January (schools)

[fizzypop100]

If we are faced with remote learning, will school be open for vulnerable children?

It's like Dorothy clicking her red shoes! If you just close your eyes wish hard enough. than you can make schools not close.

You say there was no party .... the party has ceased to be (despite obvious evidence to the contrary).

You say schools must stay open ...so they will (despite equally obvious evidence).

Oh, wait....

We’re putting in place plans ‘just in case’ for remote provision again. So everyone taking home what they need, training new staff etc…all schools have been asked to ensure that their contingency plans are in place. No-one quite knows what will happen, but we’re trying to ensure that we’re not all chucked in the deep end like last year.

We’d have a better chance if we’re allowed to enforce masks in classrooms and do something about ventilation for a start…

I’m technically a keyworker but could work from home. So so many parents at my DCs’ schools took the absolute piss last time round. There were so many kids in, mine were the odd ones out when they went back. I’m not going to put them through that again. If keyworker places are open, I’m going to use them. I tried to do the right thing last time and it took its toll and I resented all the pisstakers so much. I’m no longer friends with some of them. This time round, if I can’t beat them, I’m going to join them. It simply wasn’t fair.

@Deadcanary1

It's like Dorothy clicking her red shoes! If you just close your eyes wish hard enough. than you can make schools not close.

Ah so that's the new guidance, I wondered what came after magical Covid repelling tape.

If school's shut again we may as well just give up all together

@Deadcanary1

It's like Dorothy clicking her red shoes! If you just close your eyes wish hard enough. than you can make schools not close.

Ah yes. Closed schools all very jolly. I suppose someone’s happy.

@FrownedUpon

It looks like schools here are being prepped for home learning in January, with some years staying at home and gradually coming back into school through Jan/Feb.

Everyone will have been offered a booster by then so seems pointless. From the deadline of everyone being offered it isolation of positive cases should end as well considering its effectiveness at preventing severe disease! The common cold has floored us all recently COVID didn't even make a scratch

* I* don’t think encouraging teachers and children with covid to continue to go to school will happen

Perhaps it will, once we find that Omicron is indeed a very weak virus that causes only very mild symptoms. Perhaps we'll want Omicron to spread through society in order to replace Delta? And to build up immunity?

We need more information on the Omicron virus!

@Foolsrule

I’m technically a keyworker but could work from home. So so many parents at my DCs’ schools took the absolute piss last time round. There were so many kids in, mine were the odd ones out when they went back. I’m not going to put them through that again. If keyworker places are open, I’m going to use them. I tried to do the right thing last time and it took its toll and I resented all the pisstakers so much. I’m no longer friends with some of them. This time round, if I can’t beat them, I’m going to join them. It simply wasn’t fair.

Exactly the same here. I felt so angry last time. We juggled things to keep the kids at home when it turns out that 70% of kids at our school were in.

If you get COVID you stay at home, it's as simple as that

I think at some point in the future we may need to change that view. I mean, Covid may well become endemic and less harmful?

@FutureHope

They were at minimum complicit and at worst actively pressing for schools closure. A weak education minister (G Williamson) who did not gave them down.

Even censored (along with thr govt) by thr Children’s Commissioner.

Not today, factual.

Complicit with whom?

Only the government can close schools.

@FutureHope

They were at minimum complicit and at worst actively pressing for schools closure. A weak education minister (G Williamson) who did not gave them down.

Even censored (along with thr govt) by thr Children’s Commissioner.

Not today, factual.

Complicit with whom?

Exactly the same for me. I work in HE and am a key worker but can do my job from home. However, it is an incredibly high pressured job and requires all my concentration. Still I didn’t send my two primary children in during either lockdown and did exactly as I was supposed to do. The absolute kick in the teeth for me was when I found out that a self-employed cleaner had claimed the school places for her children as a key worker.

@FutureHope

Then we disagree, CarrieBlue.

And yes, I do hold them accountable - along with this inept govt and inept prior min for Ed - for the mental health and educational damage my kids suffered during lockdown.

Not the individual teachers though, ours were great.

Unions. Didn't. Close. Schools.

Ah yes. Closed schools all very jolly. I suppose someone’s happy

I think you may suffering from an irony deficiency.

@echt

Ah yes. Closed schools all very jolly. I suppose someone’s happy

I think you may suffering from an irony deficiency.

Whatever.

I don’t really care what you post in return tbh.

This time round I expect there to be more scrutiny about who actually is a key worker.

Also secondary school age children will all be distance learning apart from exam classes.

Teachers should either be teaching in school or wholly distance teaching. Chopping and changing is asking too much of them. They left in droves last time. Let's keep the ones we have.

Teachers (obviously I can't speak on behalf of all ... but I'll try ) really don't want schools to close.

Remote learning is hard work for very little return and then we have to pick the pieces back up when pupils return.

We have to manage parents abusing the key worker places - we have to deal with v angry parents whose children aren't eligible for a place.

We have to try and safeguard vulnerable pupils.

@HereticFanjo

I doubt schools will close again tbh. There are hardly any kids left standing locally who haven't already had Covid!

This new variant can infect you despite having had previous infection! You won't have protection.

I really, really wish blended learning could be made to work. I'd give anything for my children to go in just for one afternoon a week. Just not to lose all contact.

Blended working won’t work.

The numbers of KW are too high.

The unions had absolutely nothing to do with school closures. Nothing at all.

It's bizarre that the trash media can make something up and people just BELIEVE it despite it bearing no relation to reality.

This new variant can infect you despite having had previous infection!

What is the re-infection rate? Are you talking about this from data

I don't think they'll close.

Zahawi can't say it but the awful stories now emerging (Arthur, the 10,000 ghost children, fall in referrals to SS, record high referral to mental health services) show how badly this was dealt with (remember when pubs were open but not schools?).

Utterly, utterly unforgivable and I don't think it'll be one they repeat.