bin men work in the open air and wear masks, in our local supermarkets the staff wear masks and the ones on tills are behind screens, dog walkers are in the open air and of course they can wear masks, florists wear masks, I don't know about bakeries. Do any of them work in a crowded room with 30 or more people, changing on an hourly basis so they are in close contact with 180 a day? Are any of them unable to wear masks, have enough space for 2 metres distancing? Not the same is it.

I think in primaries in particular the children are all tired by this stage in the autumn term and a few days off would do them good. Obviously it is inconvenient for parents but that is part of being a parent, there aren't many children who go through school without ever being off sick.