Westminstenders: Political vacuums are very bad things

[RedToothBrush]

Johnson has been notible (once again) but his absence.

Whilst we appreciate he has been ill and has a new baby, we are in the midst of a national crisis and a sense of leadership and guidance from our prime minister has been lacking.

And its not gone unnoticed.

Not just by the press. And not just by opposition. Nor NHS and care managers. But on the ground where it matters.

The lack of the sense of seriousness has dissipated. The sense of duty to country to behave. The idea that it will some how be all over this week when it doesn't appear to be the government strategy. The total lack of policy for a week whilst it's become clear bit by bit that these things have been under discussion and decided upon prior to the supposed key meeting on Thursday from the announcements from the regional assemblies. All in favour of a TV stunt tomorrow night.

Let's see how that goes.

The grandstanding isn't a substitute for detail and substance in a crisis. And we still have the looming show down at the end of June over extension of transition. More optics. More lack of practicality at a time when things will really be on the brink.

The next month will be telling and we hit the wall of economic reality which will bring the whole world crashing in on the lives of so many people.

This is the calm before the storm. Enough the sunshine. Enjoy the time with families. Before this is over everything will have changed for so many.

This is just the start of things unravelling and it needs someone to take control and draw up solid blueprints for all our futures. Is a man who is so frequently awol from where he is supposed to be and doesn't take commitments and responsibilities seriously, really the man for that?

Churchill had a vision for the country that cited housing as our second social service, the NHS being our first.

Will Johnson manage to some how forge out so grand new venture which gives the resource and rewards it deserves to the NHS (beyond lipservice and empty platitudes and clapping, that recognises the importance of social care and can stop the almost inevitable coming wave of homelessness and unemployment

And can he do it without selling us off as a basement bargain to the us?

Listening- I generally follow those guidelines - infact I am not a member of any political groups on Facebook I don't think. This was a post by a friend (ex-friend)..... and I just couldn't not call them out for their openly sexist behaviour- it was appalling.
I am sick of threads like that becoming echo chambers , and people to scared to call them out for their appalling behaviour.

This is my only dedicated political thing I follow - other than "news". I don't venture into anywhere else on mumsnet (used to years ago ) , I found this thread completely by accident after doing a google search to find out some more info on a specific aspect of brexit.....

DH often has to tell me to stop sharing stuff with him, because of his anxiety.

It's a really tough time we are living through and it boils my piss, when people say you can't criticise the very person who through laziness/incompetence has made it so much worse.

Listening 💐💐💐I am sorry about your cousin

I avoid arguing on FB. I don't have family or friends who live locally on FB either. FB is for friends I don't see regularly but are important to me (and know what I'm like very well). Basically people I don't have to be diplomatic with...

Mistrigri, that just is awful but as you say, utterly predictable.

And thats the worst thing about it, that you expected it.

Brexit will mean checks on goods crossing Irish Sea, government admits
Ministers’ letter confirms border control posts at ports of Belfast, Warrenpoint and Larne

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/13/brexit-will-mean-checks-on-goods-crossing-irish-sea-government-admits

Piggy- can I ask a teaching/education question. My kids are in private education - which I am aware we are incredibly Lucky to be able to do.
Anyway both there schools are doing a great job with online learning (DD school wa scrap to start with but have now got their act together).
I just recently realised that the local state schools (but also in London - so I am assuming it's nationwide) are just posting work online - there's no online classes , or actually much feedback from teachers in what they are doing. (My friends daughter - who is not a confident learner is really struggling)
I know there is the responsibility to key workers - but private schools also have that.
Is it government policy not to do "live" lessons? Is it a lack of resources (I think this is probably it - but don't actually know). The local high school my friends daughter goes to , insists they all have chrome books (I hope they are provided to less well off families but I don't know)- so there's not the issue with access with them.

It's just I have thinking about the going back to school issue - I know it's not really driven by education- but by wanting the parents back to work..... but the local primary daughter went too - it's campus is tiny , so would be impossible to manage social distancing.
Wouldn't the government be better to put resources into teaching online ? Or is that impossible?
Government could provide chrome books to families who can't afford them......
I just wondered- but this is from the point of view of someone who doesn't know, from a teachers perspective, how it works.....
And wondering if it could work?
Just my point of view is the thing my kids are really missing is the social side - hanging with their friends. But if that's not possible (social distancing) and building class rooms aren't physically big enough to allow for social distancing (you have to think about hallways and bathrooms too) - then to keep everyone safe , surely it's to teach remotely/live (not all lessons)

I can just see teachers being the next scandal of professions not kept safe by the government..... sorry- long post.....

Mistigri My sympathy to you and your mum 💐

The carnage in care homes is a disgrace, but I doubt anyone will be called to account for it

• except maybe a few poor sods who worked when ill, because otherwise they'd have had no money for rent or food.

I fortunately unfortunately? seem to live in a bubble in both FB and real-life as I don't know anyone who is a Brexiter, little Englander or a selfish twat.

I tell a lie : I am FB friends with one of dh's friends who is really anti-independence and claims to support BJ. But dh and he have their political arguments off-line and dh suspects that a lot of it is to get a rise out of dh (and another friend who make up the wee group). His wife is very nice I don't know how she put up with him He's a nice guy really below the bluster

Maybe I'm just discerning in my friendships - both real and virtual

Really sorry to read about your uncle misti It doesn't sound like it was his time - or rather, it shouldn't have been his time

to you and your mum.

Hi mrs, in all honesty I have yet to see any evidence that 'live' lessons are pedagogically better. My DH does them and he doesn't have his camera on and sets them stuff to do, answering the odd question while reading the paper . I do non live lessons with what I think are really targeted and thoughtful ppts which the kids can work through at any time that suits them and their families , especially since most kids do not have their own laptops and we ought to acknowledge that wifi and buffering are issues!

