Reply With QuoteAnyway, I've deleted said post. Strange thing is I see many overtly political posts in here, but most never get any complaints.Originally Posted by Saint-Just
I thought they were all amusing to be honest. I think we know why you see one as acceptable and the other not so. I'm sure you can argue the point and probably even I will think it's reasonable, but are you sure it has nothing to do with one post ridiculing Boris and the government, and one post ridiculing those who do?
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Anyway, I've deleted said post. Strange thing is I see many overtly political posts in here, but most never get any complaints.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
The topic is eminently political, as the 3 other threads have demonstrated. Yet a presence in the G&D is entirely legitimate, because it is a major topic of the little conversation we can have with other people, like we would in a pub.
It's therefore a very thin line that needs to be followed. A joke (not always funny) can give you a little more leeway. The fact it is rather one-sided is due to the way the crisis is managed, from the top down rather than involving both sides of the house on a matter of national emergency.
Not many governments, regardless of their political colours, will come out smelling of roses from this.
And thank you.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Having 2 kids aged 4 and 7 its next to impossible to teach them what social distancing means .
Imagine kids back to school : 30 kids in a class , lunch break all together, drop off and pickup by parents or other family members .
Goodluck ! but i wont be sending mine .
Home education using zoom or skype is the best solution at the moment for me.
Cases in germany and south korea are increasing due to early lifting of restrictions .
Hope we dont get a second wave
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I take from this the sense that it has only just dawned on schools that they might have to reopen at some point. I could be sarcastic but, how's long has it been now, eight weeks? I think my local Tesco had chalk lines down at 2m spacing and a few hastily printed off sheets of A4 instructions in a few minutes.
From what I can see schools have had full staff on full pay for eight weeks now. I'm wondering what is to show for that? I know at our local school staff have been in for an abbreviated day on one day in six. (I was a member of staff for nearly 20 years and still a governor there so I am still in touch.)
My daughter in year 9 has been having (until today) a normal schedule from her computer, thanks to Teams. Until today as parents have complained that the little ones were spending too much time in front of a computer (my daughter was not complaining at all).
So from today a lighter program, we'll see.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Slightly disingenuous to say it's six months. 2 of the weeks so far have been the Easter holidays. May half term will be another week. And the 6 week summer holidays. That's 9 weeks of the 23 weeks if schools reopen in September. Children will have missed out on 14 weeks of school. Or to look at at another way just over a term. An awful lot of time but not 6 months of professional teaching time.
Teachers are earning a wage. Schools are still open. Teachers are still working, most incredibly hard to ensure that students don't miss out. Schools are working to ensure the most vulnerable students are safe, have food to eat. Every child at my school speaks with a member of staff at least once a week (those with specific learning needs have daily telephone help). Teachers are communicating and responding to students via are online platforms.
Rushing to reopen schools before it is safe and manageable to do so will not do anyone any favours.
I find it hard to believe that re-opening schools in any shape or form in June is the right thing to do. Can`t imagine this would stand up to any rigorous risk assessment.
Hopefully, if the situation is looking healthier in 10 weeks time, why not look to re-open early in August and scrap the planned school holidays? I`m sure this will go down like a lead balloon amongst the teaching fraternity but it surely it's worth considering? Can`t see anyone being able to go on anything resembling a traditional holiday this year anyway.
There was a tentative claim from Switzerland stating that young children weren't becoming infected and therefore didn`t pose a transmission risk, if this could be substantiated it could be a game-changer but clearly it shouldn't play any role in devising strategy unless it's well-established and I guess the evidence won't be strong enough.
As for mask-wearing, I`ve become more convinced of the benefits in terms of reducing transmission. Its not something I relish but I think it has a role in easing the current restrictions, particularly for indoor situations. It also has the psychological effect of reminding everyone that we're still in a highly abnormal situation and that social distancing has to continue.
None of this is the right thing to do without a vaccine, anything that allows people to wave their house to do anything other than shop is herd immunity in action
Every country in the world is using herd immunity right now as now one has a vaccine or treatments, some countries are doing a better job than others.
In todays news Germany and Wuham are both experiencing second isolated waves. Will that stop any of these easing measure around the world? Nope, because as a society the unpalatable truth is we need to accept some form of herd immunity is here to stay until we have a vaccine
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I remain skeptical about mask-wearing (the majority don't provide protection against getting the virus, only transmission it seems) and having seen the selfish panic buying of toilet rolls, I would be concerned about the NHS (who need them) not getting supplies ahead of locusts (who don't), but if it was as part of a meaningful relaxation of the lockdown in indoor environments, I guess it could be a useful step forward for many, assuming, of course, that there's evidence it WOULD reduce infection rates and I've not really seen much evidence to support that.
If you're coughing and spluttering you should be self-isolating anyway and if most people are infected by surface contact (as seems to be the case), then mask-wearing is only likely to develop a false sense of security - A sort of reverse placebo!
M
Last edited by snowman; 11th May 2020 at 12:48.
