Stop the doom narrative and campaign to plug the gap.

[SmileEachDay]

The constant narrative from groups like U4T, the wider media AND (if MN is representative) individuals that children now are “a lost generation” and that they will “never catch up” is tremendously damaging.

They may well not be at exactly the (completely arbitrary) age related expectation. Perhaps they aren’t quite at the (complete arbitrary) progress point at secondary. Yes, the GCSE and Alevel students are having a difficult time, and their results will be reached in a different way.

But...

We won’t motivate children or families if we tell them it’s a lost cause.

The EEF are estimating that on average children are two months behind where they “should” (based on an arbitrary measure) be. It’s worse for children from a disadvantaged background - as it has always been.
Rather than claiming they’ll never catch up, would it not be more helpful to:

Tell kids that yes, it’s been tough but that they’ll still reach their potential AND then plough our time and resources into really closing the disadvantage gap. That’s going to mean government funding for educational support services, SEMH services, support for families, literacy support where appropriate, Surestart, youth mentoring - and that’s just off the top of my head.

I would have moved heaven and earth to keep educating our kids. Public spaces used so that class sizes could be split. Church halls to community centres. I would have ensured all vulnerable staff kept at home. Used student teachers to fill the gaps. People with highly vulnerable st home would receive blended learning.

I would have thrown everything I could at education.

I woood also have at the same time minimised infection in other ways such as restricting flights and holidays from
the start.

Education should have been the second priority after the care of the ill themselves.

If this makes me a raving sociopath than so be it. I still think the young should be prioritised in decision making and I repeat we will be judged harshly for it and pay the price in many ways for decades.

I have questioned why I feel this way many times. I have lived with the threat of a genetic illness my whole life and it has possibly affected my attitude to life and death. I don’t fear death when I’m old. I fear a life half lived which is what I fear we are doing to our young.

And cat that is where we all have to get to. What is our “acceptable” number for covid deaths annually? It can’t be zero.

We already accept thousands of deaths of flu as the norm. That is never discussed but it happens every winter.

So when do we have a frank discussion about covid? Or do we now say we don’t accept flu deaths either and distance all winter? And that is another option - but we need to table all options and what they mean (eg no winter concerts or parties or gathering).

Personally I would rather live a good and hearty life!

Called

That doesn’t address the OP.

I’m not going to rehash the past - but even if all the things you’ve listed had happened, disadvantaged children would still be behind their peers. What do you think the government/schools should do about that?

Have you posted about disadvantaged children in schools prior to covid?

I would have moved heaven and earth to keep educating our kids. Public spaces used so that class sizes could be split. Church halls to community centres. I would have ensured all vulnerable staff kept at home. Used student teachers to fill the gaps. People with highly vulnerable st home would receive blended learning.

I would have thrown everything I could at education.
The government vetoed rotas for school, and use of alternative buildings. That's on them, not teachers.
I don't know if you saw but when schools were closed last time lots of posters on here were talking about the need to open schools safely and what measures would be workable/not workable. Sadly, what happened was a mass pile on and loads of goady threads accusing teachers of not wanting to do their jobs.

I agree with you that holidays and travel should have been stopped sooner. Unfortunately it seems like the initial strategy from our government was herd immunity and then they had to backtrack.

I would love to see the criticisms of the government's (lack of) strategy, repeated locking down too late and opening up too early based on political pressure from interest groups, etc to be directed at the government, not the usual mud slinging at schools.

Are you aware that the DfE were leaking info to the press, then doing press releases referring to documents that they hadn't released or they had released but had withdrawn months earlier? They've failed on a strategic level and somehow have managed to plant the seed that it's teachers and unions who have caused this situation.

The sooner people start directing their anger in the right direction, the better.

I’m not talking about disadvantaged children specifically - why should I? I’m talking about all children - now the most disadvantaged sector of society.

That’s why we need them back to full time education now so we can start to assess the damage.

It’s payback time. We have ploughed billions into furlough schemes and business support schemes. I would want to see the same investment in wellbeing services for our children. We already had the unhappiest kids in Europe so this is long overdue. We need to stop seeing our children as an afterthought in any policy from now on. They are the future of any country and I’m utterly ashamed about what has happened and the ongoing narrative.

I am not angry at teachers or unions. I think the teachers are bloody marvellous. Interestingly the ones I know all want back to school. My kids have actually done ok at home - I have realised I’m not as bad at teaching as I thought but I also work and it’s been tough.

I don’t know about the unions. I have sympathy with some of their points but equally I feel like they haven’t really had the interests of children at heart.

I would want to see the same investment in wellbeing services for our children I agree with this completely.

the ongoing narrative which one? The same one I disagree with?

I’m not talking about disadvantaged children specifically - why should I?

I asked because there is massive use of children (especially disadvantaged children) by the media, some organisations and some individuals on here to drive an “open schools regardless” chant - from people who have never previously given a shit about children or schools. Its incredibly disingenuous. I’m not saying you are doing this - if you’re someone who has always been active in pushing for a fairer, well funded education sector, then I don’t mean you.

