I've quit my masters degree because of the standard of the online teaching, it's as if the lecturers have never used a computer before. :lol:

I've quit my masters degree because of the standard of the online teaching, it's as if the lecturers have never used a computer before. :lol:

 

 

With this online remote teaching, what about families who still don't have internet access at home? Surprises me too, but there are some who still don't. :o

With this online remote teaching, what about families who still don't have internet access at home? Surprises me too, but there are some who still don't. :o

 

The government promised to provide laptops for them but never did. We loan out all our own technology in our school.

 

We can also set them up with a temporary internet connection but it’s very technical an I don’t fully get it. But we did this for some students last lockdown.

Edited December 29, 20204 yr by T Boy

The government promised to provide laptops for them but never did. We loan out all our own technology in our school.

 

 

Am talking about the INTERNET not the PC's/laptops.

Am talking about the INTERNET not the PC's/laptops.

 

I have EDITED MY POST.

I've quit my masters degree because of the standard of the online teaching, it's as if the lecturers have never used a computer before. :lol:

Are you going to be able to pick it up again next year?

 

With this online remote teaching, what about families who still don't have internet access at home? Surprises me too, but there are some who still don't. :o

That is being addressed but progress is painfully slow.

Okay then.

It's the dishonest posturing that gets me.

 

Yes, we all know it would be crappy for some students to have substandard education for some months or even a year. But y'know what would be worse? Dying or losing a parent, entirely preventably.

 

They need to stop pretending that kids' education is the focus here and not a glorified childminding service so they can pretend the world is normal and people can keep calm and carry on.

Are that many people seriously not following the rules that cases are rising that fast? Or is it because schools were never closed and that helped spread the virus? Clearly the hospitality industry has had nothing to do with the permanently high number considering it's been shut for so long! Honestly, it's time to close the schools. Keep them closed until next year and keep everyone back a year. Should have happened from September imo. And I know plenty will say, well who's gonna pay for Chhilrdcare? I don't have an answer to that, but someone give me a better way to deal with the whole thing?

 

AND

 

the amount of people on social media still claiming the virus is a hoax etc... The ignorance astounds me.

Are that many people seriously not following the rules that cases are rising that fast? Or is it because schools were never closed and that helped spread the virus? Clearly the hospitality industry has had nothing to do with the permanently high number considering it's been shut for so long! Honestly, it's time to close the schools. Keep them closed until next year and keep everyone back a year. Should have happened from September imo. And I know plenty will say, well who's gonna pay for Chhilrdcare? I don't have an answer to that, but someone give me a better way to deal with the whole thing?

 

AND

 

the amount of people on social media still claiming the virus is a hoax etc... The ignorance astounds me.

If you hold everyone back for a year, that effectively becomes permanent as there is no capacity to double up on a year.

We can’t just hold people back a year. Personally I’d have England cancel their exams, Wales to adjust the not-exams-but-really-exams-under-another-name as these year groups are far more affected than last years. At the very latest schools should be able to welcome all children back in the Spring but probably before as the weather will be getting better. But right now, we’re at peak illness season and hospitals are already overwhelmed. Plus the vaccines will be further along.

I think the easiest solution will be to shut schools until mid February and cancel the summer holidays. Perhaps not popular, but by summer there should be a significant amount older/vulnerable people vaccinated. Not to mention that summer is usually the time when cold/flu etc is at its lowest in the year. The main issue will be childcare for those still working.

Edited December 29, 20204 yr by Envoirment

You can’t just cancel the holidays though. Not only are they in school staff’s contracts but unless you’re actually in school all day every day, staff or student, you’ve probably forgotten how exhaustive it is even in an 8 week half term. You take the holidays away and you’re looking at working flat out for months on end and that’s going to make everyone a different kind of ill. And even if that did happen, any upcoming weeks off over the next couple of months would need to be counted as our holiday and teachers would not be expected to work. This won’t work for children of key workers.

 

And it’s bad enough for the children that they seem to get locked down every time a holiday turns up anyway. Why take away time in the Summer from them if restrictions have lifted for everyone else?

Edited December 29, 20204 yr by T Boy

It certainly should never be an option to keep people back a year as I don't believe that's ever happened and these year groups have already missed out on many months of education for it to show which for primary and secondary in particular, isn't fair. I don't think there's a definite solution, but as long as schools are closed and learning online only (with as much direction as possible to help students adjust to this) up until the first half term and the rest of the country is under similar lockdown while we learn more about the mutation, I feel that is the best start. I'm hopeful the summer term and latter half of the Spring should be able to welcome students again.

You can’t just cancel the holidays though. Not only are they in school staff’s contracts but unless you’re actually in school all day every day, staff or student, you’ve probably forgotten how exhaustive it is even in an 8 week half term. You take the holidays away and you’re looking at working flat out for months on end and that’s going to make everyone a different kind of ill. And even if that did happen, any upcoming weeks off over the next couple of months would need to be counted as our holiday and teachers would not be expected to work. This won’t work for children of key workers.

 

And it’s bad enough for the children that they seem to get locked down every time a holiday turns up anyway. Why take away time in the Summer from them if restrictions have lifted for everyone else?

 

Definitely, sorry. I don't mean to make people go 8-12 weeks non-stop. But something along the lines of making summer a normal term with the half term break? Or 2 weeks summer break? Whatever the government decide to do, they need to give time for schools to prepare. But sadly whatever they choose, I don't think they will give schools enough time to adjust as they have shown time and time again.

I feel for the kids but we have to do something, otherwise everything else is pointless. Apparently for the mass testing, the kids are meant to be doing it themselves which just seems like a complete waste of time.

 

The only good news is the rates of infection for the over 80s is going down post vaccination. So for the greater good, if they could postpone schools until the end of Jan, hope the Oxford vaccination is ready, then we might stand a great chance. Anything else is stupid without shutting schools temporarily.

Is there likely to be an announcement tomorrow?

Is there likely to be an announcement tomorrow?

It's been approved in the UK. I wasn't even aware the phase 3 research had been finished :lol:

New tiers to be announced later today by Matt Hancock. All areas in T4 expected to stain it for now. Burnley, Lancs likely to move in to T4.

 

New Oxford vaccine to start being given on 4th so Monday. Isn't it only 70% effective though?

Edited December 30, 20204 yr by CHRIS-TMAS

Yes, I agree that the time has now come to cancel next summer's exams and use some form of assessment. I can understand the government's reluctance to do so but, OTOH, the sooner the decision is made, the sooner proper alternative arrangements can be made. Spend the next few months devising a method of introducing external checks of a sample of work from each school. That assessment could be done in the time that would normally be taken up with marking exam scripts.

 

That leaves extra learning time for GCSE and A Level students. For a lot of GCSE students, it should be possible to devise a timetable for the last six weeks or so where students only study the subjects they want to do for A Level, meaning they can get as close as possible to where they ought to be at the start of their A Level courses.