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'd definitely rather have rotas rather than all online both as a teacher at as a parent of a year 9.

Wish schools were allowed to do what is best for their community and ensure consistent education for all. Year 8 and 9 lost two weeks because of staffing issues and not being allowed to come up with creative solutions because of the all or nothing approach of dfe.

That was shitty for ds and me as a mum and shitty as a teacher also because kids had settled and gotten back into the swing of things then it felt somewhat like starting again when they came. It also left me with some kids who'd done the carefully planned work and some who'd done nothing. Parents complained about some subjects, in some instances, repeating work their child had completed out of school. That's perhaps understandable but it's very hard to continue inwards when half of the class has missed three lessons.

Rotas would leave far less of a gap between those who do engage at home (extension and depth) and those who don't (basics covered in person at least).

I work in a preschool. Even in tier 4, early years will be open, so it would be okay to mix with 30 children but not see my own family, as it’s not safe. Total rubbish and to top it off lots of parents are mixing and even having birthday parties for their children. And parents moan about not being able to bring their children in with a cough!!

This is all an absolute shambles, created by a shambolic government. Lockdowns clearly do not work a muted virus is a convenient explanation, even though it’s been around since September and virus mute all the time!

Is this all speculation? I can’t see an official statement.

Are primary schools closing in Scotland?
Yes, holidays extended to the 11th and online learning until at least the 18th. I don’t have an issue with secondary schools moving off site, as much as I think high school kids still need everything that goes with school, risks and issues in high school are very different.

It’s primary school I’m not happy about (and not just because I need to work), it’s much easier to keep kids in a bubble, to control who has access to the school, to have hand washing etc etc than a high school. Our school is also doing anti-body testing, the classrooms are cleaned and well ventilated - there’s no reason not to have kids there, and many kids will be seriously disadvantaged by not being at school.

@Jellycatspyjamas

Are primary schools closing in Scotland? Yes, holidays extended to the 11th and online learning until at least the 18th. I don’t have an issue with secondary schools moving off site, as much as I think high school kids still need everything that goes with school, risks and issues in high school are very different.

It’s primary school I’m not happy about (and not just because I need to work), it’s much easier to keep kids in a bubble, to control who has access to the school, to have hand washing etc etc than a high school. Our school is also doing anti-body testing, the classrooms are cleaned and well ventilated - there’s no reason not to have kids there, and many kids will be seriously disadvantaged by not being at school.

Totally agree. There are only 30 children in my children's school and zero cases since August. Rarely more than 10 cases in the whole LA. Yet it's closing

@ChloeDeckTheHalls

The stats do not justify closing primary schools. Our kids need to be at school.

Are primary schools closing in Scotland? They are not, at the present, in England, even in tier 4 areas, even though the stats where I am show very much the opposite of your school. The government threatened legal action on my borough on Monday to keep them open.

Yes even primaries closing in Scotland Extending school holidays to the 11 Jan then all online learning 11- 18 January No set guarantee to be back after this as NS said she is reviewing it.

I’m going to end up having a breakdown
This situation of home schooling is not feasible
Unless you have 1 child only or lots of room in your home to separate your children out and lots of I pads
We Have one I-pad , 1 table and a very busy noisy house with toddlers.
Not suitable for home school
Absolute shit show.

Yes even primaries closing in Scotland
Extending school holidays to the 11 Jan then all online learning 11- 18 January
No set guarantee to be back after this as NS said she is reviewing it.

Gosh that’s so difficult. I’m so sorry. Are vulnerable, SEND and critical worker children allowed to go to school?

@ChloeDeckTheHalls

Private day nurseries are still open under the current guidelines (at least in England). It’s tough on my friends who are nursery workers in tier 4 who cannot see family on Friday but are made be around others in close contact without PPE up to Thursday.

Very important for those working families sending their little ones in of course but I can also see how very unfair it all is to the staff.

Absolutely agree, I was hoping they'd be officially closed. If I take my son out but carry on trying to work from home, I won't get much work done and it'll be seen as my fault.

@Jellycatspyjamas

Are primary schools closing in Scotland? Yes, holidays extended to the 11th and online learning until at least the 18th. I don’t have an issue with secondary schools moving off site, as much as I think high school kids still need everything that goes with school, risks and issues in high school are very different.

It’s primary school I’m not happy about (and not just because I need to work), it’s much easier to keep kids in a bubble, to control who has access to the school, to have hand washing etc etc than a high school. Our school is also doing anti-body testing, the classrooms are cleaned and well ventilated - there’s no reason not to have kids there, and many kids will be seriously disadvantaged by not being at school.

