School Closures [split topic]

[Albert Soviets]

Hello. You are talking out of your absolute arse. Schools have been working frantically all week, doing their usual stuff they'd be anyway, plus intense and stressful contingency planning, plus an endless raft of ethical concerns regarding safeguarding of vulnerable children, plus planning and compiling home-learning packs for potentially weeks' worth of learning. Teachers are not classed as key workers so they'll still be going in to help with children of key workers, like those high risk children of nhs staff. Meanwhile, those staff who will have to stay at home due to childcare and other extenuating circumstances will have to manage their own children's learning whilst at the same time working from home to monitor, plan and assess their class's learning in a continuous cycle. Or take their own kids into school with them, which defeats the object of them being sent home from their own schools. It's chaos, everyone working their arses off and in the most selfless way they can, because funnily enough that's usually why they chose that profession. Have some respect/imagination/facts/empathy...

Indeed.

At ours, we've been explicitly told that we're expected to work our contracted hours from home. That's teachers, support staff, everyone.

[SpiderChrist]

No exams. Hmm. This could be an interesting summer, seeing as I work at an exam board.

[holyzombiejesus]

At ours, we've been explicitly told that we're expected to work our contracted hours from home. That's teachers, support staff, everyone.

What about those who have children off school? You can't work from home if you have a toddler with you. Will employers turn a blind eye or expect people to report as unavailable for work? No-one seems to be able to answer this.

[Norton Canes]

My son was looking forward to so much - getting his GCSE qualifications, the school prom, Leeds festival, family holiday, working over the summer and hanging out with his mates, college in September; and it's all been taken away from him, effectively over the space of a week (though obviously on the cards for longer). He's crushed. I don't think he can even really process it.

[Twit 2]

That's a good point. For adults who've had a shot at all these things already it's easy to be complacent about what this means for young adults.

[imitationleather]

My son was looking forward to so much - getting his GCSE qualifications, the school prom, Leeds festival, family holiday, working over the summer and hanging out with his mates, college in September; and it's all been taken away from him, effectively over the space of a week (though obviously on the cards for longer). He's crushed. I don't think he can even really process it.

I think having all our dreams taken from us is how most posters ended up on this forum?

Sign him up!

[Replies From View]

My son was looking forward to so much - getting his GCSE qualifications, the school prom, Leeds festival, family holiday, working over the summer and hanging out with his mates, college in September; and it's all been taken away from him, effectively over the space of a week (though obviously on the cards for longer). He's crushed. I don't think he can even really process it.

On the plus side, if he ever ends up like the majority of us lot, he'll at least have something tangible to blame for it.

[Twit 2]

Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State for Education, has asked for this message to be passed to all those who work in the education sector

The government recognises the huge importance of the role you have played in maintaining the education, training and social care of our children and young people during this challenging time. I recognise that you will have the same anxieties as the rest of the country about your health and that of your families. On behalf of the Prime Minister and the entire government, I thank you all for all of your work so far, and your continued support. I am deeply grateful for the civic spirit and dedication of everyone working in education, and I will continue to provide my full support throughout this crisis.

Next steps

It is clear that education and children's social care settings are increasingly finding it difficult to continue as normal, as illness and self-isolation impacts on staffing levels and pupil attendance. To provide parents, student and staff with the certainty they need we are announcing that schools, colleges and early years settings will be closed to everyone except children of key workers and vulnerable children from Monday, as part of the country's ongoing response to coronavirus.

Examples of these workers include NHS staff, police and delivery drivers who need to be able to go to work. Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those with Education, Health and Care Plans.

A full list of key worker categories will be published by the Cabinet Office tomorrow. Children who do not fall into these groups should remain at home with appropriate care.

Where possible, we would encourage settings to stay open for this purpose throughout the Easter holidays.

Work through the Easter and most likely summer holidays. Trust me, if it wasn't for these holidays for overworked staff in the education sector, the entire school system would collapse. Yep, teachers have it easy right now!

[idunnosomename]

sadly this means many children will have to be put down.

[Zetetic]

On the plus side, if he ever ends up like the majority of us lot, he'll at least have something tangible to blame for it.

I think the COVID crisis affords all of us to develop unpleasant novel habits or shortcomings which we can later blame on the general trauma.

My partner was worryingly excited about the possibility of pissing and shitting in her father's garden to avoid sharing use of a bathroom with him. Not what I would have chosen, but there we go.

[Replies From View]

HELLO I WON'T BE COMING INTO WORK TODAY BECAUSE I AM BALD AND MY FORESKIN IS TOO TIGHT

[idunnosomename]

sir we don't want you coming into our office because of your mental illness

SIR!!!

