No longer a national priority to keep schools open

[noelgiraffe]

The government has surreptitiously dropped its priority to keep schools open.

It has replaced it with a priority to “keep education open”.

Remote learning is now a viable alternative to keeping schools open (as opposed to last Monday when it was a matter for the high court).

In the DfE media blog, tweeted earlier today regarding the delayed start to term in January they say:

“ Is this an extension of the Christmas holiday?

No, this isn’t an extension of the holiday and we haven’t asked that the start of term is delayed.

All students will return to education from the first day of term. Secondary school and college students should learn remotely for one week except those in exam years, vulnerable young people and the children of critical workers. It remains our national priority to keep education open and we are not closing education for any period other than during the set holiday periods.”

Interesting development.

I think that’s the right way to do it

I don’t disagree either, for the same reasons but it does mean the schools aren’t actually available to a good percentage of key workers - I’ll be juggling my job, homeschooling and childcare with the best of us.

I can just about cope if they definitely 100% go back full time on the 18th January.

Anything else is going to be a disaster for education and mental health.

@ChloeDeckTheHalls

It's to stop kids being sent in when they might very well have a parent at home. Makes sense to me. Doesn’t make sense to me as it’s too risky just to hinge on the work ‘might’. I’m glad my school and my child’s school didn’t make up this rule (as it certainly was not in the government guidance issued in the last lockdown)

If you have to go to work because you are a key worker then you're covered. Key workers are actually very broad categories and remember in level 4 no non essential shops etc open. My school looked at it on a case by case basis. The whole point is to reduce people being in school?

Agree it needs to be both. Why would a 2 adult family with one kw need a school place anymore than a lone parent whose job isn't in the key list?

Did I imagine that the language had changed to 'critical worker'? The key worker list was crazily inclusive last time.

If you have to go to work because you are a key worker then you're covered. Key workers are actually very broad categories and remember in level 4 no non essential shops etc open. My school looked at it on a case by case basis. The whole point is to reduce people being in school?

Ok. Slightly different from what you wrote before hence my response. So we agree. Going on a case by case basis is what it should be but a blanket rule that both parents have to be keyworkers ‘end of’ as a made up rule is not.

If you have to go to work because you are a key worker then you're covered.

I’m sorry but no you’re not. I’m a key worker, my husband isn’t. He’s not at home because his private sector company needs him to do his job and he’s the higher earner so can’t decide to resign so I can go to work. In effect this means that I can’t access school places for my kids, nor can I not work. I’m not remotely covered as a key worker.

Just to say that those of you who don't have enough devices might want to investigate the Amazon Fire tablet. I don't know the price now but on Black Friday the non-HD version was £39 and the HD version was £59.

However, the caveat is that it is not compatible with all the apps so you would need to check that it will work with the software your school is using - it does have Zoom.

There should not be a blanket policy on schools. Those that can cope and don't have any/very few cases, should be allowed to continue to open.

@Heartlantern2

With children off school how are parents going to go to work?

Families won’t be able to pay the bills

I'm not saying I agree with schools being shut again long term but I don't think the childcare argument really stacks up - children have been sent home to isolate with no notice all term, and for an isolating child they can't leave the house for childcare. With a planned shutting of schools at least parents can use a childcare bubble or a family member?

It's also very clear from the data that the recent rise in cases has been driven by school age children including primary age. Both age groups saw a rapid increase in cases straight after lockdown. Primary age cases are rising quickly, just from a lower base.

Ultimately, the whole country cannot put themselves at risk for the sake of parents of primary age children with no childcare.

And many, many businesses have lost out due to lockdowns and people have lost out on wages, due to keeping schools open at the expense of everything else. I support keeping schools open as much as possible BUT I don't think it makes economic sense.

@ChloeDeckTheHalls

If you have to go to work because you are a key worker then you're covered. Key workers are actually very broad categories and remember in level 4 no non essential shops etc open. My school looked at it on a case by case basis. The whole point is to reduce people being in school?

Ok. Slightly different from what you wrote before hence my response. So we agree. Going on a case by case basis is what it should be but a blanket rule that both parents have to be keyworkers ‘end of’ as a made up rule is not.

No, I haven't changed my position. We had kids applying to come to the hub during lockdown and we refused them because whilst one parent was a key worker, one wasn't and the child could be at home with the parent. Your blanket policy of allowing all children who only have one key worker parent at home defeats the purpose of closing schools to most kids.

Well if you haven't access to a computer then landing can be online but it will not be available to you. We have one computer and 3 children at school. My DH uses the computer to work from home. The schools need to stay open if all children are to have an education.

Ahh. Shit. Thanks for the warning.

I too wish the government had put more bloody effort into making schools safer places.

@Jellycatspyjamas

If you have to go to work because you are a key worker then you're covered.

