Re schools opening fyi its just state ones. Private schools are keeping their kids off til Sept. "We're all in this together"

Re schools opening fyi its just state ones. Private schools are keeping their kids off til Sept. "We're all in this together"

 

Because the need the working class back at work. If it was about what was best for the children or kids missing out on education, then they would be making more of an effort to get older students back into school as well.

 

I know it’s only a vocal minority but the teacher shaming I’ve seen online is really soul destroying. We’re not work shy and just sitting at home watching the pay roll in. In fact I was out all day on Friday taking work packages to families who can’t afford laptops (another government scheme that they’re about to launch 2 months too late) and then spent the afternoon at the local primary school looking after the key worker children. Schools haven’t really closed.

 

Then again, the people who make such comments are usually the ‘poor Boris, he’s trying his best’ crowd.

The Netherlands only reporting 10 new deaths and 15 new hospitalisations :cheeseblock:

Schools must open asap!

Meanwhile:

@1261729697068732417

Reopening schools is one hell of an operation. The usual social distancing and mask/handwashing/disinfection etc. hygiene measures is only the start of it - we're basically having to implement South Korea-style tracing on a micro scale: each pupil has a designated desk in reduced class sizes of 14 and they have to stay in the same room all day long. Classes have to come in in the morning at different building entrances and at designated times, and if anyone moves out of their designated room (to the library, the photocopier, admin centre, the 'school life' offices), it has to be recorded so that in the case of a positive COVID test we can trace someone's exact movements and know who has come into contact with who. Any paper material has to be distributed to the desks the evening before due to infection risk so I'm basically teaching entirely by computer/slideshow.

 

We can't welcome the entire enrolment at the same time, so pupils are going to do 2-3 days a week which means we have to continue the distance learning during all this too. The timetable for has had to be completely redesigned for classrooms, subjects and the school transport and I don't even know what's going on with the canteen. I can completely understand if other countries don't think it's worth the bother.

I don't really know enough about schools to have much of an opinion on whether 1st June is achievable. I'm totally on the fence- schools need to come back as the key opening of the economy, but putting social distance measures in schools is almost impossible and going to be extremely difficult to implement. But the coronavirus is not going away and come September schools have to reopen, both from an economical perspective and also from a child's perspective too. As guinea pig as it sounds, we almost do need a trial run on a larger scale to see what works and what doesn't work. But totally agree with T Boy's comments too. I've seen some pretty nasty things said about teachers and it's totally uncalled for.

 

Schools must open asap!

Meanwhile:

@1261729697068732417

 

The problem we are going to see (and is already happening) is countries are already opening up really fast (Italy the best example) because they know without certain elements of their country open and ready for business, they are going to be stung. I think we have to allow there to be some element of risk involved.

I think there's going to be some trouble over the schools opening as the Government, according to Gove doing the TV rounds today, seems adamant that some classes will return on Monday 1st. However quite a few Local Authorities say they won'r open schools then, so who decides? Then you've got many parents who don't want to send their kids back yet as they're either to scared or are self-isolating. Who decides ultimately, the DofE or the LEA's?

 

Gove said the BMA says the conditions should be right for June 1st if we continue as we are. The way people are going out today though and firing up the BBQ's, the R will surely rise again soon. Hot spell of weather forecast for midweek too. with temps. up to 27-28 in the SE on Wed.

Edited May 17, 20205 yr by Crazy Chris

Regarding opening schools is it not obvious that this is yet another way they're trying to sneak through herd immunity aka sacrifice of the vulnerable within the population?

 

Opening (state) schools for a few weeks and starting with bringing back the kids least able to follow the complex set of rules, with the unspoken understanding that when the schools break up again a few weeks later, granny and grandad will be handling childcare for the back-to-work parents - and thus exposed through the largely-asymptomatic children.

 

Really, this is social cleansing by another name and its heinous. The great irony additionally being that that age group most firmly voted this party into power in the first place 😐

I went into school on Friday to do my shift with the key worker children. We only had 6 kids in but we had to constantly remind them to keep their distance from each other and us. They weren’t being defiant. They just struggle because it’s not what they’re used to. If the government are so confident that schools can go back on June 1st they need to instruct schools in how to social distance. I mean, we all know that when schools do return there’s no way every child will be in at once. Even when all the year groups are phased back in, I would expect all students to be in on a part time basis because we simply don’t have the rooms or staff to accommodate everyone at once. Will there be PPE, a satisfactory supply of hand sanitiser? What is the plan? Isn’t this what a Minister for Education is for?