[Replies From View]

don't you 'sir' me

I am going to listen to Blue Jam again all day today anyway so will not be needing to come into work but thanks for asking


hello I have Bluetooth earphones in so no I cannot hear you so please do fuck off now thanks

[holyzombiejesus]

Have they released the list of key workers yet?

[Buelligan]

I think the COVID crisis affords all of us to develop unpleasant novel habits or shortcomings which we can later blame on the general trauma.

My partner was worryingly excited about the possibility of pissing and shitting in her father's garden to avoid sharing use of a bathroom with him. Not what I would have chosen, but there we go.

I hope you won't balk at the suggestion that you are having sexual congress with a dog.  No offence.

[Bazooka]

Have they released the list of key workers yet?

All locksmiths and cobblers.

[kalowski]

I don't get how teachers are supposed to follow advice about staying at home and going to work to teach key workers' children at the same time.
Maybe they're all dead soon. We won't want to educate our Morlock underclass in the dystopian future.

[idunnosomename]

what a load of shit this is. i did hear some GCSE students with genuinely moving stories on R4 when I turned it on for the first time in ages today. then they had the cunt VC from Thatcherite shitty free-market University of Buckingham that no one other than the BBC gives a fuck about and I remember why i fucking hate them so turned it off

[Twit 2]

Have they released the list of key workers yet?

It probably doesn't exist.

I don't get how teachers are supposed to follow advice about staying at home and going to work to teach key workers' children at the same time.

Yep, it's fucked. Very clearly, a) this government don't know what they're doing and b) keeping schools open for lots of children is not a measure that will help stop the virus, in fact it will probably help spread it further. These half measures are a mix of ulterior motives and incompetence. With the amount of children who are still going to be in on Monday, they might as well just have kept them open.

[Inspector Norse]

Who the fuck are these kids actively looking forward to sitting their GCSEs?

[Twit 2]

So the list of key workers is everyone, then. Schools closed, except they're open. School staff whose partner is also a key worker (that'll be lots) have the choice of doubling their exposure by sending their kids to their school and working in theirs, or have to bring them into work with them.

Selfish parents are already champing at the bit to get their kids into school for the free childcare, without a thought for the health risk they're exposing them to.

[finnquark]

Our place is staying open to deal with the key worker kids. This list is (perhaps justifiably) very long. We have over 3000 students at our college -i bet at least 1000 come under this definition. But many of our staff have elderly relatives and kids to look after themselves, and how am I going to be remote teaching three Year 12 classes as well as babysitting the ones in college? Fucking shit show.

[Buelligan]

Are schools going to be teaching or simply providing child care?  If it's the latter, for older kids at least, why don't government consider employing people of good character (maybe retired teachers or people laid off from non-essential businesses) to act as aids to teachers, giving the teachers a bit of respite?

[Better Midlands]

Why don't government consider employing people of good character (maybe retired teachers or people laid off from non-essential businesses) to act as aids to teachers, giving the teachers a bit of respite?

DBS checks?

[holyzombiejesus]

Are schools going to be teaching or simply providing child care?  If it's the latter, for older kids at least, why don't government consider employing people of good character (maybe retired teachers or people laid off from non-essential businesses) to act as aids to teachers, giving the teachers a bit of respite?

My wife's school said they plan to do "nice things". Hope this helps.

[Dr Trouser]

My wife's school is the local 'hub' for keyworkers kids. Teachers have been told to come in on a voluntary basis, but as she has kids she doesn't need to volunteer, but teachers are key workers so she can send the kids to school -it's all a big meta loop so she's staying at home to do PE with Joe Wicks every morning

[massive bereavement]

Just got back from Wilkos to get some lined paper for homework purposes (they have to scan their work and then send it in via the homework app), all stationary shelves practically empty.

[Brian Freeze]

Joe Wicks is on our agenda apparently. I asked what was wrong with me making something up on the spot, shouting at them for doing it wrong and then promptly injuring myself.

[finnquark]

Are schools going to be teaching or simply providing child care?  If it's the latter, for older kids at least, why don't government consider employing people of good character (maybe retired teachers or people laid off from non-essential businesses) to act as aids to teachers, giving the teachers a bit of respite?

Our place has no idea. We will be on a rotation to keep staffing limited. I've been round the local primaries offering my name and number to provide emergency cover if they need to, given I've got the DBS. But what we will be doing, who knows. I've still to theoretically teach and assess remotely my three lower sixth classes. Next years exams are already fucked, because they won't have time to learn the entire specification properly. But that's all irrelevant right now. From what I've heard from colleagues, our lot are ready to muck in to help in whatever way possible.

[bgmnts]

Who the fuck are these kids actively looking forward to sitting their GCSEs?

My thoughts exactly. If they are doing it right, then this period of their life should be absolutely unbearable and should welcome not having to go in.