Should schools close again?

[FuckinGoddess]

I’m at the end of my tether.

Worried about Omicron, of course, and the devastating effects it could have on lives.

Worried about children missing out on even more education. Worried about being forced to stay at home again. And worried about people dying.

What do you think will happen? What should happen ?

Lumos,

I apologise - my children (who choose to wear masks) were derided on another thread as 'sheeple', and I responded to that specific comment.

On the topic of this thread, I completely genuinely don't understand why parents aren't up in arms about the dreadful state of education in schools at the moment. I don't understand why they see open school buildings, and assume that means that their child's education as normal, when the evidence is so clear that it's not. However, I apologise for saying that parents don't care, as it may be that the government has been so successful in its 'everything is FINE, just look the other way' strategy, that parents who do care really don't realise.

No. Jesus, last time(s) did fuck all good for anyone.

I also feel parents are more concerned about getting their children taken off their hands than educating them. Schools are often a very poor second to one to one even if it's just an hour a day.

Given that many parents have jobs to do, and that's what teachers are there for, I'm not sure what point you're making.

Should we just disband schools altogether and divert funding to parents to educate?

No, absolutely not.

I'd rather ds had to wear masks all day (he quite likes them now it's cold) and had to eat outside.

@Alltheblue

I also feel parents are more concerned about getting their children taken off their hands than educating them. Schools are often a very poor second to one to one even if it's just an hour a day.

Do you have dc? Do you homeschool?

If no this really is far off the mark.

Yes and yes

No and thrice no.

@Alltheblue

I also feel parents are more concerned about getting their children taken off their hands than educating them. Schools are often a very poor second to one to one even if it's just an hour a day.

What a load of shit. Most parents have to work and cannot educate their children at the same time, a lot of us are not qualified enough to give our children a decent education at home.

I'm a primary teacher. There is more Covid in my school and my DC's schools at the moment than at any other time during the whole pandemic. We had to close one class because the teacher and TA are both ill with Covid (as well as half of the kids in the class) and there just isn't anyone to cover. It's impossible to get supply cover at the moment, especially to cover a class which has so many in it that have tested positive. Nobody wants to come in to that classroom!

@Alltheblue

Yes and yes

Good for you.

It’s obviously not for the majority. And definitely not what I want for my dc.

They enjoy school so it being open is key.

Children need to be in school- adults need to support them with this by being more diligent.

I agree with what Orchidflower said upthread. We really, really need to keep schools open, which means that adults need to be made to do more with WFH where possible, much more widespread mandatory masking etc.

@Rabblesthecat

Why should childless people give up their social lives and activities just so kids can go to school especially when it’s now proven schools are the biggest vector to transmissions

I don't think either should happen, but the future generation getting a decent education is more important than your social life.

Absolutely not.

If parents can educate their own children just fine and school is just a parking-ground for kids while they work, what is the point in requiring teachers to have degrees and teacher training? Despite (some) parents being able to give their kids 1-1 while others are forced to rely on the TV to babysit, I think most parents would agree that teachers bring something special to the table.

As a parent and a teacher, absolutely not

The ONLY acceptable way schools should close:

Funding for CAHMs and early intervention child mental health service is increased to an acceptable (and not bullshitly announced and wriggled out of) level.
Funding for Speech and Language Therapy is set at a level where kids actually GET weekly sessions from a qualified SALT and not just some bullshit telephone call once a term and worksheets in the post.
Funding for universally accessible activities in terms of a range of activities and interests (so not just sport) with highly skilled staff running it to facilitate children reacquiring lost social communication and motor skills. Things like drama, singing, crafts as well as sport - and sports that are also engaging to kids traditionally disengaged from stereotypical PE lessons.
Catch up tuition to be available to every single child, in a low-pressure no-blame manner - rather than teachers shitting their pants about the level their pupils are at and piling on the pressure.
Funding for child protection work, domestic violence services and parental support - again in a non-blame manner as so many parents have been through the mill with it all as well.

We should only EVER close the schools again if society is genuinely and really going to commit to repairing the catastrophic damage it has done to kids. If you've been blessed with a child who has loved the banana bread experience - great, but personally I never want to see a banana derived loaf product again as long as I live.

So basically NO.

@DateLoaf

Children need to be in school- adults need to support them with this by being more diligent.

I agree with what Orchidflower said upthread. We really, really need to keep schools open, which means that adults need to be made to do more with WFH where possible, much more widespread mandatory masking etc.

Absolutely.

School closures - in fact even the situation we have now with so much absence and so many children missing their proper teacher - should be absolutely the last resort. All possible measures outside school and inside school should be taken to avoid that final step of closure.

@Rabblesthecat

Why should childless people give up their social lives and activities just so kids can go to school especially when it’s now proven schools are the biggest vector to transmissions

Where on earth have you seen people without children complaining like that?

Quite a few of us work in schools. Parents aren’t the only ones with a stake in this.

Of course they shouldnt close!!!!!

Al those crying 'schools shouldn't close' - what should schools be doing when they run out of healthy adults to put in front of classes to keep children safe, let alone of teachers of approximately the right subjects / with some qualification?

Do you mean ' schools should not close across the country, but a haphazard pattern of ad-hoc closure is an acceptable level of collateral damage for a largely open economy / social mixing'?

@Alltheblue

I also feel parents are more concerned about getting their children taken off their hands than educating them. Schools are often a very poor second to one to one even if it's just an hour a day.

Is that really what you feel?

I feel some people really don't have a clue what they are talking about when they come out with total crap like this honestly.

@cantkeepawayforever

Al those crying 'schools shouldn't close' - what should schools be doing when they run out of healthy adults to put in front of classes to keep children safe, let alone of teachers of approximately the right subjects / with some qualification?

Do you mean ' schools should not close across the country, but a haphazard pattern of ad-hoc closure is an acceptable level of collateral damage for a largely open economy / social mixing'?

So what close all schools in case some schools have to temporally homeschool?

People giving an opinion isn't "crying" by the way - this is a discussion thread.

@cantkeepawayforever

Al those crying 'schools shouldn't close' - what should schools be doing when they run out of healthy adults to put in front of classes to keep children safe, let alone of teachers of approximately the right subjects / with some qualification?

Do you mean ' schools should not close across the country, but a haphazard pattern of ad-hoc closure is an acceptable level of collateral damage for a largely open economy / social mixing'?

Why would schools run out of healthy adults? Have any other workplaces run out of healthy adults? I work in a factory, lots of us have had Covid, we haven't run out of healthy adults at work. You get Covid, you isolate for 10 days, then go back to work. A small minority have to have longer than 10 days off, but that is a minority.

They should go back to bubbles and not mixing with other years/outside the classroom.

Education staff who can work from home should

@cantkeepawayforever

Al those crying 'schools shouldn't close' - what should schools be doing when they run out of healthy adults to put in front of classes to keep children safe, let alone of teachers of approximately the right subjects / with some qualification?

Do you mean ' schools should not close across the country, but a haphazard pattern of ad-hoc closure is an acceptable level of collateral damage for a largely open economy / social mixing'?

We should try and keep as many schools open for as long as possible ,obviously if so many staff are off its impossible to keep the school open ,than the individual school will have to close for a time .