If we could have a total overhaul and following on from PP re Nat Lit Trust:
Learning for learning's sake as well as learning-to-test,
As a large part of that, a push towards reading for pleasure,
More work on adult literacy, as a necessary part of that,
Forest schools and learning about the natural world by being in it,
More outdoor time generally, to include more sport,
More music.
To do any of this, there would have to be a far less exam-oriented approach and teaching would have to become more 'holistic' rather than narrow-curriculum-based, so using the life-skills or interests of teachers.
Linking schools is one thing that does seem to have worked (though my DC were in the 'posh' school, not the struggling school, so we could have just been clueless as to the actual effects) but it would have to be more than just linking 'outstanding' schools and those requiring improvement as that is such a blunt instrument.
I don't think that a lot of these things necessarily even have to cost much but it would take a different mindset from government and different societal expectations.

Oh I see smile. The stories I’m hearing generally - anecdotally - are quite worrying and this is in more “advantaged” children. Tics bizarrely - self harm, suicidal thoughts in older children. I find this really, really concerning. Will these kids gradually recover?

I would imagine it’s even worse for some sectors and we don’t even see/know. I don’t know what numbers look like for A and E admissions or to the GP or referrals to CAHMS. Are these numbers even available? Or will it take years to see the impact. It’s a massive experiment.

But I have long despaired about education in Scotland. It pulls down the bright kids and fails the less bright. There is about to be a report issued and it will be damning.

I just feel overwhelmingly frustrated. I would be testing every adult for their vitamin d status now. I would be setting up cooking classes for families so we can reduce the impact of obesity. Instead of food banks could we have community kitchens offering fresh food?

Called I hear what you’re saying re the education sector failing at both ends. The inequality within just the state sector is ridiculous- and when you add the further inequality of the independent sector, I just despair. That’s for a different thread though.

There was some discussion earlier in thread re bringing MH professionals onto school staff - I’ve seen that work really well as it makes support much easier to access and less of a “big deal”. What do you think about that?

Hi Smile
Below is the email I sent to my MP yesterday, using writetothem.com

Sent by email

Dear

RE: The recent announcement about school children returning and what measures will be put in place to support their progress.

I’m writing to ask you to contact the Secretary of State for Education to raise my concerns about his department’s decision making in regards to what funding will be in place to help support children who have been affected by the repeated lockdowns and self isolation periods. I think the decision to only focus on academic catch-up is short sighted and that schools will need funding and support to approach the inevitable increased need for pastoral care. I firmly believe that in order for children to learn effectively, they will need to have their emotional and mental health needs met, as well as their physical needs.
I would like you to put forward the question of what funding these areas will specifically get, to push the need for children to have better access to mental health services and increased opportunities for safer socialisation.
For example, I think that every school should have an on site professional counsellor, paid for by the government. This would ease CAMHS waiting lists and ease the already stretched service. In addition, having professionals paid for by the government, to come in and offer outdoor clubs, such as sport, forest schools or creative drama and art classes, would help make up for the lack of contact many children have had with others and have time away from screens.
I feel that it is crucial that the UK helps children get back on track and focuses on their wellbeing as well as their education, so that they can go on to be well rounded adults and take on the jobs of the future – especially in the middle of this recession caused by the pandemic.
Please ask the Secretary of State for Education to consider this in any decision making and to push for the funding of resources that will help schools support children and young people.

I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Thank you Chloe - I think that’s perfect. Easy for people to adjust to with their own suggestions.

What do you think it would do to help disadvantaged children?

I suppose it depends on 'how' they are disadvantaged. If the family is skint, it will allow more hours work. If the family is disengaged with their child, it allows the child more routine and structure and more time with adults who care about and have ambition for their future.

As with all these things, their is no silver bullet, but I do think the idea has legs enough to be discussed further and not dismissed outright.

OP you asked for positive suggestions. I really think this is one. I hope teachers will look at the positives of ideas out forward and include their experience and expertise to add meat to the bones.

Someone mentioned up thread about private schools. My child is at state school. I am aware that this is one concept that private schools have. I would hope that it might narrow the gap.

As with all these things, their is no silver bullet, but I do think the idea has legs enough to be discussed further and not dismissed outright

I agree - I think there are definite positives to enrichment activities. I’d have compulsory forest school every day given had a chance! As I said - I think it’s trickier at secondary because older children are very aware of school “stealing” their leisure time - so I think anything compulsory can become counter productive.

Us4Them isn’t about wanting schools fully open, lots of people want that. Us4Them is about objecting to any mitigation measures (so I can’t imagine they’d be happy with closed borders). They want the vulnerable to hide away (including vulnerable kids and kids with vulnerable family members who’d they prefer were taken out of school so they didn’t have to think about them) and the rest of society to continue as normal - Great Barrington Declaration style.

Us4Them is about lying that your kid is exempt so that they don’t have to wear a mask. It’s about threatening schools with lawyers if they try to impose masks in the classroom. It’s about complaining that your child is cold and windows should be shut instead of dressing the child more appropriately. It’s about going to a national newspaper and complaining that the class didn’t sing happy birthday to your child because that spreads covid and we’re in a pandemic and they don’t feel as special. It’s about telling teachers who want safety measures that they are way too anxious and should quit their jobs.

