The Teachers’s Republic Refuge - solidarity comrades!

[StaffAssociationRepresentative]

So continuing on from our boycott/flowers we need to continue to defend our profession. This is teacher/school staff chat - if you do not fall into that category please start you own thread elsewhere.

#solidarity

I think there are lots of questions to be answered for the whole workforce ,and for schoolchildren, about:

anxiety and MH (the assumption that going back solves MH issues is so crass . It could be the converse for many)
the shielding group
the medically vulnerable but not shielded (already saw a thread yesterday about a pregnant woman being told to come to work. People were very unsympathetic to her!)
The over 70s who are childcare army for many
and , of course, wider issues around childcare if the return is piecemeal

Feeling really angry with the bastard media today. As piggy said upthread, the latest idea seems to be hinting at not needing the 2m rule - I can see the government bowing to pressure from the daily fucking mail and saying ok, schools open, don't worry about distancing because kids don't spread it (but other businesses will still be keeping the 2m rule and protecting themselves with screens etc)
Bunch of cunts!

I think social distancing is too hard to do properly so they won’t bother at all. But I’ve suspected this from the beginning. It’ll be dressed up in “science” but that science will be bollocks and we will he expected to suck it up. The half term until summer is only six weeks so by the time everyone’s argued and the unions have had their day and there’s been wrangling about shielding and so on, we’ll have limped on, understaffed but with 75% attendance for the half term and then it’s summer and the problem goes away (politically).

Well I expect more teacher bashing threads if the idea is to open schools despite teachers’ objections.

Well I expect more teacher bashing threads if the idea is to open schools despite teachers’ objections.

Absolutely. I can see it unfolding now.

It’ll be selfless angel nurses bravely work as heroes for our wonderful NHS, whist the lefty work shy scumbag teachers are threaten to strike as they’re too skivey and lazy to bother to go back to work.

Oh yes, and it’s politically very expedient for us to be seen that way, so it’s win/win for the government on that front. Unfortunately the unions (and I say this as a strong union supporter) do not always help our cause with their timing - for example, I’m a sixth form college teacher and am getting emails about taking action about our pay rise being below that of school staff - now do I think this is a fight worth having - yes - do I think it’s fucking suicidal for us to strike over pay any time soon - god yes!

borntobequiet
Well I expect more teacher bashing threads if the idea is to open schools despite teachers’ objections.

I'm going to add to that.

I think that there will be a huge rise in teacher bashing threads during the summer break as well.

Appu that's exactly what'll happen. Any concerns school staff have will just be dismissed with 'kids don't pass it on, other people are working why shouldn't you etc '
Deep down everyone - staff, parents, the government - knows you can't distance in a school, so they'll just scrap it for us

That was me! Teachers from other countries who have visited UK schools look aghast at the amount of work teachers put in compared to students. Dutch teachers once visited my old school and said in horror "but the teacher is doing ALL THE WORK!

Hah what a coincidence, Gravity that I would appreciate your comment so much there that I posted it here!

Watching today's news I see Spain is easing restrictions, starting with exercise, and intend to have bars and restaurants open (with social distancing) by the summer. No schools till September though.

I’m feeling kind of amused that now the papers are also bashing the general public for not wanting to go back to work. Calling them ‘coronaphobes’ and suggesting that they are being unnecessarily cautious.

Turns out that schools being closed isn’t the only hurdle to jump in the interests of protecting their portfolios.

So, regarding schools going back -of those countries who have a similar number of cases/deaths to us, we have

Germany
France
Spain
Italy
USA

As far as I know, many US states, Spain and Italy aren’t going back till September, is that right? Ireland aren’t either and probably not Scotland.

France is going back from May 11th-some year groups, not compulsory, capped class sizes. What about Germany?

If we are told to go back fully next month with no social distancing at all-we will look bloody stupid. Not that that will stop our government, I guess! L?

Germany is vacillating : much like USA and Australia, local states do not have to do as told. Some have reopened, some have refused. One reopened and then, I think shut again, after hearing that RO went up in Denmark (and also has gone up in Germany). Feelings are running high in Germany about this issue.