 

It’s 2 weeks until they expect schools in England back. One of those weeks is technically a school holiday, not that anyone will be taking it as such, but there is not a lot of time for schools to prepare, especially with no guidance. I feel this vagueness is an attempt to make headteachers scapegoats when the second wave hits.

 

Thankfully, I’m in Wales but I’d still like to see some proper planning for return as it is getting frustrating. But given it’s been left to the teachers to design our whole new curriculum, I won’t hold my breath.

I think there's only a very slim chance of schools opening up here before Summer (the summer holidays are three weeks earlier in Scotland and I think Northern Ireland anyway) but I feel for teachers and pupils down south. It must be so difficult to see the prime minster showing so little regard for your safety :(

 

Schools must open asap!

Meanwhile:

@1261729697068732417

But you just know no one will listen, the Boris fanatics will continue to say it's bullshite.

Edited May 17, 20205 yr by Andrew.

Regarding opening schools is it not obvious that this is yet another way they're trying to sneak through herd immunity aka sacrifice of the vulnerable within the population?

 

Opening (state) schools for a few weeks and starting with bringing back the kids least able to follow the complex set of rules, with the unspoken understanding that when the schools break up again a few weeks later, granny and grandad will be handling childcare for the back-to-work parents - and thus exposed through the largely-asymptomatic children.

 

Really, this is social cleansing by another name and its heinous. The great irony additionally being that that age group most firmly voted this party into power in the first place 😐

 

Oh come off it, that is a silly statement to make. Are Germany, Italy, Spain etc. pursuing herd immunity by having their schools re-open too? Opening schools is not pursing herd immunity, they're opening schools because children have to learn and adults have to work. It's the absolute key to re-opening the economy. The Government are not re-opening skills to kill old people off.

 

You need to test that guidelines are in place and that they work. While I honestly don't know what is wrong and what is right, something has to be done slightly different- for example under the current guidance you can't then have everyone coming back to school all at once in September.

 

Key stage 1 you could probably homeschool for a lot longer. But this is also placing a lot of pressure on parents too- quite a few people I work with are having to work full-time hours from home and be a full time carer for their child. Quite simply if they're young it's impossible and your entire life runs around parenting during majority of the daytime hours and then working late in to the evening. As a short term fix it is ok, but mid-longer term I am not sure it is sustainable.

Despite having fathered an unknown number of children, it is pretty clear that Johnson has no real experience of how five-year-olds behave. We can only conclude that he had very little contact with his own five-year-olds - either because he was living apart from them or because he left it all to the nanny.

Let’s not pretend that it is about children needing to learn. The reason they are pushing for the youngest children to go back first is purely so that their parents can get back to work. It’s disgusting how many government officials have said things like ‘if you really care about the children’ when making their arguments. If it was all about children learning then they would also be pursuing phasing secondary schools back in June. Year 10 and 12 arguably need to go back more than anyone but there has been sparse mention of them going back in recent weeks. Why are they having to continue with subpar online education? Because they can look after themselves whilst their parents are at work. Reopening schools is nothing to do with education and all to do with childcare. It’s why they were reluctant to close schools in the first place.

Let’s not pretend that it is about children needing to learn. The reason they are pushing for the youngest children to go back first is purely so that their parents can get back to work. It’s disgusting how many government officials have said things like ‘if you really care about the children’ when making their arguments. If it was all about children learning then they would also be pursuing phasing secondary schools back in June. Year 10 and 12 arguably need to go back more than anyone but there has been sparse mention of them going back in recent weeks. Why are they having to continue with subpar online education? Because they can look after themselves whilst their parents are at work. Reopening schools is nothing to do with education and all to do with childcare. It’s why they were reluctant to close schools in the first place.

