Schools

It would seem that those within the education profession and others wishing to defend that profession are out in strength on this thread bringing forward any number of explanations as to why teachers must be allowed at least three months off with full taxpayer-funded salary in the middle of this unprecedented health crisis. However, let us take a look at just how the above action (or perhaps that should be inaction) will impact on very many or even all of us into the future.

Road transport food and other essential distribution centres are a key element to preserving daily life to as near normal as possible for as long as this unparalleled crisis continues. Those distribution centres are exploiting every option possible at this point in time to maintain ultimate output to supermarkets and other outlets which involves having staff operating at maximum numbers due to panic buying in the last week.

Large distribution centres work seven days a week, twenty four hours per day, but the peek of output by way of the picking and product handling is between 08:00 and 17:00 daily. Many of those in those picking operations are women who work between the above hours while their children are at school, but many are already stating that they will not be able to work in the coming weeks as it is likely they will have to remain at home looking after their children.

Many of those workers in those distribution centres are indirectly employed by the supermarkets and other organisations by way of employment agencies and in that receive nothing or minimum state benefit if they are unable to work. Therefore unless they are designated as essential workers the above prospect hangs very heavily over very many of them.
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We have several of our Assignment team members working within two large food distribution centres on Severnside this week training up existing staff to enable them to operate forklifts, powered pallet trucks and even HGV shunting operations within the centres should those that normally carry out those duties become unavailable. However, two of those being trained may not be able to attend their employment on a regular basis if they are not designated as key workers.

The unscheduled absentee ratio for both the large distribution centres is approximately eight percent over the last two weeks we are informed which is not above normal for the workplaces. However, serious questions are being asked in regard to the resilience of many of Britains large distribution centres should Covid-19 become endemic within the workforce. Of course, the above will impact on the output of those distribution centres, which may become even more impacted if fit staff are not able to attend their employment due to child care obligations.

Therefore we have now in Britain an unprecedented crisis situation were the effects on one large group of workers will be that they will be stood down on full taxpayer-funded salaries for so long as the crisis last, while that same group of workers are ensuring that other vital employees in an essential industry may well be unable to work, and due to that, will receive no wages whatsoever.

what also requires to be thought on should be, that loss of output from those distribution centres could very well effect all who reside in this country when it comes to what is to be had from supermarket shelves etc.

The part that you are failing to grasp Grandad1943is that teachers are not being 'stood down" any more than people who are working from home are 'stood down' You seem to have a rather odd view of what the role of a teacher in 2020 looks like

Grandad They will not have three months off. They will have however as many weeks it takes for it to become possible for 500-1000 children (who are not all that good at keeping 2 metres away from each other) to mingle together without ALL catching the virus at once and accelerating the spread of it to the rest of the population. Throughout those weeks, they will continue to set work online for those children and to try to teach them online.

How much experience do you have of just how teachers operate? Or of how a virulent infection spreads? About as much as the average poster on here has of how the haulage safety industry works - probably less than that.

You see the effects on the haulage industry Medical workers see the effects on the health sector. Teachers and ex-teachers see the effects on the education sector.

Let us hope that those who make the regulations and decree what is to be done can see ALL sides of this emergency and can steer a course through it. It is a multi-dimensional problem.

Maybe it's a good job that, when this is over, there will actually be teachers to step back immediately into their roles. Even though some people seem to find them totally expendable.

Grandad it seems you have the answers. I prefer the knowledge if the experts who have as much to lose as you and I, no one has the answer, this situation was unthinkable 6 moths ago.so support those doing their best.

Sorry for typos, I press send and everything changes.

Grandad, as others have mentioned, teachers are not being stood down

My daughter is having to go in next week and during the Easter holidays to have online learning training.

She will also be on the rota to go in to school to assist with those children who are still going to attend

This isn't going to be some jolly

There is work to be done

Living opposite 2 schools, one for primary school age, the other a senior school (can't be bothered with this Academy nonsense), selfishly the OH and I are looking forward to the peace and quiet that we get in school holiday times, I have never known the amount of noise that eliminates from the school property when the final bell (or in our neighbourhood, tannoy messsge) is heard at the end of the day, they all stream out of school, shouting pushing, swearing, 'play fighting', throwing each others backpacks about......it's almost an alarm clock. That's the older school, then the younger ones stream out of school 40 mins later, usually with their parents on tow (not the other way round !) and the shouting etc starts again.......I know kids can be noisy, I've had 3 of my own and now GK's but it just grates, I don't remember all the screaming and shouting. The other thing DD reminded me of was that we won't have cars parked outside our house randomly at school start and finishing times. Rant over, keep well everyone, and suppose we've got to learn to do as we are told for the foreseeable future xx

Just out of interest Grandad were you educated at school by teachers or where you home schooled?
No need to reply really......I'm just having a bit of fun with you as you seem to be having with the education professionals

Grandad
Have you read my previous post.?No way are teachers being stood down.They are providing education,activities and basically going to be supervising breakfast dinner and after school for those children in school.Vital for key workers.Then preparing lesson and activity packs for those at home.As well as all the safeguarding and liasing with social services for those deemed vulberable
They are not going to be on holiday. Far from it !A small number have genuine childcare problems of their own eg if their partner is a doctor doing overtime and their childminder is ill or the nursery has closed.As is happening.

