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.

What alternative would you like to suggest tapp?

And look at mess this political movement has helped to cause. Schools opened at all costs, ignoring the fact that it has undoubtedly led to high transmission.

And yet Newsnight still managed to find an expert/scientist on Thursday evening to say that she didn't think schools were driving virus transmission - but a reflection of higher transmission in the community.

I wonder how many more kids in Greenwich, Waltham Forest and Islington caught this new strain of covid due to the government forcing schools in those now Tier 4 areas back open for the final few days of term.

I see that Keir Starmer urged council leaders to keep the schools open as well;

www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/12/14/starmer-urges-leaders-to-try-to-keep-schools-open-as-khan-backs-early-closure/

Who gives a fuck about what Keir Starmer did? Are you trying to make this about party politics?

I don't give a damn what colour tie any of them are wearing.

Who gives a ... about what Keir Starmer did?

His comments seemed relevant to me.

I imagine a lot of teachers will have the exact same problem. Are they all OK with their children falling behind? Maybe they are

Of course they are as worried as you. Teachers and parents want children to be in school. But what is happening now cannot continue. My daughter is getting more and more behind due to having to constantly isolate. 4 times now and that’s not unusual. Once because of me when I caught covid from my school. It’s a disgrace what happened in schools last term something has to change.

It seems, and no great surprise, that different schools are having very different experiences. In the primary school I work in we have had few people isolating and it feels pretty safe. Rather than blanket policies on staying open or staying closed, maybe education departments should trust their head teachers as to what balance of kids being in school and blended learning is needed.

Why would his comments be relevant? He doesn't have to work in schools or drive the bus full of kids there or sit on the tube full of kids from different schools. Nor does he have to worry about childcare.

I find his perspective as irrelevant and out of touch as boris and wankcocks.

Did you assume teachers faun on the words of labour politicians?

And yes of course I'm bothered - my son had two weeks out this term because year 8 and 9 were closed due to staffing shortages and a further week out as a close contact prior to end of term. My preference would be schools being able to implement rotas so that all kids had some consistent access to in person education and were able to be socially distanced in smaller groups for theirs and the staffs safety.

maybe education departments should trust their head teachers

If only

@starrynight19

maybe education departments should trust their head teachers

If only

Indeed. But as ever schools and those in them are to be used as pawns in political games of chess rather than being about education and what is best for kids, parents and teachers.

Yes, these decisions are politically motivated. If we narrowed decision taking down to our local schools we would have a much better chance of serving our kids.

TheHoneyBadger
Why would his comments be relevant?

Odd that he's been mentioned over 500 times on the coronavirus board then.

Yes, these decisions are politically motivated. If we narrowed decision taking down to our local schools we would have a much better chance of serving our kids.

Absolutely, our kids head teacher has been incredible this year, she knows the kids and parents and makes decisions accordingly. I’ve not agreed with all her decisions but I can see the rationale so can go along with her decision making. Westminster much less so.

I am hoping furlough scheme is available to me even small percentage if school is shut. This at least mean I get to keep my job (hopefully) while I can educate my children while schools are shut.

I can't work FT and educate my children and look after the household all at the same time. Getting a break is as hard as it is.

Starmer is a Tory in red ribbons. Most have seen right through him. He’s useless.

Those poor teachers. First they get the testing dumped on them just before the schools broke up, now it looks very much like the next announcement will be home learning from next term. I hate home learning,its an absolute nightmare with work and one child have SN so needing lots of 1 to 1 input.

@Itisasecret

Starmer is a Tory in red ribbons. Most have seen right through him. He’s useless.

There a huge philosophical differences between Starter and the Conservative Party. This comment is just nonsense. Take the following issues:

Housing
Education
Health
Workers' rights
Equality
Welfare
Pensions
Social care
Transport

On none of these will Starmer be the same as the current Conservative Party.

People need to engage with a bit more detail.

I wonder how many more kids in Greenwich, Waltham Forest and Islington caught this new strain of covid due to the government forcing schools in those now Tier 4 areas back open for the final few days of term.

Judging by the school emails from my child’s Greenwich school, 8 cases in total. 7 of them children. All self isolating past Boxing Day now. That’s no leaving their home even for a walk, in that time. It’s despicable what the govt did last Monday.

And yet Newsnight still managed to find an expert/scientist on Thursday evening to say that she didn't think schools were driving virus transmission - but a reflection of higher transmission in the community.

Which is mad when secondary schools are the most infected subset of the population and therefore more infected than their communities. Still, you can find scientists who will argue that the Earth is 6000 years old.

I see that Keir Starmer urged council leaders to keep the schools open as well

Does Keir Starmer have access to the same briefings as Boris and the Cabinet? Was he clued into this new strain the same way that Boris was on Wednesday when Boris was calling Starmer inhumane for wanting to cancel the Christmas bubble plans?

Inquietant your post is ironic, when you can’t even spell his name.

Clavinova the problem with some scientists is that like Dr jenny harries and her infamous '' children are at lower risk because they are all sat side by side facing the forward '' comment, people who are actually in classrooms have lost trust.

If for instance the News night scientists had field work in classrooms, normal classrooms with what measures they can implement or like me, see a class of 25 teens all hugging, sharing one ear phone on a set of two, ie cheek by jowl, singing, laughing, up close to each other, sharing food, closing windows or drawing them too as soon as the teachers back is closed...

If, they saw all that and then looked at corresponding transmissions... I would have more faith in that statement, that it's not spreading in school.

I imagine a lot of teachers will have the exact same problem. Are they all OK with their children falling behind? Maybe they are.
This comment has left me speechless

That's of course not including, seeing them crowded in lunch queues, not wearing masks o in communal area.

@Itisasecret

Inquietant your post is ironic, when you can’t even spell his name.

I can spell his name, just my phone autocorrects it and sometimes I don't correct as I'm thinking about the next sentence. Obviously.

I note you have no substantive response to make!

I do but there is enough de-railing of this thread by people who can’t/won’t accept the issue in schools. It is embarrassing. Literally anything they can to avoid the situation.

Starmer is pretty useless and yes, he is just as bad as far as schools go. He’s as culpable as Boris. The other topics are merely a diversion. He has very central/right leanings. So all of a sudden we are supposed to care he doesn’t back unions? We don’t. We see him.

* The legal action was because schools were moving online for safety reasons and this was unacceptable to the DfE because safety reasons didn't trump DfE directive that keeping schools open was a priority.*

So you have inside information?

Because on paper the facts are that legal action was pursued during term time to stop early closure.

The term ended. Hence no legal action. There was no legal case because no term time.