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 is no way schools will open secound week of jan.
Not in london or the southeast anyway.I think all of Jan will be remote learning.

Second sorry

twitter.com/Peston/status/1340337027573792774

Err I think you will find they did.
). No one would ever dare to use this language about a group of elderly people in a care home

Something about not wanting kids to miss some extra curricular activity or other to protect some old person in a nappy or words to that effect.
I do think it was deleted .

There is no way schools will open secound week of jan.
Not in london or the southeast anyway.I think all of Jan will be remote learning.

I hope not. Dd has an exam 2nd week January.

I agree with you @noelgiraffe. I agree they need to be open for everyone including teachers but with mitigation. For everyone saying things like ‘if schools don’t change this will happen again and again, online school for a year etc’ NO. We need to get until summer. When cases naturally decrease and we have time to catch up with vaccinations ready for next flu/covid season. Teachers need full PPE, we need to expand schools into any local buildings available (leisure centres, libraries, unused offices) to allow proper distancing. Rotation for secondaries. We are badly letting our children (and teachers and parents) down with our current system.

We can't wear PPE and do our job. We need small groups. 15 or less. So, rotas to get to that.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot what would the issue with PPE be? If you used a clear mask so they could see your face through it and a visor? Not being difficult a genuine question. I teach in HE and wear PPE. It’s uncomfortable but doable all day.

Oh whoppee - so the posters on the thread advocating a teachers strike will get their own way again and we can dump our children in it once more.

They better not close nurseries. I cannot do my job & look after a 3 year old & 10 month old. I just can’t. I’m due back from Mat Leave in Jan. I’ve no idea how I’d cope. It’s terrifying.

@Londonmummy66

Oh whoppee - so the posters on the thread advocating a teachers strike will get their own way again and we can dump our children in it once more.

That's probably me. And you are wrong. I am not advocating strike for the sake of it. What I am saying is that all parties that are relevant: teachers and parents need to step up their game and work together to MAKE IT SAFE FOR THEM AND CHILDREN!

Gov is using the slice'n'dice tactic and it's working quite well. Yes, missing a few days from work can be crucial to some, and I am truly sorry about that. Wish there was a way to mitigate for them. But we need to protect everyone in schools from being infected and potentially from long covid or hospitalization. This is not the common cold. Many won't "just get over it".

I am not an altruistic person by nature, but if it meant giving up 5 holiday days I'd be happy to. If it meant that I could be sure that the kids will have the best odds to not catch covid. And I'd do it for your kid and every other kid as well.

I am not an altruistic person by nature, but if it meant giving up 5 holiday days I'd be happy to.

That’s really good of you, I don’t have 5 days holiday, I’ve hardly recovered from the 5 months of balancing work, homeschool and childcare - I’d literally just picked up and started to rebuild the business I mothballed in March, I’ve more than exhausted my holiday allowance this year. It’s not a case of whether I’d gladly give 5 days holiday - it’s not there to give. I now need to find an additional weeks childcare/holiday/unpaid leave having already planned to cover 3 weeks holiday at Christmas. It isn’t going to appear out of thin air and will cost me a quarter of my monthly income. Or I’ll be trying to continue to work from home, in a key worker role (without a key worker place at school) while homeschooling two children both of whom have additional support needs.

It’s not a case of lazy teachers not wanting to work, but nor is it a case of parents not wanting to care for their kids, or not being willing to sacrifice.

Why-oh-why do they not vaccinate teachers and TAs?

@Jellycatspyjamas
This is the type of situation that I said there should be a "patch" for.
And what you described with xmas childcare is not covid related specifically.

And I disagree: majority of people could somehow manage a 3 day strike. Some might not, yes. But even if that majority who could would stand together with the teachers there could be a change.

And what you described with xmas childcare is not covid related specifically.
No it’s not, but it’s longer than the usual two week break at Christmas, and I was already stretching to cover it, to cover 4 weeks at Christmas is a real stretch. I’m not sure what patch could possibly be put in place - while I’m a key worker, I can’t access key worker places for a variety of reasons. It’s fine to say parents should support teachers, but don’t seem to recognise that parents may have good reason for not supporting a teachers strike.

