So when are we going back to school?

[RaraRachael]

I was under the impression that NS had announced that all schools in Scotland would start back on August 11th. I have had surveys from my local authority asking when we would like the week's holiday in lieu and if we want 1 or 2 in-service days before we start back in August.

Last night a colleague posted a piece showing all the start dates from the different authorities - some were 10th August, !1th, 12th up to the 18th and 19th.

I am totally confused

@salemcat
I don't know - I feel like I have hit a wall at the moment. Me and DH are juggling our paid work with trying to home school but I honest don't think we can keep it up. Work is become much more pressured and I worry that any requests for flexibility will be met with the usual blasé attitude I get whenever I mention childcare issues.

I've wrote to my MSP who has in turn forwarded my concerns to JS. I despair that every school and councils are individually having to reinvent the wheel - I know that there will have to be local considerations taken into account but to leave the planning up to each school/council is farcical

I want to write to my MSP but I’m not sure how to articulate my thoughts. I don’t want to sound like I think school is childcare, because it isn’t, but acknowledge that the regulatory of school hours is what facilitates a lot of parents working.

In Fife, had an email from the headteacher at DC’s school confirming it’ll be mon/tue or wed/thu from August. No mention of school buses, for a primary school that has 5 buses of children every day because of how widespread the catchment is.

Regular nature...

I'm a teacher and have 3 dcs. Most school staff I know - teachers, leadership, support staff - are also working parents 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️. If I'm in school all week and my dcs aren't in theirs those days/my dcs are in another region from where I teach, I'm as screwed as everyone else. We've been home schooling and working from home since 20th March like most families all over the country.

I'm fed up hearing what's apparently happening from the TV like everyone else. I'm fed up with the plans changing every day or often more than once a day at council level. I'm fed up reading on social media about "teachers" - whose opinions count for nothing and whose views aren't sought btw - being absolutely slated. Reading our local papers online and on FB today, you still can't please everyone.

I'd LOVE to be in my school, as normal, doing my job, with OTHER people's kids, out of this bloody house, away from these dc that I gave birth to, but it can't happen just now. Someone please tell me what the hell the answer is, as I feel like jacking it all in and becoming a childminder, as apparently that's all I actually am. Almost 30 years of teaching under my belt and all anyone wants is me in school with as many pupils as possible in order that "working parents" (see the start of my post) can work.

I think I've finally given up. It's all too bloody much and I can't win.

And that had paragraphs on my bloody phone. Someone pass the gin....early bath and bed for Ms Yogafailure tonight.

It is beautifully paragraphed fear not

Edinburgh Council have been roasted by the government, and told they need to improve their offer to at least 50% school attendance. This is a developing story so I'm going to stand back and assume that reason and common sense will win the day.

As furious as I am, I don't in any way hold teachers responsible for any of this. I don't even blame the Scottish government. I hope they will simply rise to public sentiment and get something much more appropriate in place.

Let's see what happens.

What can they do? The 30% figure will be based on the size of the estate. I can't see any option other than extra buildings, where is the money for that? JS said councils could come to them with plans to ask for funding - I think the money should have been offered first with the caveat it is used to get 50% in. There is such a need for quick decisions here that I think poor ones might be made.

Ah @Mistressiggi it's not when I go on my iPad

@yogafailure 💐 I feel your pain. Exactly my position too.

Chances are we'll have dropped to 1m social distancing by August anyway but they can't mention that ahead of time in case people think ok let's just do it now.

Hold steady.

Re answers to get more kids in Edinburgh schools - portacabins in the school grounds, use of community venues, reduce social distancing requirements to 1.5m. change school hours so that teachers work 9-3 or whatever rather than continuing with the half day on Friday while we are dealing with COVID. Deep clean at the end of every school day rather than taking a day off. Some would work for some schools.

I don't blame the teachers either but at the end of the day we need to find solutions that get kids back at least 50% of the school week. And not a single thing has come out to parents either from Government or the schools or the Council asking for our ideas

I'd personally take a turn cleaning classrooms if it was needed.

There are schools that could take a portacabin or two but they'd need what, 17% more space to get 50% in? (Not maths teacher!) It's a city, there are many primaries that have already built on their spare land and then there's a secondary like Boroughmuir were they'd have to put them on the roof! Though I think places that could have them, should.

I am concerned about the minority of teachers who are being unfailingly negative about the idea of schools going back at all. I have a colleague who thinks there should be no kids in school until there's a vaccine. And based on the recent EIS survey, she's not alone.

How many kids can socially distance in a portacabin?!

I'd personally take a turn cleaning classrooms if it was needed

I'd be very surprised if we have any choice.

Even with more space, though. Who would actually teach?

I'd have no qualms at all if I were a teacher. And I'm old and chubby. I don't see any need for SD either. I would normally be at least a metre from co workers and children aren't a risk.

No school until there's a vaccine? They are clearly on another planet 🤦‍♀️. I'm keeping everything crossed that by August we can all just resume a normal school environment. I'm gutted that I can't do all the transition activities for my P7s as usual, especially those who need an enhanced transition. I've been hoping all through this that the next week might be the week that we are allowed back into school with pupils 😩

I'll never forget the snowy winter a few years back when Edinburgh schools were shut for days. When the school put out a request for parents to come and dig the snow out of the playground so that kids could return over a hundred of us descended, some with mechanised equipment.

The barn scene in Witness didn't get a look in.

Never underestimate what motivated parents are willing and able to do if it gets their kids back ooty the fuckin hoose.

You've got my sympathies for being at the front line of this @yogafailure, honestly you do.

I've written to my MSP and the list MSPs for my region. I've got a response from one of them agreeing with my concerns and they aren't simply about having school as childcare but also about the delivery of quality education as well.

I really hope the government gives parents and teachers more clarity over the next couple of weeks as it's an issue that is piling on stress. I've been offered a promotion at work but given the circumstances it seems silly to put myself in a situation where I now feel even more precarious about my ability to do a good job in the long term.

But we’ve tae stay in the house, sez BigNic

I’m torn between finding all the Janey Godley and pretendy twee Scots catchphrases funny and patronising / downright creepy but

It’s not even a vaccine they keep calling it a “cure” which for some reason makes me laugh... until I cry.