Secondary school closure not a disaster

[Rowenasemolina]

In among all the doom laden unhappy threads, I just want to put the other side.

Some children prefer home learning , and do better

No teacher time is being wasted on bad behaviour, so the whole lesson is about the lesson.

Given that 25-50% of learning time in schools is wasted For the average child for the average week, there are positives to the current set up

And the school meals sent home are no worse than the school meals served on site. Maybe now the electorate will wake up to the absolute con of s a school meal system which takes millions of pounds and spends almost all of it on wages rather than food. School meals should be got rid of altogether

As a tutor, I would say around a quarter of my students say they prefer being in school, a quarter day they prefer being at home, and half vary in their feelings from day to day.

They certainly have less interruptions to their learning from badly behaved students at home though.

Not surprising, it is the parents of the badly behaved students that are Complaining most in our schools, and pushing hardest to get them back In

When schools were open they were a lot of kids who weren't happy and didnt fit but were told to get on with it.

Now there are children who are finding themselves in the same situation. Remote learning doesn't work for them. But their solution isn't to put up and make the most of it. Its to kick off and get schools reopened regardless of the cost to the NHS, the vulnerable or anyone else.

I'd love to see in the long run more state funded online schooling and assessment.

At least then we can offer choice to those who have realised the current system works much better.

@Makinganewthinghappen

Lurking I agree that staring at a laptop all day is terrible and that you need to go somewhere - as I said recreating school at home doesn’t work.

There’s are lots of home education ideas out there if people wanted to get off the computers - we are working through some of exploring nature with children each afternoon at the moment.

(Raisinglittleshoots.com )

I don’t think schools should stay shut - I do think they shouldn’t be the focus of a child’s life.

Secondary school is live all day. Break for lunch.

We really don’t need these tips.

@Hazelnutlatteplease

When schools were open they were a lot of kids who weren't happy and didnt fit but were told to get on with it.

Now there are children who are finding themselves in the same situation. Remote learning doesn't work for them. But their solution isn't to put up and make the most of it. Its to kick off and get schools reopened regardless of the cost to the NHS, the vulnerable or anyone else.

I'd love to see in the long run more state funded online schooling and assessment.

At least then we can offer choice to those who have realised the current system works much better.

Can you use resources and homeschool permanently?

Hazelnut I agree - two of my children are autistic and one has various other learning difficulties. We would have loved a “mixed” option but our only option was to home educated permanently.

Even just having access to exams would be useful. At the moment to sit GCSEs you need to pay up to £250 per exam. That’s why for many children who hate school home ed permanently isn’t an option.

Marsha - so don’t it. If it is making your kids that miserable don’t do the lessons take them outside.

Not sure why it’s so hard to see that?

@Makinganewthinghappen

Marsha - so don’t it. If it is making your kids that miserable don’t do the lessons take them outside.

Not sure why it’s so hard to see that?

He’s not miserable, but I’ll never agree digital is a good enough substitute. School and a rounded life is what we all want. Why are dc different?

But no I won’t because he’s not six. He’s yr11 and needs to match grades for A levels.

Marsha - so don’t it. If it is making your kids that miserable don’t do the lessons take them outside.

Not sure why it’s so hard to see that?
Not aimed at me but I'm out at work all day and my 12 yr old is home alone, so not really possible to take him anywhere. Not sure why it's so hard to understand that many parents work .

I can see that some dc who are anxious at school who have constantly disrupted classes, might be getting more out of learning from home. DD 15 was one of those last year during lockdown. This time round she's fed up and apathy is setting in. Apathy over everything. I think they have lost how that life will ever go back to what it was like pre-pandemic.

My 18 year old feels forgotten about. She thought A levels would be prioritised. She's had great online teaching, last lockdown and this, but it's harder to keep her spirits up this time, now exams have been stopped.

I agree that many parents overestimate how many hours actual learning takes place in school, and that can be replicated in fewer hours with at home learning. But some of the things which take up time in school are valuable things that are losses.

Myown - not sure if your raised eyebrow is because you assume I don’t work - I do as does dh. I am lucky that I can work from home.

Hazelnut I agree - two of my children are autistic and one has various other learning difficulties. We would have loved a “mixed” option but our only option was to home educated permanently.

I can understand why homeschool is a better option in some cases.

But many dc enjoy school.

Can you use resources and homeschool permanently?