@YellowPostItPad

Why-oh-why do they not vaccinate teachers and TAs?

Because apparently, to quote many posters on MN, we're "no more special" than anyone else, so should wait our turn. That's fine by me, but don't expect schools to run as normal.

Astounds me how rude and dismissive so many on here are about teachers, but yet everyone is clamouring for us to save society by enabling them to go out to work by minding their DC between 9 and 3.

but yet everyone is clamouring for us to save society by enabling them to go out to work by minding their DC between 9 and 3.

My kids teachers don’t “mind” then between 9 and 3, they educate them, they support their development and provide much needed professional input in helping them live with complex additional support needs. School provides stability and predictability and routine all of which my kids need to cope with daily life. You do the teaching profession a disservice by calling it child minding, my children have a right to be educated by professionals who are trained and qualified to understand their needs.

Happily their teachers have a better understanding of the importance of children being in school, the head teacher is very vocal about wanting schools to remain open for children.

I wish for teachers to have vaccinations and ppe and schools to recover funding.
@Jellycatspyjamas the head at our school is the same - really admire his management in past few months.
Be so nice not need these threads in a few months !

From the govt tier 4 website:

"Schools and colleges will remain open during term time in Tier 4 areas. The Government will continue to prioritise the wellbeing and long-term futures of our young people. It remains very important for children and young people to attend, to support their wellbeing and education and help working parents and guardians. Senior clinicians still advise that school is the best place for children to be, and so they should continue to go to school during term time."

Yes as I said, they have kicked the can down the road and will not address schools in tier 4 until 30th December when it is obvious the mass testing will not be forthcoming.

I don't find it reassuring to think of teenagers spreading the virus (new or old strain) in schools and on the way too and from school. And it's fairly obvious they are.

I do think something has to change from last term - kids having to isolate at a drop of a hat was shit for everyone, especially the vulnerable. And there was no exception for the kids of key workers.

At least with a planned closure, there is the option to use a childcare bubble - your kids don't 100% have to be at home all day. Surely that's more workable than self isolation?

I do think every one needs a plan for their kids testing positive in January, though.

@Achristmaspudsskidu

I dunno, I bloody hate remote learning, not looking forward to Jan.

I don’t really mean ‘brilliant!’ in that I personally love remote teaching because I don’t (though what my DC have received from their school has been outstanding), it’s more the fact that the government appear to be acknowledging that education can still take place outside of the classroom as well.

That's great they've acknowledged it 'can' happen out of the classroom but please tell me how are parents meant to educate their infant aged children remote learning or not when

A) they have other very young children in the house who simply cannot be left/ strapped into a high chair for two hours/ palmed off to other family members in tier 4
B) these parents are needed at work a lot more due to the current pandemic (nhs workers here)

I'd just like to add for some parents when their children are not in school this does not mean that they actually can facilitate this learning in the home. Clearly you are speaking from a more privileged position. Just remember there are parents out there who will not be able to...

It's actually not fair at all...

"Schools and colleges will remain open during term time in Tier 4 areas. The Government will continue to prioritise the wellbeing and long-term futures of our young people. It remains very important for children and young people to attend,

I’m in Scotland, my kids won’t be back at school until 18th January at the earliest - I suspect longer than that. Online learning after the 11th, which was worse than useless last time around.

@Pomegranatespompom I have huge admiration for our head teacher, she’s been so tight on guidelines, increased cleaning regimes and invested in specialist cleaning equipment. The school hasn’t had any bubbles burst, which is due in no small part to her running a very tight ship.

Unfortunately it might just be needed to get on top of things.

Fingers crossed the 15 minute test kits might help to keep schools open but I really wouldn't be surprised if we had a period out after Xmas.

Ds school finished on Thursday & has announced they won't go back until the 5th January with all years except Y11 & Y13 doing online learning for the first 4 days. If infection rates carry on escalating I can fully expect schools not going back then & wouldn't be surprised if there was industrial action from teaching unions about schools being expected to carry out testing.