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 don’t want schools to move online. I do want the DfE to be honest about the risks of keeping them open and to make efforts to mitigate them (that doesn’t include mad demands for schools to test 3.4 million children in the first week of January).

At the moment it’s all lies, propaganda and incompetence.

[quote TempsPerdu]**@Thedogshow* @ForestNymph*

I agree. The situation in schools is unbelievably difficult, but all those teachers calling for schools to move online - especially if this were to happen at primary level too - need to be honest about the fact that inequality will inevitably widen, some working parents (generally women) will lose their jobs and all children will to a greater or lesser degree end up with gaps in their learning. I say that as a former teacher myself who does empathise with the huge challenges - but it’s just a fact that remote learning will only work for a proportion of children.[/quote]
You’ve missed the point. NO, I repeat NO teacher wants schools online.

Which is why teachers and unions have been desperately trying, for months to encourage the government to bring in more mitigation.

The denial by the government and parents, that schools are FiNE oK. Has led us into this black hole which cannot continue growing.

Only 8% of the working population have school age children. Protecting them at all costs is clearly not working. However if denial hadn’t been a thing, remote learning as a whole (looking more possible) could’ve been avoided.

That’s the point.

@TempsPerdu

Also children are children. Not ‘disease vectors’.

You’re the first person on this thread to use that term. How horrible.

need to be honest about the fact that inequality will inevitably widen,

Teachers are honest about that. They shout very loudly about inequality, funding and shortfalls in services even before Covid. They are the ones that often have to pick up the pieces after all. A lot of teachers are also parents and their own children are affected negatively with remote learning too.
This issue is far more nuanced with factors that lie completely at the door of the government.

Interesting that I’ve reported that the government have changed their priority and it’s still teachers getting it in the neck.

@TempsPerdu

Also children are children. Not ‘disease vectors’.

Stop referring to them as disease vectors then

Unfortunately for the greater good schools are going to have to change significantly. The economic impact of full lockdowns is a waste of time because one of the main culprits of spread is still operating. Unless the change happens we will never get to grips with this virus and our ways of life will keep being decimated bit by bit. Schools need to switch to remote learning for the next year minimum.

@noelgiraffe

Interesting that I’ve reported that the government have changed their priority and it’s still teachers getting it in the neck.

People would rather tie themselves in knots, looking for blame where it isn’t there. Putting words in people’s mouths. It is easier than to accept what is happening if they’ve been burying their head in the sand for months.

Teachers are bad okay! They want all schools closed, they hate children, blah, blah, blah.

I wish people would spend only a fraction of time lobbying their MP for safer schools as they do posting here whining about teachers. Schools could have been a lot safer.

As the Gov have now made that decision let's hope they get their bloody finger out and ensure all children have the devices they need to be able to take part in lessons online - as previously promised but not delivered. The assumption all households have the wherewithal to just 'switch to online learning' makes me scream (and that's speaking as someone who is happy for the dcs to be home if necessary)

In repsonse to those (very real) concerns from some parents that online learning will serve to disadvantage their children - one of the problems at the moment is thst the current situation also massively disadvantages some children.
I had around a 6 week period where different members of one of my year 13 groups were isolating and it was almost impossible to teach those in the building alongside those who were isolating.
I had to run catch up sessions after school which some students weren't able to make.

Then I isolated for 2 weeks.

The disruption to that one class was insane. A couple of students are leaps and bounds ahead of the rest (who are all at different stages now)

It's unmanageable now. I don't want to go to fully remote learning but at least if we do, all of my students will have the same offer.

It's not a case any more of remote learning vs fantastic onsite experience. The onsite experience at the moment in some schools is utter chaos.

@ForestNymph

This is dreadful for kids and families

Also, specifically for women and their children ... this will result in women losing their jobs and single parent households (mostly female led) being tipped into poverty.

I note that the benefits system and family court still make the assumption women are able to work full time from the child's age 4.

Also, and we are back to this main point hammered repeatedly and then played out in the autumn, the more kids affected then the more staff affected, either ill, self isolating or looking after their own kids.

Schools will grind to a halt. Better to have organised online learning set up and working well than fucking chaos.

@airforsharon

As the Gov have now made that decision let's hope they get their bloody finger out and ensure all children have the devices they need to be able to take part in lessons online - as previously promised but not delivered. The assumption all households have the wherewithal to just 'switch to online learning' makes me scream (and that's speaking as someone who is happy for the dcs to be home if necessary)

Definitely! That should be a DfE priority over the Christmas break.

It’s about time. Far better children learn remotely than lose more family members or have them ill, no economy and no businesses left for future job prospects. Schools had to be ready to go love with remote learning back in October so it’s the sensible option.

You’re the first person on this thread to use that term. How horrible.

Fair enough @noelgiraffe, I hold my hands up; on this specific thread it was ‘main vectors open’; but I’ve lurked on many a schools thread since this utter shitshow began and children have been frequently described in those terms in post by teachers (or posters professing to be teachers anyway). Along with other derogatory references to children and teens being snotty, dirty, germ-ridden and generally revolting, which would never be tolerated in reference to other groups.

@TempsPerdu

You’re the first person on this thread to use that term. How horrible.

Fair enough @noelgiraffe, I hold my hands up; on this specific thread it was ‘main vectors open’; but I’ve lurked on many a schools thread since this utter shitshow began and children have been frequently described in those terms in post by teachers (or posters professing to be teachers anyway). Along with other derogatory references to children and teens being snotty, dirty, germ-ridden and generally revolting, which would never be tolerated in reference to other groups.

I can assure you, not by me. I’ve yet to see anyone who’s has actually. A lot of it is misquoting.

Because I work in a huge high school I know, as do my colleagues, that there is no way it will be remote learning for only a week.
There is no way on earth we will be able to get all the testing set up and carried out in a week. It'll take that long to get parental consent.
They are breaking it to parents gently - so they think 'just a week' - like the first lockdown was for three weeks then a review. And guess what? Yep, we were still locked down 3 months later.

We need to close all schools and of course send home all workers who have children in schools. It's not like we need anyone to be going to work right now.

Yep we don’t need workers keeling shop open, delivering food, don’t need care workers, nurses, social workers, don’t need mental health professionals, or cleaners, or refuse collectors, or energy workers or telecoms workers. They can all stay home and save lives... ah, wait a second...

@TempsPerdu

You’re the first person on this thread to use that term. How horrible.

Fair enough @noelgiraffe, I hold my hands up; on this specific thread it was ‘main vectors open’; but I’ve lurked on many a schools thread since this utter shitshow began and children have been frequently described in those terms in post by teachers (or posters professing to be teachers anyway). Along with other derogatory references to children and teens being snotty, dirty, germ-ridden and generally revolting, which would never be tolerated in reference to other groups.

This is a lie. I’ve just done a search and the threads it seems to come up on frequently are not schools threads but those AD threads. And the person most frequently using it appears to be you.

Children need to be in school to learn effectively. I am not a teacher, if it were do simple then we could save all the teachers!
I'm also trying to earn a living - not comparable with home schooling either.

I think they need to apologise to Greenwich.

@ancientgran
Yes, completely agree with you. But they won't apologise.

Eng123

Fair enough.

But I hope that you are blaming
the government
the DfE
U4T
and the papers for misrepresenting the situation

and are not blaming schools or teachers for this mess.

If they close the schools again it will be devastating for children Thank goodness both DH and I are key workers so ours will still get to go.

@ChablisandCrisps

If they close the schools again it will be devastating for children Thank goodness both DH and I are key workers so ours will still get to go.

less devastating though than having family in hospital or, you know, parents dead