2 weeks of teaching done, so we've got a good sense of how this is all going to go now. No social distancing in classrooms, no social distancing on the college site, and a constant battle with students to wear masks around campus. I've had to have umpteen conversations with young people about why masks are being worn, and despite being polite and reasonable, the majority of them put a mask on when I ask and then take it straight back off again. Some positive tests for students, who are isolating - their classmates are also isolating. More students have symptoms and are isolating, or live with guardians/siblings who have symptoms and are isolating. None of them have so far been tested, because of the fuck-up with testing. One student was asked to leave five minutes into a lesson because her sibling had developed symptoms, presumably between her leaving home and arriving at college. Staff absence is growing, with classes cancelled because teachers are isolating at home, unable to get tested. My upper sixth start the year with some lessons to set them up for coursework. In order that the isolating students don't miss out on these lessons, I've been recording lessons at home in the evenings, essentially duplicating work (we don't have the money to get live streaming going in every classroom). I've had lower sixth students, out of education for 6 months, arrive and have one lesson before being asked to isolate for 14 days as they can't get tested. The most ridiculous aspect is that the government and OFQUAL remain committed to examining my upper sixth students as though everything was normal. These poor young people, asked to miss chunks of learning and make do with materials being sent home (which is no substitute for being in class), who struggle to get a test and return ASAP, are (as it stands) going to be treated as if it was a bog standard year in education.
