Schools

[Protheroe]

"I blame unions for attempting to terrify their members and parents using the government's line."

Blame is shared equally. The government's wholly ridiculous approach to social distancing in schools has been leveraged by the unions.

You can't be blind to BOTH these FACTS.

Neither can you be blind to the fact that there are plenty of other perfectly usuable buildings in communities.

[Shabby Russian]

The problem appears to be a lack of capability, the government, teachers, health chiefs and local authorities are pointing to what is needed
but no one appears to be making things happen ..

Social distancing is a problem, but space is all around if you look for it, we hardly have to build and equipment the equivalent of nightingale
hospitals, just tables and chairs in church halls, community centres and many other local settings but it needs the will and planning to make
it happen. Some parents are reluctant, but who can blame them given how hopeless and leaderless the entire shambles of a process this
has been.  

All parties seem to have a reason why it cant happen, perhaps a change of mindset is needed. Thanks goodness ambulance crews, nurses
and doctors didn't wait for someone to turn up and show them how to adapt despite all the obstacles and dangers.

The space is not the issue, the number of available teachers is the problem.

I'll give the example of our local primary school. Current school numbers mean that the school can only afford 6 teachers over 7 year groups, and one of those teachers is shielding for health reasons. That is 5 available teachers, the school has 7 classrooms, and the use of a school hall if needed. 

You can free up as much space as you want, but if you are saying that maximum class sizes are 15 pupils at the moment, it doesn't matter, as there won't be enough teachers. Better to have accepted that and have all children back on rota system.

My niece, who is a year 6 pupil, is currently attending on a week on week off basis. It's far from ideal but it might be what we have to do, the other alternative is to dispense with social distancing.

[PeakBaggie]

The problem appears to be a lack of capability, the government, teachers, health chiefs and local authorities are pointing to what is needed
but no one appears to be making things happen ..

Social distancing is a problem, but space is all around if you look for it, we hardly have to build and equipment the equivalent of nightingale
hospitals, just tables and chairs in church halls, community centres and many other local settings but it needs the will and planning to make
it happen. Some parents are reluctant, but who can blame them given how hopeless and leaderless the entire shambles of a process this
has been.  

All parties seem to have a reason why it cant happen, perhaps a change of mindset is needed. Thanks goodness ambulance crews, nurses
and doctors didn't wait for someone to turn up and show them how to adapt despite all the obstacles and dangers.

The space is not the issue, the number of available teachers is the problem.

I'll give the example of our local primary school. Current school numbers mean that the school can only afford 6 teachers over 7 year groups, and one of those teachers is shielding for health reasons. That is 5 available teachers, the school has 7 classrooms, and the use of a school hall if needed. 

You can free up as much space as you want, but if you are saying that maximum class sizes are 15 pupils at the moment, it doesn't matter, as there won't be enough teachers. Better to have accepted that and have all children back on rota system.

My niece, who is a year 6 pupil, is currently attending on a week on week off basis. It's far from ideal but it might be what we have to do, the other alternative is to dispense with social distancing.

Then the issue is either funding for additional staff or the 15 limit, so lets look at possible
Recruitment to overcome one or both. Not easy but former teaching staff or those in teacher
Training perhaps to  begin with, none of which is perfect but time is of the essence.

[Shabby Russian]

The problem appears to be a lack of capability, the government, teachers, health chiefs and local authorities are pointing to what is needed
but no one appears to be making things happen ..

Social distancing is a problem, but space is all around if you look for it, we hardly have to build and equipment the equivalent of nightingale
hospitals, just tables and chairs in church halls, community centres and many other local settings but it needs the will and planning to make
it happen. Some parents are reluctant, but who can blame them given how hopeless and leaderless the entire shambles of a process this
has been.  

All parties seem to have a reason why it cant happen, perhaps a change of mindset is needed. Thanks goodness ambulance crews, nurses
and doctors didn't wait for someone to turn up and show them how to adapt despite all the obstacles and dangers.

The space is not the issue, the number of available teachers is the problem.

I'll give the example of our local primary school. Current school numbers mean that the school can only afford 6 teachers over 7 year groups, and one of those teachers is shielding for health reasons. That is 5 available teachers, the school has 7 classrooms, and the use of a school hall if needed. 

You can free up as much space as you want, but if you are saying that maximum class sizes are 15 pupils at the moment, it doesn't matter, as there won't be enough teachers. Better to have accepted that and have all children back on rota system.

My niece, who is a year 6 pupil, is currently attending on a week on week off basis. It's far from ideal but it might be what we have to do, the other alternative is to dispense with social distancing.

Then the issue is either funding for additional staff or the 15 limit, so lets look at possible
Recruitment to overcome one or both. Not easy but former teaching staff or those in teacher
Training perhaps to  begin with, none of which is perfect but time is of the essence.

To be honest, the way to go on this is for the country to be able to get back to some sort of semblance of normality . 

My own view is that if we go down the road of quick fix solutions, we could end up with our children being educated in unsuitable buildings, by people who are not qualified/capable of teaching them.

In the short term the main problem we have is the guidelines around classroom sizes, and the needs of the children who are key workers, who are taking priority. Without the key worker children being treated separately, it would have been possible for all primary school children to have had some access to education, albeit on a rota basis, before the summer holidays.

I still not sure I understand the reason why year 10 and year 12 have not been able to return to school, mind.

[Protheroe]

The space is not the issue, the number of available teachers is the problem.

I don't agree. You could teach half the kids in the morning and half in the afternoon - setting them work for the other half day.
P-Major is Year 6 at the largest Primary in Worcestershire and is still only getting 2 days per week. It's a national fucking scandal, as I told Saj on the phone the other night.

[The liquidator]

Proth for pm

[Derek Hardballs]

The space is not the issue, the number of available teachers is the problem.

I don't agree. You could teach half the kids in the morning and half in the afternoon - setting them work for the other half day.
P-Major is Year 6 at the largest Primary in Worcestershire and is still only getting 2 days per week. It's a national fucking scandal, as I told Saj on the phone the other night.

 Arf

[Baggybenny]

The space is not the issue, the number of available teachers is the problem.

I don't agree. You could teach half the kids in the morning and half in the afternoon - setting them work for the other half day.
P-Major is Year 6 at the largest Primary in Worcestershire and is still only getting 2 days per week. It's a national fucking scandal, as I told Saj on the phone the other night.

What, has he left the party as well ?

[Shabby Russian]

The space is not the issue, the number of available teachers is the problem.

I don't agree. You could teach half the kids in the morning and half in the afternoon - setting them work for the other half day.
P-Major is Year 6 at the largest Primary in Worcestershire and is still only getting 2 days per week. It's a national fucking scandal, as I told Saj on the phone the other night.

You must have missed the bit of my post which suggested a rota system, maybe 1 day in 1 day out or afternoons in, mornings out.

And I suspect you already know this, but you suggestion would only increase young master P's time at school per week by one half day.

[igorbalis]

The space is not the issue, the number of available teachers is the problem.

I don't agree. You could teach half the kids in the morning and half in the afternoon - setting them work for the other half day.
P-Major is Year 6 at the largest Primary in Worcestershire and is still only getting 2 days per week. It's a national fucking scandal, as I told Saj on the phone the other night.

Absolutely - schools should be seen as an exception to the '2 meter rule' - as long as basic cleanliness is observed it shouldn't be too difficult to re open schools in September at the very latest.