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.

There was no proposal for early closure. The proposal was to move learning online for the last week.

@Itisasecret

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.

Central/right (I disagree, I think he is centre-left) doesn't make him the same as this Conservative Party.

If your issue is you want someone more left wing, that's fine - but there is acres of space between him and this Tory Party.

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.

No, the legal action wasn't taken because Greenwich reopened schools in response to the threat of legal action, saying it wouldn't be a good use of public funds. And now more children are isolating over Christmas in Greenwich because the government were heavy handed with the schools and ignored the warning signs that mean that Greenwich is now in tier 4.

Gavin Williamson is directly responsible for the further spread in those schools (and the other schools and councils who got legal letters) this week.

And yes, what was proposed in Greenwich that required legal action is what the government have now mandated in Jan (with the addition that Y11 and 13 will be in school).

Precisely
There was no need for legal action

So it wasn’t case of DofE wanting a move to online learning!

What’s been mandated by the government with regard to schools?

This has nothing to do with who I want as labour leader. It’s about the shit show in schools.

Starmer is just as responsible in my opinion because he hasn’t challenged the status quo.

It’s beyond desperate the de-railing in school threads.

If you want to talk about the issue in schools, I’m all ears. If not, I don’t really care what your political opinion is. As fascinating as I’m sure it is.

@noelgiraffe

And yes, what was proposed in Greenwich that required legal action is what the government have now mandated in Jan (with the addition that Y11 and 13 will be in school).

It still seems too much of a difficult concept for people to grasp.

What’s been mandated by the government with regard to schools?

Online learning in secondaries for the first week of Jan for most students.

Same as Greenwich wanted to do.

@Hellotheresweet

Precisely There was no need for legal action

So it wasn’t case of DofE wanting a move to online learning!

What are you talking about? The government threatened Greenwich with legal action if they continued with their proposal for remote learning from 15th-17th December. Greenwich had no choice unfortunately but to back down as they could not justify potentially bankrupting the council with legal fees.

@noelgiraffe

What’s been mandated by the government with regard to schools?

Online learning in secondaries for the first week of Jan for most students.

Same as Greenwich wanted to do.

Sorry to harp on about source

But what is the source for this info? I’d like to read more around this. Thanks

@mrshoho

You’re got wrong end of stick. Discussion re this goes back pages

But what is the source for this info?

Are you actually living in a hole?

It is similar but there is a difference

Precedent and legal process

The councils do not have the legal mandate and to allow it would allow precedent

DfE and PHE do

I am not against first week remote. In fact talked about it before it happened. Although in the end no effect here as exam year.

So far we’ve established your source, when asked, is your opinion

Staying as fact that DofE now supports online learning because in space of a week withdrew legal action for example.

This is simply wrong. We’ve established the Greenwich backed down. The term ended. Hence no need for legal action as opposed to a change in stance

@MarshaBradyo

Obviously Mnetters fall into the ‘having children’ category but there is a sizeable amount of the population who really don’t give a shiny shit about schools.

Of course but furlough now to April has been a way to help these sectors specifically. 2 million iirc are still furloughed going in a year.

A) not everyone is eligible for furlough

B) you can't get furlough if the company you work for has gone bust or your temp contract has run out.

C) Furlough does not take into account Christmas overtime.

D) It doesn't apply to the self employed.

E) it doesn't help those who have lost wages through self isolating.

Lots of people do benefit from furlough but it's not reasonable to pretend everything is fine because furlough.

Many people only just manage on their wage as it is, for them, furlough has not been enough.

@hellotheresweet

It is what all schools with pupils aged 11 upwards have been instructed to do by DFE via Press release Thursday, hastily cobbled together webinar Friday and official guidance emailed yesterday.

Y11 and 13 and vulnerable and key workers only back we 4/1. Rest back 11/1. You’ve got the holidays to get testing and processing of tests set up.

The councils do not have the legal mandate and to allow it would allow precedent

And yet they allowed it in Tory-run Basildon.

The staggered start follows new information

A mutation that is highly infectious.

It’s a response to an evolving situation. Not a formal change in policy.

@MarshaBradyo

It is similar but there is a difference

Precedent and legal process

The councils do not have the legal mandate and to allow it would allow precedent

DfE and PHE do

I am not against first week remote. In fact talked about it before it happened. Although in the end no effect here as exam year.

Op not interested in the detail.

Sansa I am aware of that. But overall the government has funded a huge amount - a full year. Comparable with other European countries. S/E comes under SEISS anyway.

So far we’ve established your source, when asked, is your opinion

Right, so you've come on a thread to spout ill-informed nonsense and now it's clear you haven't even read the OP, which contains a link to the source that you have asked for.

Bloody hell.

Haha the same mutation that they talked about in the HOC last week. Not new information at all.

The staggered start follows new information

A mutation that is highly infectious.

No, the staggered start was announced on Thursday and is in response to the Christmas mixing which has now been cancelled.

Do try to keep up.

The staggered start is also supposed to be to help with the mass testing that won't be happening.