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
I think masks serve two purposes - useful as just another ‘layer’ in infection control, probably most useful on somewhere like the tube. It also probably makes people feel safer, which would help the government entice those outside that still have the fear of god in them (if that’s what is required).
I think they are utterly useless otherwise, particularly when I see people in the middle of the countryside wearing them on their daily stroll or when I see husband and wife sat next to each other in the car both wearing masks and latex gloves.
Strikes me critics of the policy are being wilfully obtuse.
The explanation of why they're being wilfully obtuse is glaringly obvious, but I'm a respecter of the G&D rules, and who has the energy for the Cess Pit anymore?
Not remotely. We, along with most school heads I know began making plans some weeks ago, but trying to obtain sanitising equipment and supplies and other necessary resources has been extremely problematic (ie it's not available).
I can only speak for my staff and can't speak for the school you know, but my teachers have been flat out on home learning, safeguarding, curriculum planning, assessing, supporting parents, sorting food and other needs for the most vulnerable and a whole myriad of other activities that schools normally do but often barely register on the majority's radar.
As you will be well aware, Tesco customers aren't aged five and don't stay in the store for six hours to do lessons and activities.
So clever my foot fell off.
But you were questioning how to arrange school drop-offs? I'm not seeing why that's hard. How is that bit hard? I mean, share it with us. Share the intricacies of the problem, tell us why it's not trivial. Maybe some of us here can either help or at least understand a bit more about the nuances.
Not sure what you kids school is like but ours have sent all the work online every week and is pretty much what they would be doing if at school. It's also marked when we upload it.
Teachers have been rotating shifts and support staff in schools every day to look after kids So wages are being earned. If ours does not go back until September (which I can't see schools being fully open) then I'm confident the learning has been close to what they would of done in school. Oh and Just because my spelling is pants does not mean we don't check the kids spelling online.
Here comes that second wave:
https://news.sky.com/video/share-11986352
Exactly.
Ah, ok, if that is the thing you want to pick out from all the other challenges I posted, then I'll explain a few of the issues that already present themselves to me from a Head's point of view:
Every school is different in terms of site, access, layout, security, facilities and more. Depending upon the location/situation of the school this will present a wide range of challenges.
For example, do students use public transport, or school transport? Do they walk or cycle - in which case unless their parents walk them to school how will social distancing be ensured? How will we ensure they don't all stop off outside local shops on the way in? If they all arrive at the same time, how do we ensure they don't congregate down the road first? Do we have them form a huge line (ideally with two metre spacing) at the school entrance, thereby blocking the local pavements for pedestrians and residents? Who will manage that off-site, and how? There may well be traffic issues - who controls local traffic? Do we have staggered starts, in which case that will impact upon parents and the times they can drop them off (and in reverse, collect). At the end of the day do we release them all at the same time? How do we prevent any of the above happening on the way home...? For parents collecting from school, we need to ensure they are observing social distancing, and not sending their kids in with others, or the reverse at the end of the day.
Bear in mind we have a legal and moral duty to protect the safety and well-being of students at all times they are in our care - and under these circumstances precisely when that will start and end is much more ambiguous.
Now I am not saying these are insurmountable, but they are significant challenges that will need to be resolved before the school day even starts. Schools are generally pretty good at working solutions, but if we get these things wrong there will be fall-out, and children, staff and parents may suffer.
Hopefully that explains why even this is not straightforward.
So clever my foot fell off.
You can just see the hard work of the past eight weeks unravelling before our eyes.
So clever my foot fell off.
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You chose to have children, ultimately you're responsible for them and their learning. Once it's safe to send them back they will. What has teachers earning a wage got to do with managing Covid 19? At present it's safe to teach some children, which have been identified as key workers. Clearly this isn't a reason to open schools fully. Childcare is not a reason to open schools!
Genuinely, cherish this time teaching your children, it's an opportunity to really instil the values that are important to you. If you're not managing with home schooling just try a different approach, I accept it's hard but teachers (which you clearly respect as you want your children being taught by them) manage it with 30. Just keep trying different strategies until you find one that works.
Sometimes I feel like we've been sleep walking into a situation where the state is taking too much responsibility for raising our children. I understand some parents can't, but each time we ask schools and professionals to do more it means parents have less input in raising their children. I regularly see schools and professionals being held to account but very rarely parents.
Last edited by Rodder; 11th May 2020 at 14:31.
that scares me it really does,how on earth are we going to get out of this?
I cant fathom it,you couldn't pay me to take that journey.
Your head must be spinning so many factors to consider before you even start teaching,I feel you have been given an impossible task.
Teachers often go unheralded,best of luck to you.
This summarises the current guidance very well indeed
Thanks!
The complexities of running a school can be immense - we are not a factory making widgets and the range of services and tasks we undertake on a normal day are incredibly diverse and challenging. Every single child is different, as are their needs and circumstances.
I am unusual in that in my first career I ran small to medium size companies as a Director and then MD. Schools are, in my view, generally much more complicated from a management persepctive due to the sheer scope and range of activities involved, and the complex needs of the students and workforce.
