Statement in parliament this afternoon on 'reopening of schools in England'

[DownRightAmazing]

By Gavin.

I'm aware there are a million threads on this generally but this is specifically regarding the statement - any leaks/clues/predictions?

To state my own position: I think schools need to close to all except keyworker and vulnerable children. I feel it's obvious this needs to happen. My own two children are thriving at school and I'm not concerned about them at all - if their (primary) school is open, I will send them - but I worry for their teachers, any vulnerable parents of their classmates and of course the NHS.

My prediction (based on nothing): secondary schools blended/part time. Primary fully open. We are tier 4 fwiw and I disagree with opening schools in January...

@itsgettingweird. what is/would be passive aggressive is the same parents giving you those vouchers don’t actually care for teachers fighting for their rights. Some of us really do so don’t let the ones on here get you down.

The point is all these other professions aren't kicking up a stink over doing their jobs. Its relentless and its actually what is making me lose respect. Hospital staff supermarket workers bus drivers police officers all just quietly getting on with it.

I don't know. I see all those other people wearing face masks etc. None of the primary school teachers i know are allowed to.

XmasSkies2020
All these people saying teachers don’t have PPE. They do in my child’s primary school - many of the teachers wear PPE - even our class teacher who is in her 20s. All parents are required to wear face coverings on school premises. All doors/windows kept open (my daughter goes to school in ski wear). Regular hand washing and sanister. Staggered parental arrivals- we have to stand on spots to pick up. Everyone is complying.

We’re in a tier 4 area. We’ve only had 1 positive case in school and no transmission. No isolating. Our school is in a federation and other schools are doing the same.

XmasSkies2020
GoldenLabbie my daughter has told me that her teachers wear PPE when they are close to the children- not to interact with parents. She said they take it off when standing at the front of the classroom- teaching with the whiteboard. Children at this point are more than 2m distance

My SIL who teaches in a college confirmed it’s the same for her. The students don’t come close to her, they wear masks in the corridors. Windows and doors also kept open for ventilation.

So the posters are correct then, no PPE in classrooms where it would actually make a difference, as per the government guidance in England.

A random sample of one person (me) sees my FB feed FULL of police officers expressing discontent (which I tend to respect as y'know, it's their job so they must know). Every week the lady on the till at my supermarket tells me how much she hates going to work and is waiting for her lottery win and how grateful she is to teachers. HTH.

Xmas it may surprise you to know most teachers don't want the huge voucher gifts. Some find it uncomfortable

Can’t use naice vouchers when you’re dead either. I think most teachers would swap your middle class whip round for a bit of common decency and actual respect.

@Agoodbriskwalk we’re not middle class. I live on a council estate

Hospital staff supermarket workers bus drivers police officers all just quietly getting on with it.

Not on social media they are not and good on them.
Also, did you know bus drivers are currently voting to strike TfL for January?

@ChloeDecker you’re not listening. My child’s primary school teachers wear PPE in the classroom

It’s the sheer volume of children (secondary for example - possibly 150 a day not counting lunch and break duties) a teacher or TA sees a day, plus the non existent social distancing and lack of any PPE, that makes them different to the other professions.

Where I work for example teachers are not allowed to wear a mask in the classroom. Visors yes but not masks.

@MrsMiaWallis

Xmas it may surprise you to know most teachers don't want the huge voucher gifts. Some find it uncomfortable

Typical fucking passive aggressive Mumsnet.

Hardly. I've read this so many times from teachers who have all said they'd prefer parentis to contribute to classrooms what's needed, lobby MP or write to their head teacher.

Not just MN.

I'm not a teacher.

@Rubyrubyrubyred

The point is all these other professions aren't kicking up a stink over doing their jobs. Its relentless and its actually what is making me lose respect. Hospital staff supermarket workers bus drivers police officers all just quietly getting on with it.

That's all that was 9n the news in March and April.

About lack of PPE for these groups. No one told them to shut up and out up.

Being relieved schools are open doesn't mean you hate teachers or don't respect them.

My DS's school have been bloody brilliant and are happy to be open and functioning as close to normal as possible.

Thankfully they don't display the same disdain for working parents as some of the posters on here.

I think some of the posters on here (who I’m assuming are teachers or TAs based on this post) are being disingenuous to parents. Most parents do respect teachers - probably more than my parents generation did actually. We just clubbed together as a class to gift our teacher £200 of John Lewis vouchers for Xmas. Can’t ever remember my mum buying presents for my teachers (live in same town). We all engage in homework, supporting teachers in teaching our children. My parents definitely never did this!

