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

testing is meant to be unpleasant (swabs up the nose?)

I am not keen on my DD having that done and she's 12, imagine all the wee P1s etc.

I don't see parents liking that idea!

Maybe the testing will be those hand held thermometer thingies (hopefully)

I have heard of some private schools doing temperature checks before pupils can go in maybe that would be it rather than Covid test.

A spit test is being trialled this week in Southampton I think, the thinking is it'll give more accurate results as it's not invasive.

It'll be saliva testing, spit in a container. Big trial starting in Southampton. www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/22/coronavirus-spit-test-to-be-trialled-in-southampton#img-1

Weekly pooled testing is the way to go for school monitoring. Samples combined for each bubble or class or whatever. If a pool gets a positive, then the individuals are tested after isolation.

Pooled saliva testing 😂

I could cry.

Firstly, EDC have finally published their plans. They are offering 5 days out of 15 in school, in classes of 9. 33%. Appalling. I have three kids in senior school and will have to wait until Wednesday, the last day of term, to find out which days my children should attend, which are not guaranteed to be the same week.

Secondly, I had a call from my eldest's year head. He's just gone into S6 and is struggling hugely with not being in school. Not doing work, not responding to messages, just not engaging with it at all. Some kids are cut out for learning independently and he's just not. Good of them to call, not so good that they've left it so late in the day.

I am so, so FURIOUS that the Scottish government actually think that being in school 33% of the time is in ANY way acceptable. Fuck this shit.

it said on the radio that councils are now preparing two plans

one for 2m and one for 1m

That's not good enough.

Our Council has said that even with 1m social distancing, it would be every other week at school.

We've not had any info yet from dc's school as to what days they will be in. Info earlier from the council suggested 2 days per week and that dd and ds would be in different days from each other

I've still not heard from our WDC school about a timetable and I'm getting increasingly pissed off.

I know from the council FB page (which is FULL of angry parents) that DD will get "a minimum" of 1 day per week but I want the actual timetable to know if that's a full day or what.

I bet we get it on the last day of school.

I have contacted a few prospective tutors but the booking is provisional depending on the timetable. If the school doesn't get in touch soon, the tutors will be snapped up quickly.

Yes I know I'm lucky that we can afford a tutor, but believe me we'd rather not have to.

The basic difference between state and private is:

Kid doesn’t engage/messes around

= private school > hey parents, your kid is in breach of the contract, sort it or we will kick them out

= state school > hey school, you’ve failed in your duty to educate / include my child, sort it out or we will blame you

Sorry, wrong thread

Have you heard that John Swinney will address Holyrood today to tell us about the government’s plans for schools? Maybe a rethink with all the parental anger?

I can’t see a significant change though as the SNP have come out strongly against the relaxing of the 2m social distancing being mooted in England.

Unless the distancing is reduced, the alternative is mass building requisitioning and hiring more teachers isn’t it?

We’ll see

So I suspect it’ll mostly be an attempt to put the communication in more flattering terms.

My bet is -

• schools making plans for both 1m and 2m
• back with 50% minimum in August
• plan to ramp up ASAP, and aiming for "near normal" (i.e. 4 days per week, with deep cleaning 1 day) by Sept as long as cases are still falling.
• making testing available, so kids don't need a fortnight off school every time they cough.
• moving exams to june next year (maybe permanently)

Just my guess. But I'd be ok with that.

I will be watching to see what he says.

Still no timetable from DDs school

I think Boris is moving waaay too fast. I'm certainly not going to a cinema any time soon, or a restaurant. Will stick to takeaways. (but I'd like a holiday abroad this year!)

I may be more willing to accept blended learning if it wasn't for the fact everything else is opening up!

I’ve posted on this thread before but had to change my name.

Based on my incredibly scientific example of dropping my youngest at high school for his induction visit this morning I will stick my neck out and say there’s ZERO chance of social distancing there. None. And that’s with half of one year group in the school how the hell it will be with 5 or 6 times that. Maybe more possible in primary school in theory although I think it’s crueller on the children but with 800 kids which is the school at half capacity it’s impossible.

Even if the school can police all contact on school grounds (unlikely) they can’t control what the kids do walking to and from school with pals etc. I also suspect they know they can’t keep them locked up at lunch so kids will be going out for lunch. Our letter yesterday said they “recommend” s1 staying in (and I generally give mine a packed lunch anyway so they usually do) so I guess that means they know they can’t actually stop the kids leaving and doing their own thing at lunch. The school won’t have enough space for even half the kids to eat indoors unless they all sit at desks in classrooms.

Totally pointless to maintain this farce in schools when kids can’t do it outside. Because they’re kids, not out of badness. Kids who haven’t seen their pals for 5 months aren’t going to stay 2m apart from them. They just aren’t.

This is all just a political decision to cover up the fact that if the elderly and vulnerable had been protected properly in the first place this virus would be nowhere near as bad as it seems and so now they have to make it appear worse than it is. Never mind face coverings, this lot are experts in arse covering.

In terms of what we are being offered now, it’s better than a lot of areas but still not quite at 50% as contact time for secondary pupils should be 27.5 hours.

Ours are going in based on house groups (so siblings kept together) and it will be M/W/F one week and Tu/Th the next. 2 teaching blocks - 8..50 to 11.20 and 12.10 to 2.40. S1 and s2 will do more than one subject per teaching block and s3 - s6 will just do one.

Bit concerned that we have been told there will be less teacher contact on non school days than there has been now as it’s been crap up til now as it is.

This is a high school in Renfrewshire

Personally i feel terrible should’ve been a bigger effort on education - bringing back discouraged teachers in whatever capacity they will help in, new buildings etc. Spending money on education would boost the economy...

I’m not against retail and tourism reopening it simply beggars belief what parents were expected to swallow on education.

If they delay exams, this will have a knock on effect for the following year when many classes resume in June in preparation for the next exam diet.

SockYarn you're lucky to be getting 33% at your school. As we are such a big school that's already bursting at the seams, we are apparently having 25% of the children in at a time - probably one day per week. If all is relatively back to normal in August, we will still be doing blended learning for a few weeks as a transition period

we got an email today about counselling over the summer

but still no effing timetable

Are we like the last school in Scotland to issue timetables?

No timetables here either - East Dunbartonshire.

P7 parents have been treated appallingly - I only know what the secondary school are planning as I have older children. Friends whose oldest child is currently in P7 and moving up after the summer have had zero communication from secondary. It's like fecking chinese whispers through WhatsApp groups.

We got an email yesterday. No timetable yet but a layout of the plans on what will happen. My dd is in S5 and will be going in two days a week. Our school is doing Monday and Tuesday and Thursday and Friday. Not sure what happens on a Wednesday, maybe they deep clean the school. This gives them 40% class time. If I’m reading the email correctly they will have 8 classes a day but I can’t work out when they will get breaks or lunch.

The start and end time will be staggered for different year groups as will breaks and lunches. They will also have to spend most/all of their lunchtime outside in designated areas and they are not allowed to leave the campus grounds.