I'm not downplaying any company here, but most have a few clearly defined foci. That is not the case with a modern school (so vastly different from how things were thirty years ago).
A friend of mine, who is a head, has a good reply when asked what he does for a living. He says "I am the Director of Finance, Marketing, Communications, HR, Recruitment, Legal, Health and Safety, Social Care and Services, Catering, Properties and Property Management, Staff Training, Events, Childcare, Rentals and Community Provision... and CEO of a highly qualified and demanding workforce. Oh, and I'm a Headteacher with all the educational targets, responsibilities for your children's future and the future of the nation."
Sometimes I'm amazed I get out of bed.
That said, I wouldn't change it for the world.
So clever my foot fell off.
The reward is you are making a difference and doing something worthwhile,more so than many.
Good question, the answer is no (regarding Wales) according to Mark Drakeford:
Both police forces and the government "have concerns that traffic flow into Wales could continue to increase" after people in England were told they will be able to drive and take exercise.
Anyone driving into Wales doing so would face being fined, he added. "In Wales it's Welsh law that applies. Travelling to Wales to exercise is not exercising locally."
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Last edited by Ruggertech; 11th May 2020 at 15:01.
So golf can be played with one person outside your household according to guidance.
Incredibly difficult and diverse job, you have my admiration.
It’s my experience however that a good business manager can assist greatly and ultimately shoulder the burden if not carry it completely.
Good luck!
But there is no difference after saying stay home remains and no change in lockdown Scotland has actually lifted the once a day exercising limit.
You are right, and fortunately I have a genuinely brilliant one to keep me sane and stop me drowning - she is my absolute right-hand woman and I cannot tell you how much I value her.
So clever my foot fell off.
Saw this mentioned in a FB post and whilst tongue in cheek, it does sum up the challenges for schools;
"Not being funny but schools can't stop the spread of nits, how are they meant to handle this virus".
Very, very sharp!
So clever my foot fell off.
.
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Last edited by SteveM112; 11th May 2020 at 15:46.
That's why I removed the post. I couldn't be bothered to argue with them, people post political stuff all day long in here but post something from the other viewpoint and out come the howls of protest.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Not a political comment tbh. Just that I can’t see the easing going well without a bit more clarity
Last edited by RustyBin5; 11th May 2020 at 20:40.
DfE have updated guidence no ppe for schools and not necessary for anyone at school to use face covering. https://www.gov.uk/government/public...om-1-june-2020
Couple of funny tweets from journalist Michael Deacon summing up the nonsensical guidelines.
”Look, this is very straightforward: if you go to the park you can sit two metres from someone else's parents, just not your own”
“Yes, you can invite your mother round to your house, but *only* if she is your cleaner”
But now recommended (months behind other countries) for public places, shops, public transport etc.
It's a good job this virus has a conscience and avoids schools naturally...
So clever my foot fell off.
Exactly. Also no groups should come In To contact with other groups except briefly in corridors. And each group should only be taught by one class teacher. I don't know how that's going to work for year 10.
My wife is SLT for a large Primary and Secondary Trust - I think their interpretation of Boris's vague ramblings is going to be along the lines that the students will come in for short, isolated small group occasional sessions, in one classroom, not leaving their desks, and the teacher coming to the class rather than the class moving. These won't be lessons as such, more group mentoring and monitoring etc.
It will be a bit more doable for older children under the kind of practice above, but for very young children social distancing is utterly undeliverable in any meaningful sense.
So clever my foot fell off.
Agreed. So if other classes not open I would bring neither back as I would be at home anyway looking after the other one. What I meant was I see no point sending one kid off to school while I home school the other one myself.
boris's vague address is that way for a reason , he doesnt know what to do and if/when it all goes to shit he will blame the public.
https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/polit...20200511196331
Thank you, particularly for taking the time to spell it out, much appreciated. All the best with it, rather you than me trying to sort it all out!
No politics? The Dailymash?
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
It’s a satirical website, they generally have a pop at everybody.
It’s called humour. Even yours was funny yesterday...
Yes. But mine was attacked for being political in the GandD. I’m all for humour but does it have to be one sided? Surely even you must see that.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Your in Scotland? So this doesn’t apply to you?
The one thing that worries me is the government want the public to use their common sense as there doesn’t seem to be much of that around regarding the change in regulations.
Surely it was fairly obvious that initially only bringing back 3 year groups meant that you could use all the classrooms and
hence have smaller classes, max 15.
Some schools have still been open for children of frontline workers so some should have experience on a smaller scale
and also should be some data on whether this has resulted in any increase in the spread and as far as I’m aware they haven’t been using PPE?
There is no date for bringing back year 10 and 1st of June is not written in stone if the R in particular goes up too far it probably
wont happen.
Last edited by TBKBABAB; 12th May 2020 at 08:53.
Don’t lower yourself to their level Ian, if you don’t like it use the report button...
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