Basically, out government are disappointed that the public is so biddable and lock downable. They did not expect this. We have the lowest % of people in the developed world who think lockdown should end for the sake of the economy. This includes Italy and Spain.

Basically, out government are disappointed that the public is so biddable and lock downable. They did not expect this.

They’ve trained us via their biased media for years to vote as they want us to, I guess it shows you reap what you sow.

Why are we so biddable? I’m genuinely starting to wonder if there’s something in the water.

Appu but Spain, Italy and the USA break up for summer much earlier than England anyway, as does Scotland, so it’s not a great comparison. The USA has 10-11 weeks off for summer.

Why are we so biddable?

The only large metropolitan area in the north of England that didn’t vote leave was Liverpool. No one buys The Sun in Liverpool. The rest of us do as we’re told

I’ve seen the ‘no one buys The Sun in Liverpool’ thing touted as the reason that they voted remain but I don’t think that’s it. Liverpool, don’t forget, has good reason to hate Boris Johnson who had to visit them to apologise for his awful comments in a Spectator article about the city.

Switzerland (at least, the Basel area) is back from the 11th with a full timetable. Not sure if anything special is happening about distancing and hygiene. Will enquire.

I have a theory, in the SE of England at least, that a lot of us spend so much on our houses and yet have a commute so long that we don't spend much time in them, that ditching the commute for a while has more than offset the hassles for some.

I've gained 12 hours a week! And I only work part time. My (probably) ADHD child has also, despite being a nightmare to educate, really benefitted from not having to be inside sitting still so much. DH has finally started doing his fair share at home.

I'm not making light of the difficulties some have faced, but I can't be the only person feeling they've stepped off a treadmill?

Have we just been so beaten down by Brexit that we’ve given up the idea that any sort of protest will achieve anything?

Why are we so biddable?

OK, my probably controversial opinion. Our education sucks a bit. Historically we haven't really taught critical thinking very well, and definitely not early enough.

We have a population who still thinks that colonialism was a good thing, because a huge chunk of us haven't been taught otherwise. Therefore politicians can capitalise on that to push this British exceptionalism - and 'we' lap it up. With the big selling papers on their side, the line of exceptionalism can be pushed even harder.

In the same way that we accept the upper classes being in power. We have a political system that doesn't really allow for many politicians to be anything other than independently wealthy (it costs so much to get elected), which puts them in the top 1% of wealth. How can we expect them to understand how 99% of us live?

By making sure we stay uneducated about this stuff, we remain biddable, and they can carry on doing essentially, what they want.

We're a bovine population really. Hence why teachers get bashed - we're essentially socialist as a profession, irrespective of your personal politics. We want equality, we want to give all children the same chances. We want all children to understand our history. We want all children to understand how inequality will affect them. We tell them they can do anything, to think big. And that's exactly what the 'ruling classes' don't want - and because they don't want it, that's the line that is pushed to our bovine population. Lazy news reading, lazy thinking, education bad, dreadful lefty teachers indoctrinating our children.

Ta da..

Have we just been so beaten down by Brexit that we’ve given up the idea that any sort of protest will achieve anything?

Brexit is/was a product of the above. So many people on both sides of the debate googling 'what is the EU' after the vote. We were told what to think.

Anyway.

I'm trying to work today because I've been having to work around my partner the last 2 days, so had only a few hours here and there.

I'm wondering if I should just use the BBC stuff for my lesson links, and add some supplementary stuff of my own. Do you think more kids would engage with that?

Primary. So far I'm between 30 and 50% viewing my youtube videos. Although of course they might just be looking at 3 seconds of it!!

Just wanted to say whilst France says May 11th there is massive kickback from teaching unions and parents according to my sister who keeps up with French media. Will be interesting to see what happens.

Whoever was asking about ocd I think the medical route is best ie. doctors note specifying you are not fit to work. I’m not sure that bearing your soul and asking for accommodations is wise given you can’t assume reason, compassion, confidentiality etc.

The sicknote can specify that you could work if changes are made and that is then the route to discuss accommodations. It would also mean it had to be handled professionally.

Different if you really know and trust your hr person/business manager. I’d love to assume kindness and professionalism but sadly that’s not always what we find