AIBU No going back to school I’m furious.

Ideas wanted for putting 630 pupils into separate rooms with no more than 15 to a room, and 2 metres of space between children, when 42 rooms are not available, even using the library and staffrooms. Detailed instructions for managing the movement of all persons around the building without coming any closer to one another than 2 metres must be included. Answers on a postcard, please, addressed to B Johnson esq, c/o 10 Downing Street. The winner will be offered the post of Education Minister, with immediate effect. Second prize will be the post of Prime Minister, also with immediate effect.

Real results speak far louder than any number of so called explanations.

You seem to have quite an odd obsession with the educational establishment grandad, did something happen to make that the case.

Yes Lucca, I have had it explained, and I and an increasing number of the British public find those explanations after almost three months of this crisis increasingly unacceptable.

Solve the problems and get the schools fully operational again and then we will believe that the "Education Establishment" does not wish to remain in their "comfort bubble".

“ So as I have already stated it would seem that a great many in the education establishment are just satisfied to remain in their "comfort bubble" on full salary while the children for who they are responsible for in their education receive very little.”

That is staggeringly rude and inaccurate. You have had it explained time after time that the situation teachers find themselves in is so far removed from being a comfortable one.

geekesse, in regard to your post @21:37, perhaps it is the case that the old woman does not reply sensibly to the old man because she has no argument to offer up.

You see the old man may have been assessing and solving Covid-19 safety problems by way of his company in transport and other essential industries throughout this unprecedented crisis. Therefore this old man may be finding little patience with an education sector when all they offer up for their almost non-performance is excuses, excuses.

We have even been working alongside those employed in large sewage treatment plants and assessing and helping solve their problems throughout this crisis. I wonder what you would say if your toilet overflowed each time flushed it geekesse, if all they then offered for up its non-working was excuses, excuses.

That's pretty rude.

I was going to reply to Grandad1943, but honestly, it’s not worth it. His understanding of the education sector is rudimentary at best, and his agenda seems to hinge on wanting childcare for his family. I’ll happily discuss creatively with someone who is prepared to respect my knowledge of the sector, but if an old man just wants to insult teachers because he’s p****d off about the children in his own family, I’ll leave him to rant on his own.

Evie64 I very much respect your above comprehensive and well thought through post. However, in all aspects of this life when obstacles are encountered to our progress they must either be removed of worked around.

So it must be in education at this time of crisis, for as the old adage states "where there is a will, there is a way".

I work in a primary school. We have stayed open throughout the entire lockdown, including the Easter holidays, for the most vulnerable children and those of front line workers. The school has 7 years groups, each with 3 classes of around 30 children in each. Due to the Govt guidelines which say we can only safely have 15 to a classroom, we have only opened to Foundation and will open to year 1 next week. If we opened the whole school, 7 years x 3 classes per year x 30 in a class = 630. Divide this by 15 to a class and we would need 42 classrooms! What primary school do you know that has that many classrooms available? We are already using all our available spaces including the library, the staff rooms etc. I agree that children are less at risk, although we have had one confirmed Covid case in a child, However, many of the staff are susceptible for the obvious reasons, age, asthma, diabetes etc. Gavin Williamson should really have been able to work this out for himself and come up with a solution. Why didn't the govt pledge to supply those schools (those with enough outside space to accommodate) banks of portakbins and the extra teachers and teaching assistants so that 42 classes could be on site at the same time? Then again, how do you safely accommodate 42 classes in the lunch hall. It's impossible isn't it? There is more to this than just providing education and childcare, it needs to be safe for everyone.

The truth is that education is an integral party of Britains social and economic infrastructure in the short, medium and long term prospects of this nation.

In that after almost three months of this crisis that infrastructure is still not anywhere near being fully in place and demonstrates little prospect of being so.

The education establishment continually just offer up excuses why it "cannot be done" when all other essential services have "made it happen" to the benefit of all including those who are employed in education.

So as I have already stated it would seem that a great many in the education establishment are just satisfied to remain in their "comfort bubble" on full salary while the children for who they are responsible for in their education receive very little.

And all we witness are excuses, excuses.

Thanks for the apology Grandad1943* I was going to do a long explanatory post but I give up. As my mum always said "There's none so blind as those who will not see".

Yes two minutes ago he stated that something was absolutely the truth when we all knew it wasnt. It is a waste of time.

Yes two minute

No matter how many times people involved in education say how hard they are trying to resolve the issues Grandad insists on saying they are not. Pointless really to try any more.

That resolution was also demonstrated in the care sector and look what happened there. I understand that people are already seeking legal advice in terms of negligence.

Luckygirl, I do not doubt that there are those within the education sector who are attempting their utmost to bring their schools to full opening.

However, what we all witness at present are children receiving an education that is far below what should be expected after nearly three months of this crisis.

As I have directed forum members attention towards, many essential industries very much "struggled" when the crisis first took hold and the lockdown came about. Many employed in those industries had to overcome sudden child care problems and real concerns for their own safety in circumstances where social distancing could not always be carried out.

However, those problems had to be overcome if food was to remain on the supermarket shelves, electricity in our homes and water in our taps. In many cases such as refuge collection etc those safety problems cannot be overcome and workers in that industry have had to carry on regardless of the risks to themselves and their families to ensure that essential service remains in being for us all.

All that is being asked of the education establishment is that such resolution is demonstrated in that sector also. Everyone recognises that children are involved in that work, but solutions have to be found. To state that schools should not be open to all parents and their children even beyond September if the Covid-19 situation remains the same is simply not good enough.

I believe he said this would be compulsory.

From what I understand Macron has just announced that France is out of lockdown and schools are resuming from July 2nd.

I know I am correct grandad.

Galaxy you are correct I have just checked back and it was growstuff who used the word "mansplaining" in a post directed at me.

Therefore I do whole heartedly apologise to trisher for my above remark. I believe trisher used the word I obsefrution or such like against me in a strange post she made.?

I did not even know what the word means in reality.

in the main this thread has been about excuses, placing blame on others and a complete lack of any "can do" attitude by those who claim to be or have been involved in that "Education Establishment"

I do think that is entirely inaccurate, and I speak as one who has been closely involved in trying to get a school open for the children as soon as possible. Without that "can do" attitude there would have been no return to school at all, as teachers, governors and ancillary staff have fallen over themselves to try and do the right thing by the government regulations. It is only because of their tireless efforts and positive attitude that any return for any pupils has been achieved.

And all of this in spite of the fact that their budgets (which were already as tight as they could possibly be) have received no extra help for all the additional needs: extra equipment because children are not allowed to share, deep cleaning costs, hand gel stations, extra staff to cover more classes because each class has fewer pupils.

Truly they have worked so hard - it is so frustrating to hear someone criticising from the outside without the necessary knowledge to understand what is really happening. . Why should all these people work so hard, only to get inaccurate flak landing on them? - I will tell you why - it is because they care about the children and their education.

trisher

By the way Grandad1943 I don't think you are guilty of "mansplaining" I think it's obfuscation. (But I do love that word and I don't often get a chance to use it so I'm sort of pleased!)

From yesterday

Grandad Trisher clearly said she did not think you were mansplaining.

And what thread would that be please Galaxy.