 

 

So what's the answer then in your opinion, assuming you're right? A lot of people who maybe could go back to work are unable to because they have no-one to look after their young children. We can't provide free childcare suddenly as the country's finances are in such dire straits.

Let’s not pretend that it is about children needing to learn. The reason they are pushing for the youngest children to go back first is purely so that their parents can get back to work. It’s disgusting how many government officials have said things like ‘if you really care about the children’ when making their arguments. If it was all about children learning then they would also be pursuing phasing secondary schools back in June. Year 10 and 12 arguably need to go back more than anyone but there has been sparse mention of them going back in recent weeks. Why are they having to continue with subpar online education? Because they can look after themselves whilst their parents are at work. Reopening schools is nothing to do with education and all to do with childcare. It’s why they were reluctant to close schools in the first place.

 

Not disagreeing with any of that at all. But isn't this what other countries have done first? I'm sure a lot of countries have got their reception/kindergarden children back to school in the first wave. Primarly, like you say because it's key to re-opening the economy.

 

Like I say, I don't know enough about schools or the sitation I'm meerly a fence sitter. But I do know it's impossible to ask a group of young children to socially distance.

So what's the answer then in your opinion, assuming you're right? A lot of people who maybe could go back to work are unable to because they have no-one to look after their young children. We can't provide free childcare suddenly as the country's finances are in such dire straits.

 

I don’t know the answers but I think it’s too soon to return. If you look at the graphs balcksquare posted, we are not in the same place other countries were when they opened schools or loosened restrictions. People are being furloughed until the end of October, so why the rush the get schools back before we’re ready? And why expect schools to return in 2 weeks time without any guidance other than ‘it will be safe’?

 

Not disagreeing with any of that at all. But isn't this what other countries have done first? I'm sure a lot of countries have got their reception/kindergarden children back to school in the first wave. Primarly, like you say because it's key to re-opening the economy.

 

Like I say, I don't know enough about schools or the sitation I'm meerly a fence sitter. But I do know it's impossible to ask a group of young children to socially distance.

 

As said, other countries were in a better position to start back if you look at the data. Their governments will have set some guidance, I expect.

 

There is a reason the other British nations aren’t sending schools back in 2 weeks.

I don’t know the answers but I think it’s too soon to return. If you look at the graphs balcksquare posted, we are not in the same place other countries were when they opened schools or loosened restrictions. People are being furloughed until the end of October, so why the rush the get schools back before we’re ready? And why expect schools to return in 2 weeks time without any guidance other than ‘it will be safe’?

 

 

I frankly personally don't think they should return until September now. Sats and exams are all cancelled this year so may as well wait now. Then again, will it be any safer in Sept.? We may be in a second or even third wave by then!

Edited May 17, 20205 yr by Crazy Chris

I do understand the reasons for primary schools restarting, but if they expect every primary school to restart, there needs to be the right procedures, right amount of PPE/hand sanitiser all around, clear social distancing routine and the message getting through to the young children, enough teachers to accomodate split classes etc. Even three weeks notice is quite a heavy ask given how difficult it will be. I've not got my hopes up it's going to be smooth, just look at how unprepared TfL were this week, and that goes for when all year groups return including further education as well. One advantage of waiting until September, too long away as it seems, is there would be the time to implement these things.

I frankly personally don't think they should return until September now. Sats and exams are all cancelled this year so may as well wait now. Then again, will it be any safer in Sept.? We may be in a second or even third wave by then!

 

I think it would reassure exam students if they could go back in July for a time, if only to have some proper face time with their teachers. Likewise, Year 6 being able to do some transition time before having to start a brand new school in September after being at home for almost six months. These are year groups I think you could do some proper social distancing with and it would reassure those students. And I think we can at least wait to see where we are mid June before that can be implemented. I actually wouldn’t be opposed to staff returning next month to help put any necessary measures into place. But don’t fool yourselves, there is only one reason they’re pushing the returns of 5 and 6 year olds and it’s not education.

Just seen a flash on Sky News saying that police have arrested and are questioning a man over the spitting on and subsequent death from Covid of an Underground worker. No more details yet.

 

They were saying in the week that they'll never get a manslaughter or murder charge to stick as a good lawyer will say they can't prove she contracted it from him. Assault or GBH may be possible though.