Is this the end of schools as we know them?

[Elephant4]

Teachers are leaving in droves.

This new variant will not come down to acceptable R levels for a long time, will it?

How will schools open up to ALL students without a government strategical plan in place? There doesn’t seem to be one.

Is our school system about to collapse alongside the NHS?

You would have a say, sure, but if this is the way schools are headed, which they are, then you’d either have to accept it or leave the profession if you didn’t want to be part of it. In 5 years time this will be standard across schools. There are always people who object to progress. It happens anyway.

In 5 years time this will be standard across schools.

What will be? Online learning? @YouBoughtMeAWall

@YouBoughtMeAWall and then at that point I would leave. I’m not willing to neglect my family and work life balance to work myself into the ground even further for people who will never see it as enough.

@2020out

This 100%

We have two NQTs and two RQTs this year. It is taking a lot to support them all through this year. I work at an Outstanding school with great SLT and a great department and our NQTs are still struggling.

Before last year the school lost maybe three staff a year. Last year it was ten. This year we have already lost 5.

The reports on staff turnover are slow to come. It will be interesting to see how many jobs are being advertised in Feb when the job market for teaching hots up for the 2021/22 school year.

[quote Chanandlerbong01]@YouBoughtMeAWall and then at that point I would leave. I’m not willing to neglect my family and work life balance to work myself into the ground even further for people who will never see it as enough.[/quote]
Which is absolutely right if that’s what it would mean for you. This will happen, what should happen is that it should be properly planned, funded and staffed. But we know that doesn’t happen in Uk schools. So it will happen without all that support that it needs to function well. But it will happen.

What will be? Online learning?

In some form- not live classes but the work being available online for every class. My friend’s daughter who was in hospital was able to do her work exactly like she had during the first lockdown because her school just carried on uploading it in exactly the same way once they opened again. I expect they’ll carry on once the schools open again this time.

@YouBoughtMeAWall do you mean indefinitely?

I wonder if this would lead to a rise in homeschooling alongside those who can and want to work from home?

Yes I think this will be a permanent feature of schooling.

There are already (prior to covid) children who are schooled flexibility for all sorts of reasons. Children doing half days or only a few days a week, children who have funded tutors at home etc. I think this will just become another part of that flexibility.

@YouBoughtMeAWall just to clarify, we do send work home for kids that are off long term due to reasonable reasons. We have done this for a long time - the entire time I have been teaching.

@Jaypreen stop being goady. You know full well teachers aren’t having a jolly.

just to clarify, we do send work home for kids that are off long term due to reasonable reasons. We have done this for a long time - the entire time I have been teaching.

I know that.

My DS2 (Yr9) has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the online set up suits him so well.
For balance I am finding it really hard with the other 3 DS for various other reasons! But it's really making us consider a switch to online school when lockdown is over for DS2.

I've no idea what "goady" is. Do you mean, please stop offering another perspective and dutifully express love of the teachers union? I'm sorry I won't.

Teacher's unions are delegating the work of teaching kids to us parents [who are trying desperately to work, if indeed their jobs still exist post furlough ending] You'll have noticed how they're not delegating their salaries as well though.

No. Not in a good way, and not in a bad way.
Schools will return to normal and will not receive any significant extra funding in the near future and nor will the NHS, because people will continue to vote Tory. The conservatives don’t actually care about funding either of them. Their kids aren’t at state school and they don’t use the NHS, they have private healthcare. That’s the reality of it.

@Chanandlerbong01 just ignore it, they’re obviously here for a reaction.

I do think that more teachers will leave the profession, and also the support staff. They have been criticised, blamed and treated apallingly. Our council website is currently full of support staff and teaching vacancies. According to surveys two thirds of staff leave within five years, and that was before the pandemic. www.fenews.co.uk/press-releases/58218-close-to-two-thirds-of-teachers-considering-leaving-profession-due-to-poor-wellbeing

@Jaypreen Yeah, teachers are lazy bastards!!

year5teacher Unfortunately for you a great many parents will not "ignore it". They're utterly furious at the disgraceful way teacher's unions have taken advantage of the situation. Schools should be open and decent, conscientious teachers know it

@Lululatch

Teachers aren’t leaving in droves. In fact fewer teachers are leaving than usual and more people are applying to be teachers. Of course it might change after the pandemic, but there will be a recession and teaching always is attractive when the economy is weak

Applications to be teachers have been high for years, the numbers of teachers actually completing their training or staying as teachers for more than 3 years has however been falling for years . This is because lots of people think teaching is a secure ( dare I say it cushy) job. Then they try it and the reality hits

Teachers have been saying they are all about to leave for the last twenty five years.

Of course educational materials will become internet based, as well as many elements of the classroom, at least at secondary level. But even at primary the more material is online the more parents can understand what is happening and offer support.

And no, you wouldn’t necessarily call kids who didn’t complete work. Submission and response is done via email, or a turnitin type system, or a red on a traffic light system or messaging. A lot of it is automated. DS did all of his geography coursework via an automated traffic light system and that was six years ago.

Obviously the delivery of lessons is still in person but much of the other stuff is dealt with through online materials, submission and feedback.

@Jaypreen

I've no idea what "goady" is. Do you mean, please stop offering another perspective and dutifully express love of the teachers union? I'm sorry I won't.

Teacher's unions are delegating the work of teaching kids to us parents [who are trying desperately to work, if indeed their jobs still exist post furlough ending] You'll have noticed how they're not delegating their salaries as well though.

I am not teaching my year 11 child. The teachers are doing that. I still need to help with some tech stuff and in ensuring he structures his day appropriately but the actual teaching is definitely being done by the teachers

Teaching always has a recruitment and retention issue, particularly in Secondary. This year has seen less movement because everything is unknown and people are sticking with what they know. We have more trainee teachers then usual this year so I don't think the mass exodus from teaching is true for this year.

I think this will highlight how unreasonable teachers are and highlights they complain about everything under the sun.

That may the case for you and I'm happy for you. I on the other hand have a seven year old. I can't leave her in front of a few tasks sent via Microsoft teams whilst I try to have meetings and send emails desperately trying to keep my job. Impossible.

Teacher's unions are taking the piss. The schools should be open and they know it