This doesn’t happen in Secondary. May well be what you remember. There were certainly gifts given to primary teachers when I went to school in the 80s.
Happens in my child’s primary now too. Doesn’t stop parents in my child’s Whats App group mouthing off about the teachers and other staff over the smallest of things. It’s horrible to read.

I enjoyed “teaching” in the first lockdown. The school was effectively off curriculum and it became more Forest School and outdoor learning than anything.
This time it’s teaching year 11’s who need to pass national exams with a random mix of keyworker children plus those that are vulnerable with additional needs.
Then throw in all the working at home lessons for everyone else.
It’s a disaster for teachers.

She said they take it off when standing at the front of the classroom- teaching with the whiteboard

I am listening

@SueEllenMishke

Being relieved schools are open doesn't mean you hate teachers or don't respect them.

My DS's school have been bloody brilliant and are happy to be open and functioning as close to normal as possible.

Thankfully they don't display the same disdain for working parents as some of the posters on here.

It's not disdain for working parents - most of us ARE working parents. It's the constant undermining, the nasty comments, the stupid assumptions ... by people who have zero understanding (and don't really care ) what teaching involves. Having trouble motivating your kid? Yeah, us too. Having trouble with your kid's behaviour? Yeah, us too. Worried about your kid's progress? Yeah, us too. FWIW I'm pleased that my kids are back next week. They need me, they need proper teaching and they (mainly) aren't able to learn at home. I'm still worried about where they've been and who they've been seeing though. I'm 52 and a good candidate for long COVID. But hey - fuck it.

Guys ,guys relax ! Stop fretting .

Boris says schools remain safe

it remains the case that schools are safe.

But we must face the reality that the sheer pace of the spread of this new variant

requires us now to take even tougher action in some areas and that does affect schools

www.gov.uk/government/speeches/prime-ministers-statement-on-coronavirus-covid-19-30-december-2020

Many teachers are also working parents?

My other, also parents who don't drum covid etticute into their dc... The ones that come in half dressed, Moaning about windows open, who don't wear masks properly in corridors... Who are Cocky and rude and seem to not understand the virus at all.

Then you have a small amount of very scared pupils who perhaps do have vulnerable dp, they know what having medical interventions mean.... And they are suffering being forced in.

It's not disdain for working parents - most of us ARE working parents. It's the constant undermining, the nasty comments, the stupid assumptions ... by people who have zero understanding (and don't really care ) what teaching involves.
Having trouble motivating your kid? Yeah, us too.
Having trouble with your kid's behaviour? Yeah, us too.
Worried about your kid's progress? Yeah, us too.
FWIW I'm pleased that my kids are back next week. They need me, they need proper teaching and they (mainly) aren't able to learn at home. I'm still worried about where they've been and who they've been seeing though. I'm 52 and a good candidate for long COVID. But hey - fuck it.

I've not seen evidence of that on this thread. I saw some parents expressing relief at schools being open and then being told to go fuck themselves.

This is ridiculously shit situation all round.
I work in education ( university lecturer - I've taught f2f since September and work closely with schools) I understand the concerns and the issues.
But am I relieved my son's school is open? Yes. I am. It's pretty much impossible to do my job with a 6 year old at home needing supervised homeschooling.
That doesn't mean I don't want to parent my child and it certainly doesn't mean I hate teachers.

Teachers wearing PPE must be the minority then surely? I know in my youngest dd's school and others that friends/family attend there has at no point been PPE worn. My daughter is a bit accident prone and since September has had a couple of falls, head bumps. Each one attended to by a different teacher. Her TA is regularly in nursery 'helping out'. The idea that bubbles within school work is laughable. That isn't the fault of the teaching staff but wilful ignorance/negligence by the government at this point. I would laugh at the 'schools are safe' bollocks if I wasn't so worried

On a personal level I’m very pleased my foster kids will be going back to school.
Last academic year was a complete shit show for them and they were utterly let down by their teachers and schools.
This year has been so much better. So obviously I’d like that to continue.
Also we simply can’t continue to foster if we’re expected to give up our jobs. So there’s that...

I understand their teachers concerns of course.
But I’ve got to think of these kids. Who else is there?

@SueEllenMishke yes exactly, I agree with you. I'm relieved school is open next week. I do not hate teachers, I'm very grateful to them and they have done such a good job under challenging circumstances this year. I just need to work and I can't work with school shut, simple as that. I'd love to be able to have DS home and put 100% of my attention into helping with his education, but I am a single parent and I need to earn money for us to survive.