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

@AnneOfCreamCables Most of the outrage was that the initial offer on 'part time' was so part-time. Certainly was a big u-turn to come from 30-33 percent to full time, and Swinney blundered the message if he was presenting an initial worst-case.

@nextslideplease I'm sorry to hear you're having such a hard time - I hope your DD calms down. Can she have an indoor playdate now? If you sell it as a chance for her to get even better at what she loves hopefully she'll come round. Hard when you try and do the right thing and it's interpreted as an attack.

@AnneOfCreamCables

the public is weary and cannot stand it any longer, especially when just down the road they get up to all sorts of fun and frolics I'm not weary and couldn't care less what Boris is doing.

I think it's always been clear the part-time schooling options were contingency planning. And I assume everyone (the entire less than 1% of parents who campaigned and called for the schools to reopen fully) are aware all of this is subject to change depending on how the virus progresses.

Absolutely agree.

I think it's always been clear the part-time schooling options were contingency planning.

Which will be why I received this morning details of blended learning and school attendance for both my kids. Blended learning was their educational policy for August, see John Swinney announcement that schools would follow and blended learning approach for the whole of next year, which was immediately denied by Nicola sturgeon. I think they have been surprised at the level of challenge and depth of feeling of the general public, they utterly misread public mood thinking that broad approval of NS approach to Covid 19 meant they could continue to keep kids out of school (and parents out of the workplace) indefinitely.

At no point was blended learning presented as a contingency until they needed to wind back on it. I’d have more respect if he has just said “we’ve had to rethink given parental concerns and clinical evidence” instead of trying to fudge things.

@Jellycatspyjamas, same here. The letter we received just yesterday morning made no mention whatsoever of a contingency plan. None at all. That was (or should I say "is") THE plan.

Re: the 1% of parents campaigning , 8000 parents in one week (minus the very many SNP trolls and entryist) is a sizable chunk. Add all those who protested independently, but never joined the FB group it must have been enough to make the SG retreat (and don't forget the polls that I am sure they have run).
As it has been said many times, @FelicityPike and @AnneOfCreamCables, the SG only priority is indy and they know that if they lose only a few seats that goes back to the back burner for at least 5 years and they cannot afford that, hence, damage control.

I was unhappy at the part time schooling and did not accept it was the best that could be done after 5 months of suppression measures, but I was grudgingly resigned to it on a temporary basis. However when I became outraged was when he said it might last a year as it just smacked of a complete lack of any ambition or commitment to our children.

And the part time schooling was most certainly not presented as a contingency to us either.

JS has said we will be in phase 4 by then, time to get everything open and get on with it commensurate to the actual threat of the virus and just manage localised outbreaks.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000k6lb/politics-scotland-14062020

From 2 minutes 30s in. If you're going to backtrack, make sure you've not stated your previous position on national TV

John Swinney said on the radio that:

"The virus would have to be at a "very, very low level" to reopen schools safely"

So what exactly is a "very very low level"?

I don't trust him. Will we see yet another U Turn in August and the blended learning is implemented again?

@Tomorrowisanewday, thanks for that. I had not seen it. So much for the "contingency plan".

@nextslideplease, that point has been raised time and time again from just after the statement. The LAs are just as in the dark as we see from the press releases where they state they await guidance.

It is a mighty mess, and it is not at all over.

@nextslideplease Re having a tutor - we got dd a tutor towards the end of S4 for maths because neither dh nor I could properly help her. It really boosted her confidence for Nat5 and we kept it in place for Higher ( an hour per week) and having that time 1-2-1 to ask questions and reinforce what was happening in class was invaluable.

My dd was older and we did explain to her that it wasn't because she was stupid but because we were ( certainly with regard to maths)

I do sympathise with the lots of tears - getting the tutor was a lifesaver for me and dd as the whole situation was impacting quite negatively on our relationship and that was in normal times !

That was the Sunday morning, by Monday morning, Nicola Sturgeon had changed from this to it being a contingency. I wouldn't have wanted to be on the receiving end of that telephone conversation

I haven’t been able to teach my dd much

• it’s too fraught when you are time poor, it’s not your sole focus and your children expect comfort and approval and not challenge from you.

I didn’t realise until we got the tutor how much dd thrived on a bit more attention and encouragement from a good teacher.

@Flamegame - absolutely fraught is the word !

I'm fortunate that my kids are now beyond school and I have every admiration for those of you attempting to support youngsters in the current situation as I do remember well just how tricky it was even in "normal" circumstances.

I've been shocked at how little apparent thought at senior/government levels has gone into the planning of the resumption of education. I'm also disappointed and surprised at the lack of imagination there seems to have been. Surely ( as a pp suggested) it's not beyond the wit and ability if Scottish Government to create content suitable for the majority of pupils and deliver this via an online platform and/or a TV channel ?

Just had an email from Edinburgh council as below - so clearly they were working on the assumption that blended learning was not contingency prior to Swinney's u-turn yesterday @AnneOfCreamCables

In addition the school has issued staff news today - I note that a couple of teachers that were part time are now mysteriously able to work so clearly they were also under the impression blended was the primary plan.

You will be aware the Council had plans for a blended model of learning involving in- school and at home learning. These plans now become our contingency if the scientific and health advice change

@nextslideplease he has said today he anticipates we will be in stage 4 by the time schools go back. I’d need to look at the route map again but I thought that meant the virus was no longer in general circulation.

@FizzFan

By August?

He's having a laugh!

Well as the introduction of phase 2 has shown, the route map can be changed at any point of their choosing.

I thought phase 4 was back to normal, no restrictions?

NS has just said with appropriate safety measures in place and low levels of the virus.

So what are the appropriate safety measures and considering schools are closing this week, will they have enough time to put these measures in place?

I can see trouble ahead!

Phase 4 is no longer a significant threat to public health. Social distancing, hygiene etc still in place.

But now low does the number have to be for people to feel safe? The number of people with the virus is falling at a huge rate. It’s feasible that by the time schools go back something like 1 in 20000 people could have it. You need to obviously maintain caution, SD etc where you can but if that level isn’t low enough to get back to virtually normal life then what is?

But if they open up over the summer the numbers will go up, so we can’t assume cases will continue to fall. It’s only sensible to admit that.

There’s no guarantee numbers will increase they are still falling in England where they’ve had shops open etc.

It takes a minimum of 14 days for symptoms to appear and not everyone is using test and protect.

Mid August is when we will likely know if opening pubs and shops made any difference to infection rates

Shops are low risk. Meeting indoors and pubs etc will be the big risk.