Exactly this. Schools will be opened as planned from 5th for key worker or vulnerable children but many vulnerable children fall through that net. Hate to sound like Trump, but in this case the cure is worse than the illness.

Gosh that’s so difficult. I’m so sorry. Are vulnerable, SEND and critical worker children allowed to go to school?

In theory, however both parents need to be key workers (my DH but does need to be at work), and the provision for ASN/key worker children isn’t great for kids like mine who really don’t cope with change and transition. Last time round I had them at home throughout as their head teacher - who knows them both very well - acknowledged they wouldn’t cope in the hub environment.

Yes, I agree schools should be allowed to decide what is best for their school based on their situation.

It’s crazy in the space of less than a week, the government threatens legal action on schools wanting to go to remote learning as Covid is rife in their school, to devolved government demanding all schools go to remote learning regardless.

And in the midst of this, the government still hasn’t provided what it promised in the form of funding and resources to assist those families who need support at home.

Extending school holidays to the 11 Jan then all online learning 11- 18 January
No set guarantee to be back after this as NS said she is reviewing it

Not a chance in hell they'll be back on the 18th. I'm mentally preparing for them ti be home til Easter.

both parents need to be key workers (my DH but does need to be at work),

Both?! That’s shocking and Nicola Sturgeon surely can’t believe that is right?!

@Jellycatspyjamas

Gosh that’s so difficult. I’m so sorry. Are vulnerable, SEND and critical worker children allowed to go to school?

In theory, however both parents need to be key workers (my DH but does need to be at work), and the provision for ASN/key worker children isn’t great for kids like mine who really don’t cope with change and transition. Last time round I had them at home throughout as their head teacher - who knows them both very well - acknowledged they wouldn’t cope in the hub environment.

It will be interesting to see how the hub system works. Presumably bubbles will have to be maintained so kids will be alone with teachers in some cases I'd guess. That's going to be tough to teach in person and also online.

@ChloeDeckTheHalls

both parents need to be key workers (my DH but does need to be at work),

Both?! That’s shocking and Nicola Sturgeon surely can’t believe that is right?!

It's to stop kids being sent in when they might very well have a parent at home. Makes sense to me.

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

Families won’t be able to pay the bills

Both?! That’s shocking and Nicola Sturgeon surely can’t believe that is right?!

I’m not sure it’s coming from Holyrood tbh my sense is local authorities were setting their own criteria - I’m a key worker, I can and do work from home but with very sensitive information that I really don’t want my kids exposed to. DH has fought with his employer a lot to carry some of the load but it falls to me mostly because I’m technically part time. So we’re back to trying to patchwork things to keep both jobs covered and educate our kids with ASN, and then occupy the rest of their time - I love my two deeply but the level of dysregulation when they are out of routine is incredible. Happy New Year!

@Heartlantern2

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

Families won’t be able to pay the bills

Exactly

It’s awful
I could cope with every bit of her announcement but this school thing has finished me.

It could have been secondary only , to close primary and nursery school is awful.

The stats do not justify closing primary schools. Our kids need to be at school.

The stats do show it’s rising at an alarming rate in primary age children.1 in 50 children in primary are now infected.

I’m not sure it’s coming from Holyrood tbh my sense is local authorities were setting their own criteria

Is this from the last lockdown? I can’t find any written guidance online about any announcements for this coming Jan 2021 so I am keeping my fingers crossed for you that your school will be told to accept just one keyworker parent. I know that that changed in a lot of England schools later on in the first lockdown.
It’s all so stressful and it’s awful you are all having this worry right now.

So DC3 will be remote learning from the first week?

both parents need to be key workers (my DH but does need to be at work)

I think that’s the right way to do it. Otherwise you have people with a SAHP etc sending children in because they can. The idea is to limit numbers as much as possible to reduce the risk.

So 98% of children loose access to education for the 2% who may be infected? Our local authority has around 150 cases per 100,000 and our restrictions are as tight as London at 900 cases per 100,000. There’s no clear rationale or transparency in decision making with this.

@starrynight19

The stats do not justify closing primary schools. Our kids need to be at school.

The stats do show it’s rising at an alarming rate in primary age children.1 in 50 children in primary are now infected.

Where area do these stats refer to? My understanding is that it's not the case in Scotland. In my area numbers are dropping. I appreciate Nicola's motivation for measures to be preventive rather than reactive like Boris but closing primary schools is not justifiable IMO.

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)