Headteacher unions begin legal proceedings against DfE

[Makingnumber2]

www.naht.org.uk/news-and-opinion/news/leadership-news/update-regarding-start-of-term-sent-to-members-on-2-jan-2021/?fbclid=IwAR3WFugSo-KsSToWAvbteMs8HspeXZTMBd9VaiOlAVxOeL0FM1wDRzqbviA

NAHT and ASCL start legal proceedings against DfE

@CallmeAngelina

Ah, I see that U4T have sent out the bat-signal.

The batshit-signal.

@Char2015

NEU are issuing their new guidance at 12pm today.

and having an 'emergency zoom' tomorrow lunchtime - despite me no longer being a member they still send me their emails.

@Bagamoyo1

Massively unreasonable of them. They just need to get on with educating children and stop trying to shut schools down. Ridiculous. If other key services made such a fuss we’d be in a terrible state.

It defies belief that so many people on mumsnet want schools to close, and sympathise with teachers who want to shut schools.

Just bonkers.

Nobody wants 'schools to close'.

Everybody needs to STOP using this hugely inflammatory phrase immediately!! Schools have NEVER closed!! EVER!

What we are asking for is that schools remain open for face to face teaching only for those children who need it (key worker/vulnerable...and I really do feel that the criteria for 'key worker' needs to be redefined massively!). For the rest, we move it 'online/remote learning'.

Schools are NOT CLOSING!

Please, please STOP USING THIS PHRASE!!

It defies belief that so many people on mumsnet want schools to close, and sympathise with teachers who want to shut schools

No, not really. It’s heartening that so many people here can see the bigger picture. It’s about safety which must be the priority.

They keep saying they want schools to close. I’m only using the words the teaching unions use themselves.
Online/remote learning doesn’t exist. Everyone knows that.

Bold fail

I have a question on behalf of my sister. She is a teacher but I am not.
What if the head teacher of the academy isn’t keen on making schools safer? He doesn’t really care about the staff well-being and safety. If the Union manage to get some safety measures put in place or schools end up closed will that apply to all schools regardless of how the head feels on the matter?

Online/remote teaching has worked perfectly well with the dozens of bubble closures that have happened in my childs school. (You know....because schools AREN'T magically safe)

So no, you're wrong, not everyone knows that.

for a non teacher - what is section 44?

Online learning doesn’t exist?
What have I spent my Christmas break creating and putting on the school website then?

If other key services made such a fuss we’d be in a terrible state.

I think the aim is to keep key services like the frontline nhs going, rather than ending up in a situation where they are shut to everyone and the medics can't work because their school has no staff left. Thankfully most people on here can see the light. It really is just you

@BrokenCircle

Online learning doesn’t exist? What have I spent my Christmas break creating and putting on the school website then?

Oh right so all the Teams lessons with me interacting with pupils were just an Autumn dream. Who knew!

Please can someone send me the link to the evidence that shows that transmission is mainly occurring in schools? Because every single person I’ve seen breaking the rules has been an adult.
Stop blaming kids for this.

It infuriates me that children are being made to pay the price of adults breaking rules. It’s disgusting, and when Covid is looked back on, this fact will be acknowledged. I’m shocked that a parenting site consists of so many people prepared to destroy their children’s education and mental health.

@Bagamoyo1

Please can someone send me the link to the evidence that shows that transmission is mainly occurring in schools? Because every single person I’ve seen breaking the rules has been an adult. Stop blaming kids for this. It infuriates me that children are being made to pay the price of adults breaking rules. It’s disgusting, and when Covid is looked back on, this fact will be acknowledged. I’m shocked that a parenting site consists of so many people prepared to destroy their children’s education and mental health.

Have you read the latest ONS data?

Everyone knows that children learn almost nothing from their online “lessons”. Why else are the dumbing down the GCSEs?

@Bagamoyo1

They keep saying they want schools to close. I’m only using the words the teaching unions use themselves. Online/remote learning doesn’t exist. Everyone knows that.

No, you're using the words the Daily Telegraph are using. The advice is to keep schools open for critical workers and vulnerable children so that we can provide a means for these families to work.

@TheSunIsStillShining

for a non teacher - what is section 44?

Health and Safety legislation

Section 44. provides employees with the means to contest the adequacy and/or suitability of safety arrangements without fear of recriminations (e.g. getting sacked or transferred) or suffering detriment (e.g. loss of wages).

Section 44. provides employees with the ‘right’ to withdraw from and to refuse to return to a workplace that is unsafe. Employees are entitled to remain away from the workplace (e.g. stay at home) if – in their opinion – the prevailing circumstances represent a real risk of serious and imminent danger which they could not be expected to avert.

Section 44. entitles employees to claim for ‘Constructive Dismissal’ and (unlimited) compensation in the event that an employer fails to maintain safe working conditions.

Section 44. means employees don’t have to wait until they (or someone else) suffer injury before they can take action to get suitably safe working conditions.

@TheSunIsStillShining

It’s not just for teachers. It’s for ALL employees working anywhere.

The relevant law is Section 44 of the Employment Act 1996 and it covers all employees.
The law says:
Section 44.1: (d) in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent and which he could not reasonably have been expected to avert, he left (or proposed to leave) or (while the danger persisted) refused to return to his place of work or any dangerous part of his place of work, or (e) in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent, he took (or proposed to take) appropriate steps to protect himself or other persons from the danger.

@Bagamoyo1

Everyone knows that children learn almost nothing from their online “lessons”. Why else are the dumbing down the GCSEs?

It wasn't set up at the beginning you can have that. It is now. Jeez why am I even engaging! Clueless!

And they've also acknowledged special schools and AP resource schools.

They are never mentioned.

Everyone knows that children learn almost nothing from their online “lessons”. Why else are the dumbing down the GCSEs?

This doesn't even make sense, but I'm glad that my class are pretty much on track now because they broadly all did their learning between March and July. That's the case for lots of people. Protect the key worker and vulnerable places, make the remote learning manageable, keep it to the basics and grit our teeth until the numbers fall and the vaccine is rolled out.

Because every single person I’ve seen breaking the rules has been an adult.

That's only because the rules don't apply in schools. No rule of six, no need to social distance, no masks, no ban on large groups.

@Barbie222

If other key services made such a fuss we’d be in a terrible state.

I think the aim is to keep key services like the frontline nhs going, rather than ending up in a situation where they are shut to everyone and the medics can't work because their school has no staff left. Thankfully most people on here can see the light. It really is just you

Tell me who is doing the majority of the vaccines? Is it GPs? And if so, who is doing their normal work while they do the vaccines? I’ll tell you. No one. They are basically doing 2 jobs. For the greater good of society. And they aren’t going to court to stamp their feet about it. They’re just getting on with it. Which is what teachers should do.

Many people think this way in the real world. It’s just crazy mumsnet that wants schools to close and children to be locked away in front of screens.