I’m sorry but no you’re not. I’m a key worker, my husband isn’t. He’s not at home because his private sector company needs him to do his job and he’s the higher earner so can’t decide to resign so I can go to work. In effect this means that I can’t access school places for my kids, nor can I not work. I’m not remotely covered as a key worker.

You misunderstood what I meant. You would fall between the gaps. You would have to hope that employers understood your position and let your husband work from home.

If remote schools becomes essential, it would be better to turn all BBC programming over to televised lessons and send home packs of paper worksheet and booklets. No need for a computer for every single child (and presumably the parents if they are WFH) or fast internet. And virtually every house has a TV. Put the same lessons on the internet for the small % of people who have computers but no TV in the house.

I hope it does not come to that though. Remote learning is shit, esp for kids who struggle anyway.

With a planned shutting of schools at least parents can use a childcare bubble or a family member?

Assuming they have such a thing.

Hancock said on sky
Schools return jan and focus on testing

And virtually every house has a TV. Put the same lessons on the internet for the small % of people who have computers but no TV in the house.
We have a TV but no licence so we'd need it all online.

Agree it needs to be both. Why would a 2 adult family with one kw need a school place anymore than a lone parent whose job isn't in the key list

As a keyworker teacher teaching full time from home at one point, I was very grateful my child could be in their school, even the times I wasn’t on rota in school. In addition, I was also happy to help those families in my school who were struggling once we knew the first lockdown went beyond 2 weeks and we even had some Year 12s in at one point.

During this past week, after my DD’s class had been self isolating for about a month and Greenwich schools were going to be closed, one parent who wasn’t strictly a keyworker but was a single parent hugely struggling, asked the school for a place on the Tuesday and the school said yes.

I feel that parents should have the chance to approach their school for support to see if it’s possible, rather than a blanket rule like that.

You misunderstood what I meant. You would fall between the gaps. You would have to hope that employers understood your position and let your husband work from home.

They have absolutely no reason to - they’re trying to keep their business afloat and need all hands on deck, my DH had the threaten them with the equalities act at one point to be allowed a very minor adjustment to his work pattern which had been agreed for women in his workplace.

It’s fine to say prioritise key workers but all the other work still needs to happen and it won’t help our family in the slightest to have my husband out of work.

And if I’m falling through the gaps, it’s a pretty big gap because most of my colleagues are in the same boat.

I work in a school and we have had zero transmission.

This is also due to luck and the area that you are in. In my school all staff and students wear masks unless they are eating, frequent handwashing, sanitizer, wiping down desks after every lesson, strict bubbles between years, no assemblies, etc and we have still had many cases.

If they didn't make it just keyworkers , everyone would just send their children to school. There has to be some conditions. The fact is that the science is implying that this mutant strain is more infectious. That has huge implications for children in schools not only passing it on to teachers, which schools cannot function without] but brining it home to parents and the wider community. Also the possibility that more children might suffer from Multi inflammatory if they are more prone to catching it.
What do parents want? [ I am one]
Do they want it passed on to them so they pass it on to others?
Do you want ad hoc arrangements where schools are opening closing, with no coherent and consistent approach?
Its not normal just now. Nothing is normal.
Neither was the war.
Did children survive? Of course.
Sick of the mantra - oh the poor children. Yes its hard. They will get over it. It will be made increasingly hard for them if someone close dies because they spread it.

Key either provision was just childcare in some schools. Home learning had to completed at home which was pretty difficult with 2 parents working in the day.

@Jellycatspyjamas

You misunderstood what I meant. You would fall between the gaps. You would have to hope that employers understood your position and let your husband work from home.

They have absolutely no reason to - they’re trying to keep their business afloat and need all hands on deck, my DH had the threaten them with the equalities act at one point to be allowed a very minor adjustment to his work pattern which had been agreed for women in his workplace.

It’s fine to say prioritise key workers but all the other work still needs to happen and it won’t help our family in the slightest to have my husband out of work.

And if I’m falling through the gaps, it’s a pretty big gap because most of my colleagues are in the same boat.

Well you are one. Think of others. They may have a different perspective.

@TacoLover

I work in a school and we have had zero transmission.

This is also due to luck and the area that you are in. In my school all staff and students wear masks unless they are eating, frequent handwashing, sanitizer, wiping down desks after every lesson, strict bubbles between years, no assemblies, etc and we have still had many cases.

I did say it was partly down to luck. It's also helped that our building allows for really good ventilation and classes staying separate. It's not down to location. We're in Glasgow.

@Pomegranatespompom

Key either provision was just childcare in some schools. Home learning had to completed at home which was pretty difficult with 2 parents working in the day.

Yes, it was. I am teacher and not only had online learning to provide but had to provide for my own children. I managed but it wasn't the best. However we have to compromise until we see what the implications for safety are with this new mutant.

If they didn't make it just keyworkers , everyone would just send their children to school. There has to be some conditions

The discussion is about both parents having to be keyworkers, which is not actually a condition written any government guidance.