Why couldn’t he do that yesterday?

Urmstongran - what a heart felt post to Luckygirl. I suspect most of us have emotions rather closer to the surface than usual, or that we would like. This lockdown isn't a surprise but that doesn't make it any less trying.

buy local - I'd be delighted to hear anyone in government say they need more information before reaching a decision. What we have had instead, is a prime minister who insists one thing on Sunday and the opposite on Monday. Yes, we live in unprecedented times but we need a government led by someone more competent than the current PM. The people he's appointed to key roles, particularly Mat Hancock and the awful Gavin Williams confirm how bad things are.

Oh how I wish BJ would make reasonable and reasoned statements that we can all understand - and above all else believe.

It is the categorical announcements that make me so cross when we all know full well he cannot back these up. We know that there is uncertainty; we know things have to change in response to the virus' changes; we do not need these nonsense pronouncements. We need clarity - even if it is clarity about the uncertainties! - not headline grabbing stuff.

Just spoke to family on FaceTime. DGD - year 1 - all dressed nicely ...zoom lessons starting any minute. Hats off to the teachers.

My DIL is a high school teacher and spent a full day on zoom lessons yesterday. She was upstairs, son was bogged down in kitchen in zoom meetings all day. 7 and 5 yr olds set up at another table in dining room for their zoom lessons, with parents popping in to them when they could.

Dil said they have had to establish new guidelines for her teenage students from today. Yesterday on zoom lessons many of them refused to have their cameras on. Why? Because they didn’t have their makeup and hair done. Some of them were actually in bed!

In the course of the day 3 boys were topless and she had to say go and get dressed.

So, from today they have been told to be visible on screen at 9am and fully dressed. Otherwise they will be marked absent.

Some things don’t change eh? Teenagers!

Lucca

Some things don’t change eh? Teenagers!

Thar's exactly what I thought!!!

It’s great that the BBC are going to broadcast online learning but why couldn’t this have been done in previous lockdowns. It makes so much sense given that most children should have access to TVs. Also, if this is ready to roll in the next few days the government must have been assuming that schools were going to have to close again. At least it means that there is less of an excuse to do away with the Beeb in future. Thankfully my grandchildren all seem to have access to good online teaching now: previously one of them wasn’t and my daughter was using lessons from her cousins school. I get so angry with the constant criticism that teachers get and am mightily relieved that my daughter no longer teaches.

I so agree that the BEEB stepping is is brilliant - it means that all children could in theory access lessons. I do appreciate that some families might place less priority on education and these children might still miss out; but at least the opportunity is there for them.