Is there going to be any announcements today?

[ilikexmas]

I cannot see anything on the news.

Have a look at the thread about the disparity between private school/MC and state school kids, before you decide to keep your kids off school to protect them from a virus that they may not even get symptoms form.

@Oysterbabe

I largely agree with what Boris is saying on Marr. Risks are low, for most it is a mild illness, the benefits of attending school are huge. Secondary school return is already delayed, all but essential shops are closed in much of the country, steps are being taken to slow transmission. We can't stop everything. Younger primary school children cannot be taught remotely in any useful way so should attend.

Agree

For parents who wish to keep their children at home.

You don't have to prove contact with positive via app.

So if your app happens to keep telling you to isolate........

Im watching bojo on Marr
now and doesn't look like schools will close.
Loads of waffle ...

Yes this should cover a fair few days.

Just want to stick up for the independent sector - I am a state school teacher but spent 1 year in the independent sector. I got out pretty quickly for a whole variety of reasons but the school building was tiny - I literally taught one of my classes in a large cupboard. Many, many London independent schools are housed in converted houses. It is unfair to say that independent schools can implement safety measures better - if anything it is the exact opposite.

Schools will absolutely close, it’s just a matter of when, not if.

Sooner would obviously save more lives and cause less damage than later, but we are ruled by morons.

@Oysterbabe

I largely agree with what Boris is saying on Marr. Risks are low, for most it is a mild illness, the benefits of attending school are huge. Secondary school return is already delayed, all but essential shops are closed in much of the country, steps are being taken to slow transmission. We can't stop everything. Younger primary school children cannot be taught remotely in any useful way so should attend.

I can't be polite about this so apologies in advance, if you agree with Johnson, you're wrong.

The nation's scientific advisers have said schools should shut - but you agree with a proven liar.

Why does he maintain that schools are safe?

They aren’t.

Boris is coming across even worse than usual on this.

Clearly not a leader with his hand on the tiller.

@Sickofthiscrapp

Im watching bojo on Marr now and doesn't look like schools will close. Loads of waffle ...

I've started a thread in news and were discussing it there. Come join us - bring popcorn

@MrsMiaWallis

Live lessons aren’t the be all and end all, I did some last time and didn’t find them as effective as directing the kids to watch a high quality video online and doing some work to follow up. I can only assume parents like the idea as the child is kept busy for the duration of the call

Absolutely, if that work IS followed up properly.

I think the point about parents feeling that their kids were abandoned last time is valid. PLEASE NOTE I SAY 'FEELING' - whether they were or weren't, most state parents I know felt the provision was low quality overall - this will make it less likely that they will support schools closing again.

Oh I quite agree, provision last time was very patchy. In the schools’ defence, the government did suspend the curriculum and there was no expectation of remote learning being provided, though most schools tried to offer something. It was also very last minute, with schools having no time to train anyone (teachers or pupils) in how to use google classroom/teams. I had a call with a parent early on asking if I could possibly spend some time on the phone with his daughter explaining how to use teams - I had to point out that I had only started using 2 days earlier myself and had no idea what it looked like from the pupils perspective!

Hopefully schools will be better prepared this time (though maybe not if we close at less than 24 hours notice...) but there will still be issues around keyworkwr provision taking up teachers time.

After all that's happened, all the lies, broken promises of world beating this and that, numerous u turns. Does anyone actually still believe a word that Boris Johnson says?

In the schools’ defence, the government did suspend the curriculum and there was no expectation of remote learning being provided, though most schools tried to offer something

I still have no idea why they suspended the curriculum.

I agree with Oyster. Yes, the unions and the extreme left need to be careful that they don’t alienate the public. Saying that teachers should be at the front of the queue is just not right. They are unlikely to be hospitalised like a much more elderly person.

Can I please plead as well that if your school is closed that you dont take your kids to the supermarket, have play dates, still meet with families because the kids are bored.

Our local M and S Food have a sign up and were challenged by a family who said it wasn’t against the law to come in en masse. The Manager lives next door to us. And also to the older generation who couple shop every single day. Always have and always will. You do recognise that the more of you there is the longer it will take for others to get into the store?

silver - this is a totally new dilema for the government, in many ways its similar to modge's issue with IT but much more complex. So its not surprising they havent got everything right first time. Surely a u-turn (or reacting to the changing environment) is better than just sticking to your guns and not changing when clearly the latest situation requires it because things have moved on

The honest answer is this particular government don't care if people die. They don't care who, and they don't care how many

Do you really believe this?

Discharging old people with covid into care homes, who then spread the infection certainly made it look as though they didn't care.Then not getting a rigorous track and trace system using local public health expertise, but bunging money towards mate Dido Harding who had zero experience in the matter plus giving contracts for PPE to mates instead of finding firms which knew what they were doing, all most certainly gives the impression that they didn't care.

@TheDogsSkivvy, The NEU are meeting with members nationally at 11am. What is happening at 4pm?

Discharging old people with covid into care homes, who then spread the infection certainly made it look as though they didn't care didn't the hospitals do this?

No probably not because the government have no respect for schools staff or parents and don’t care about their concerns regarding safety or the impact of schools in the NHS

Absolute bollocks. The government are trying to keep the country going as best they can. People cannot work without primary schools being open. They are trying to balance safety with preserving the economy.

Using Teams takes a few minutes to get working. If your child is glued to their phone they are very likely to have the confidence to know how to get it up and running.

There are plenty of You Tube videos to look at.

For me Can’t Do is coming through loud and clear from the unions and some teachers.

This will mean that the gap between state and independent will get larger and larger.

I suspect as well that exams will be done on teacher assessments. I hope some realise that it won’t be high marks for everyone? My friends DD has said that they expect to be given higher marks than normal. That won’t happen. Offering inflated A level grades will not be allowed and levelling will occur.

@dreamingofsun

silver - this is a totally new dilema for the government, in many ways its similar to modge's issue with IT but much more complex. So its not surprising they havent got everything right first time. Surely a u-turn (or reacting to the changing environment) is better than just sticking to your guns and not changing when clearly the latest situation requires it because things have moved on

This is not totally new, we have been here before and it's the same again and again - they react late, deny repeatedly there is a problem when even Larry the Cat can see how it is going, and then they do what everyone they should have done in the first place only far too late making an even bigger problem. They never seem to learn anything. Boris is king of dither and procrastination.

Having said that we have to ramp up the roll out of the vaccine. 0.5 m tomorrow is just not good enough. I have applied to help out a local surgery. Car park duty, helping with queues etc. Needless to say I have heard nothing.

@Cam2020

No probably not because the government have no respect for schools staff or parents and don’t care about their concerns regarding safety or the impact of schools in the NHS

Absolute bollocks. The government are trying to keep the country going as best they can. People cannot work without primary schools being open. They are trying to balance safety with preserving the economy.

I totally agree with this my children are grown up but I do have grandchildren we have 3 large primary schools in our town where I believe there has been one case Would you shut them down for this Secondary schools are a different matter but seeing all the mixing of young people outside school hours I am not surprised at all

I don't feel safe at all. Thinking what my classroom will feel like tomorrow morning with 30 incredibly needy 4 and 5 year olds who are used to comfort when they fall, require close contact in order to learn effectively and will all be absolutely desperate to tell me about their Christmas at maximum volume, right in my face. All normal for 5 year olds. I miss my kids but I won't be able to give them what they need. Not really.
Oh and all windows and doors fully and permanently open. In the middle of winter. Perfect learning conditions.