The school I taught in has told all the teachers they need to be in school next week.
Not sure why Grandad is anti teachers. They are just doing their best in a s* situation.

Sparkling in regard to your post @18:37 I do not believe that anywhere in my posts in this thread I have ever stated that I feel I have "all the answers" in this crisis.

However, as this unprecedented emergency increases, it is obvious that Covid-19 can infect many in Britains schooling system, but the same applies to the United Kingdoms medical establishments and also essential industries such as the road transport industry and its supporting distribution centres.

In the above, it will be imperative that those capable of functioning within Britains working population are able to carry that out. Therefore if schools are not operating then a means must be found to allow essential workers to attend their workplaces and in that not prevented by having to attend to child care.

As stated I do not pretend to have the answer to all the above. However, I do realise that essential industries have to be maintained at the maximum possible output. Therfore perhaps it will have to come that the government will have to "requisition" workers in professions and trade sectors that cannot operate because of the crisis into essential industries that have to be maintained.

The above happened throughout the second world war and was very successful.

Just a thought?

Same with the teachers I know Sunlover. The teachers who aren't infected, self-isolating or in a high risk category have been told to go into work next week. Some will be supervising the group of pupils in school. Others will be operating a virtual school.

It's a secondary school, so they're not expecting many pupils, but all pupils have been set up with virtual classroom log ins. They will be expected to log in every day and their work will be monitored and assessed. Teachers not in school will be expected to do similar work, but from home. A few pupils have already indicated they don't have internet access at home, so the school library will be open for them, provided they are infection-free.

There will also be provision for those entitled to free school meals. Food parcels are to be delivered to those pupils not able to attend.

The school was anticipating this move a couple of weeks ago and had already started making contingency plans. The school has over 2000 pupils, so was a major source of potential infection in a small town.

I understand that drivers will be classed as key workers, so will be able to send their children into school, and some of the supermarkets have already started a recruitment drive for new staff, especially those who have been laid off from coffee shops, etc.

It's not all children of key workers will be able to use schools though. Both parents have to be key workers to be eligible. If one isn't they are expected to care for the children. Not that easy if you are working from home!

growstuff drivers are classed as essential workers but all those that support them are not at present classed as similar. forty-ton trailers do not assemble and disassemble the freight which is loaded on to them.

Therefore all who work in those operations must be free to attend the distribution centres unrestricted from the needs of child care.

When anyone thinks about the situation, vehicle technicians, fork truck drivers, pickers, traffic handlers and many others are essential workers in support of the truck drivers, and that is just in the haulage and distribution industry.

Many others attached to other essential trade sectors and professions could state likewise.

grandad teachers are busier than ever at the moment. They are in a terrible situation, and still trying to support the children. They are putting together resources for children to use while they are away and trying hard to make it available. My GC school have given the children a pack of resources and made more available on their Web page and will continue to update them. Teachers in secondary schools will have to work with whatever system the government decide to use to assess for GCSE and A levels. Whatever that is I am sure it will involve a lot of work for teachers.
All this is without mentioning that schools will still be open for children with SEN, children with a social worker and children whose parents are classed as key workers.
Teachers certainly are not going to have a long holiday!

Ethel I believe it was stated several times today that all GCSE and A level exams were now cancelled for this year. It was also expressed that other means will be brought forward to decide the grades of the students affected.

It was also stated on local radio and tv tonight that children allowed to attend open schools for various reasons here in the west country will not be receiving any formal education lessons.

So why all the preparation for exams and tuition that will not take place?

Oh dear Grandad1943 did no one ever tell you that when you don't know much it's best to keep quiet and not expose your ignorance? Regardless of what is happening there will be children passing through two crucial periods in their education, the GCSE and A level children and those children will need grades, otherwise the entire system including post18 will be stuck. So with no exams, teachers and Ofqual will be looking at ways to ensure grades are given. Teacher assessment, course work and online assesment may be used no one yet knows. So there you are teachers once again trying to cope, working to do their best for the children they teach. And what do they get for their efforts? People who think they are skiving or having a holiday. No wonder young teachers walk away after a few years in the job. It's simply not worth doing when you are not valued.

Same old...same old from the usual forum members. Personal insults by the bucketful which demonstrates they are incapable of intelligent debate.

Or is it this happens when they realise they have lost a debate?

Grandad1943 I can’t claim to understand all the ins and outs of your personal situation, but as a former special needs teacher I would just like to reiterate the posts of others that teachers will not be having an extra paid holiday. My daughter-in-law is a teacher in a very deprived area- she will be continuing to work hard as she always does, dealing with young people with a high proportion of special needs and poverty. I know how she, and all the other teachers try to go above and beyond, and at what hidden cost. Your posts have made me feel so sad today.

Just gone online to check the situation regarding key workers as our two grandsons brought home nearly identical letters stating both parents had to be key workers. My daughter is an senior OT who is to be redeployed to the wards. According to what I read on the Sun page parents have been reassured it is ONE parent and all NHS workers whatever their roles in hospitals.

At the school I work in, all children have work set for them by the teacher using Google Classroom. Teachers will mark and comment on the work the children do, so not a holiday for the teachers.

magshard20 we live opposite a primary school, I love hearing the children.

Meta, I understand that special needs children will be in the groups that will be allowed to attend schools that remain open while this crisis continues.

I stand to be corrected if you are aware that the above is not the case.