@SmileEachDay

I’m not talking about disadvantaged children specifically - why should I?

I asked because there is massive use of children (especially disadvantaged children) by the media, some organisations and some individuals on here to drive an “open schools regardless” chant - from people who have never previously given a shit about children or schools. Its incredibly disingenuous. I’m not saying you are doing this - if you’re someone who has always been active in pushing for a fairer, well funded education sector, then I don’t mean you.

Smile parents have always given a shit about children. It’s just that parents and teachers exist in different worlds both feeling that each other doesn’t care.

Most parents struggle with their individual child learning, accessibility to schools, learning support/mental health ..

Whilst teachers are struggling with very limited resources and frustration. The positive thing for you is that you have other teachers to discuss this with and have support of unions where as most parents feel very isolated and at a loss of where to turn.

Both are absolutely entwined but have been treated as two separate issues.

You should stop saying people didn’t give a shit before because they did and do it was just that they were unheard too.

Smile parents have always given a shit about children. It’s just that parents and teachers exist in different worlds both feeling that each other doesn’t care

If that’s true at your school (either as a parent or a teacher) then it needs fixing. I’m a parent and a teacher soooo....

Most parents struggle with their individual child learning, accessibility to schools, learning support/mental health

Yes, they do, and that’s not ok. Better funded support services and schools would help somewhat with this.

You should stop saying people didn’t give a shit before because they did and do it was just that they were unheard too

As I’ve said, multiple times on this thread, if you are someone who has actively worked against the inequality and underfunding in our education system, as an organisation or as an individual- then I am not talking about you. I don’t know how many other ways I can express that.

Good email, Chloe.

What is heartening is that the Catch-Up Tsar agrees with you on the sport and outdoor activities.

One thing to consider about extending the school day with compulsory activities is that it will push out the paid-for non-compulsory activities. The swimming lessons, music, dance etc. This private sector is desperate to get up and running properly again and would be killed - tying them to a school wouldn’t work.

In secondary, extending the school day would have an adverse impact on those with a long commute who already get back home late and then have to squeeze in homework.

Interesting read about where the money could come from to properly fund education and why we shouldn’t be looking towards austerity:

www.newstatesman.com/politics/economy/2020/06/uk-s-national-debt-has-surged-100-cent-there-no-need-austerity

Investment in our young people is an investment for the future so it would be absolutely stupid to claim it’s too expensive. It’s too expensive to ignore it.

@SmileEachDay

Smile parents have always given a shit about children. It’s just that parents and teachers exist in different worlds both feeling that each other doesn’t care

If that’s true at your school (either as a parent or a teacher) then it needs fixing. I’m a parent and a teacher soooo....

Most parents struggle with their individual child learning, accessibility to schools, learning support/mental health

Yes, they do, and that’s not ok. Better funded support services and schools would help somewhat with this.

You should stop saying people didn’t give a shit before because they did and do it was just that they were unheard too

As I’ve said, multiple times on this thread, if you are someone who has actively worked against the inequality and underfunding in our education system, as an organisation or as an individual- then I am not talking about you. I don’t know how many other ways I can express that.

Noticed you didn’t repost this

Whilst teachers are struggling with very limited resources and frustration. The positive thing for you is that you have other teachers to discuss this with and have support of unions where as most parents feel very isolated and at a loss of where to turn

I’ll leave the thread as it’s clear only people that think like you can post on it and parents are now getting the blame for making matters worse..

I’ll leave the thread as it’s clear only people that think like you can post on it and parents are now getting the blame for making matters worse

I don’t know how you got there from anything I’ve said.

Shaiva

I’ll leave the thread as it’s clear only people that think like you can post on it

Bait and run nice.

and parents are now getting the blame for making matters worse..

Just another tactic to cause division between teachers and parents.
Teachers and parents should be shoulder to shoulder demanding that education and wellbeing is given priority.

Mumsnet is a great place of support for parents who are feeling isolated. I fucking hate that Us4Them astroturfed it creating a massive row with teachers who wanted safety measures in schools and kept repeating the narrative that teachers wanted schools closed so often that it seems to have stuck.

It suits them to have the idea that it's teachers versus parents, where actually teachers and parents pretty much want the same things.

@FrippEnos

Shaiva

I’ll leave the thread as it’s clear only people that think like you can post on it

Bait and run nice.

and parents are now getting the blame for making matters worse..

Just another tactic to cause division between teachers and parents.
Teachers and parents should be shoulder to shoulder demanding that education and wellbeing is given priority.

No I didnt bait and run. It was clear from the response I got back of smile she wasn’t interested in my opinion. If you read the OP she is saying parents are making it worse. That’s unfair.

If you have an objection or a diffence of opinion you are treated with hostility and I could be bothered arguing so I choose to tap out now.

But in response to the OP there will be zero money to give to schools, in fact it will be more purse tightening so I suspect it will fall to individual schools to forge their own ‘recovery’ plan and a new focus for PTA to start raising money. I suppose it’s better than us squabbling over play ground equipment!