The official reasons are
a) access (all kids having school chromebooks is very very unusual : not all teachers even have the correct equipment which ahs been an issue. It took ages to get my DH a chromebook!
b) safeguarding is an issue if cameras are on and this was very foregrounded when the Zoom thing kept being promoted

I really hate the whole teaching the poor kids to a full timetable : it's too much screen time and massively inflexible for families... it really does just assume good separate working spaces for many members of a family!

I actually am very proud of the non live work I have set!

Does that illuminate at all?

I think govt is very keen to promote Oak National Academy and have funded it. It's OK : awful for English.

Just seen my gym 🏋🏼‍♂️ opens tomorrow 💥

Are you jealous, listening ? 😂
I haven't been to a supermarket since about 16 March or anywhere else enclosed,
but the gym has been completely refurbished during lockdown
the cases and deaths are really low here now
..... and I'm a gym rat ....so I'll go along and see if I've any muscle left

Piggy thanks for the school post. Like Mrsl I've been wondering the same as dd has had no contact with her teacher other than weekly posts on school website- one daily 15min maths video from White Rose (which we'd never heard of) and a weekly English writing task. If you send these in you eventually get a bland response after about 3 days with "I'm glad to see X is doing well". Not hugely engaging!

I've suggested pre recorded lessons but this week they've said if we want a 10min video chat with teacher for the kids we can request one. I'm not sure if this is to ask set questions for work or just as an excuse to show stuff they have done... I'd much rather have a daily lesson recorded by her teacher for the whole year, even just a 15min one with a suggested set piece of work. Some parents are requesting more work, others haven't kept up (me!) and some don't seem to be doing it at all.

I do think parents will take a look at what their school is providing and end up paying for remote lessons if this isn't streamlined. We are already bypassing the school suggested work because it's so impersonal. I also worry that many may choose to continue with that rather than send kids back to school too early and may become accustomed to their child not engaging with the school, particularly if they can't even socialise as Mrsl says. I posted earlier about big business profiteering and I really do think this is a market they will tap into unless schools pull together and at least have a minimum teacher/child contact standard. Maybe this is the next phase of making schools compete and weeding out failing schools? Ours was Good rated but has really shown it's shortcomings in comparison to other locals who use dojo, for example. I don't want this to be a teacher bash at all (dd's teacher is lovely and sets many ovaries clanging ) but I fear this is going to be turned on it's head and used against them if schools wait for government guidance or funding to help.

mistigirl condolences to your mum

This is what my Dgd aged 18 and home alone while her mum works has been up to this week !

• Edited by MNHQ *

It looks lovely Sos - but there is a name up on the picture. You may want to get the picture taken down.

Piggy, thank you so much for your reply.
I do realise and acknowledge that being on a computer all day , is not great. Though my kids schooldays are noticeable shorter and they don't have homework.

DS has suffered from terrible anxiety around school , and I was really worried about how this would all affect him. But he has been fine - he misses school, but not to the detriment to his mental health. I think talking to him, it's because his school provision provides a focus and a structure to his day.

I do get about the spaces - because he was normally away at school he didn't have a desk - so was working at the kitchen table before the school holidays. I felt I had no space, but also didn't want to disturb him.

I also get your point about the chrome books - tbh honest I was flabbergasted, as I know some families with kids at the school and I am not sure how they would find the £170 for one.

And I have visions of your DH being the teacher from the breakfast club 😂 with his feet in his desk. On a more serious note I don't really care if DS and DD teachers are doing that ....... the important thing is for them , that they feel their teachers are there for them.... that they are still part of that community

for Songs and Misti and anyone else going through your own personal hell.

This is what my Dgd aged 18 and home alone while her mum works has been up to this week !

PLEASE can she come and live with us I LOVE sushi. 😍

Sorry to hear of Songs and Misti’s experience.

I think govt is very keen to promote Oak National Academy and have funded it. It's OK : awful for English
Oddly enough DDs school aren't pushing this but DSs is. That said I've gone maverick with homeschooling so DS is doing his years plan on WhiteRose which DD was set but I've got DD doing her years English on Oak as she's getting a lot more from it than the watch a video and fill out this sheet set by her school. Ok not that maverick - they're still doing the set work as well but Oaks maths takes DS about 10 mins max and DDs English is hit and miss as to wether she engages properly but I encourage it.

English has never been my forte though so Oak is providing extra benefit there! Maths is my forte though and before the schools suggested these things DS was on a roll doing DDs years maths work (she's older) and they'd both told me what they struggled with and I did some special lessons with them. I suspect DSs teacher may not thank me next year for this 😂

I have got both of mine on Reading Eggs and Maths Seed, along with homework papers sent by the school for DS (SEN). They both enjoy it, which is a relief as DS gets bored with BBC bitesize and struggles with more of the "classic" online learning programmes.

Yes ABC we are on Reading Eggs and Mathseeds. Dd used to do them with me in pre-school, so she had her avatar already and we just renewed the subscription. It doesn't involve a daily battle and strops as White Rose did when the weeks didn't line up properly or the person on the video spoke too fast, used different terminology etc or the boring once a week set English the school were doing. We also use Ted Ed for a broad range of videos and so she's learnt about Classics, History, Science and famous women as well. I worry other kids may just be stuck with the bland English and Maths set by school . It's taken us weeks to figure out what works, but we actually now are enjoying what we are learning at least!

I find it fascinating to read about what children are doing to learn or not learn. A lot of children will fall behind, but I really wonder how much those who are in year 6 will miss the grind of SATS? As can be seen, some will have done child centred learning at its best and got ahead.

imo the problem is more for the parents, especially those trying to WFH