I have with DS. But as Makinganewthinghappen the costs are substantial and access to assessment is challenging.

Also DD benefits from maintaining the contact with school (marking feedback) and Having work set for her.

Just because school benefits some doesn't mean it's best for all. Running a few government funded online academies so there is choice, all children could be much happier learning in a way that them.

But many dc enjoy school.

Why should kids who dont suffer for yours?

@Hazelnutlatteplease

Can you use resources and homeschool permanently?

I have with DS. But as Makinganewthinghappen the costs are substantial and access to assessment is challenging.

Also DD benefits from maintaining the contact with school (marking feedback) and Having work set for her.

Just because school benefits some doesn't mean it's best for all. Running a few government funded online academies so there is choice, all children could be much happier learning in a way that them.

I have no problem with this why would I?

I can see children benefit from different set ups.

X post. See I don’t get that last post you made.

I don’t want your dc to suffer for the majority. I would like the majority to access what is beneficial to them.

And if your dc can be happy with something else, great.

For those who feel mainstream school isn't working for their dc.

You've always had the option to home school, or to campaign for more online resources or better homeschooling options or better alternative provision.

But fgs don't wish this utter shit show on the rest of us.

Mainstream school was incredible difficult for ds. (asd)

But then he went to college on a course he loves and made friends and was progressing.

After years of school hell he'd found his niche.

And it's all been taken away from hm.,

@MarshaBradyo

X post. See I don’t get that last post you made.

I don’t want your dc to suffer for the majority. I would like the majority to access what is beneficial to them.

And if your dc can be happy with something else, great.

This. If you love home schooling and kids don't like being at school then great. Mine miss school, they love it there, they have loads of friends and they love their teachers.

This isn’t even the same as home schooling

@Januaryissodull

For those who feel mainstream school isn't working for their dc.

You've always had the option to home school, or to campaign for more online resources or better homeschooling options or better alternative provision.

But fgs don't wish this utter shit show on the rest of us.

This.

For some children, yes this is probably great, but don't kid yourself that for the vast majority it works.

I think one thing that is having a harmful effect of the dc's mental health is seeing so many things telling them that it should have an effect on their mental health.

People are very easily influenced by SM, and seeing things saying that it is terrible for them and how it will effect that badly is going to have an effect.

Some children will be struggling in lockdown without going to school, I know I would have.
Some children will be loving it and absolutely blooming. I suspect dh would have.
The majority of children will probably drift along neither suffering mentally nor loving it, but accepting it as something that is happening.

Surely the best thing for their mental health would be to encourage them to think of it as something that will pass and make the most.
Have you read "When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit" by Judith Kerr? Her mum made the whole escaping from the Nazis and losing all their money feel like an adventure. Judith said she never really realised that she should be frightened. That wouldn't happen now because she'd be bombarded with information on all sides, false as well as true.

They're not locked up. They can go outside. They have, the majority, technology that means that they can communicate with friends. If it had happened when I was a child it would have been "no more than 10 minutes, after 6pm on the phone" and definitely not every night. My dc are communicating with friends most of the day through Whatsapp, Microsoft teams and skype.

Yes, there will be children who have dreadful homelives and school is a haven. That's something that will always be a problem.
Maybe rather than focusing on how bad this is for everyone, we should be asking schools to do more for these children, and help get them into school and, where possible, help the entire family so the family can move together out of the situation, which ultimately will be better for the child. I'd have liked to see that being done in April through to July. Focusing on the most vulnerable children and schools seeing how they can identify and help those who need it most.

The focus should be on "how can we best help those that are struggling in lockdown" rather than "get the children back to school asap regardless of safety".

It's not a disaster for mine at all. They enjoy school and they miss it, they miss being able to freely see friends more than one at a time, walking, but home school provision is good this time and they're enjoying it.
I am very aware that it is not like this for everyone for many different reasons but for us it's fine (they're 13 and 16)

Absolutely agree @Witchend

I think one thing that is having a harmful effect of the dc's mental health is seeing so many things telling them that it should have an effect on their mental health.

Completely agree with this.

I disagree as pretty much nothing is telling dc their mh should be impacted.

@HipTightOnions

I think one thing that is having a harmful effect of the dc's mental health is seeing so many things telling them that it should have an effect on their mental health.

Completely agree with this.

This is a silly meme thats gained traction.

If people can't see how normally sociable, independent kids are impacted by school closure I feel sorry for you.