Teachers should be prepared to ‘sacrifice their lives’, says ex-Ofsted head

Disgusting way to treat teachers. In France schools have been open since September. The teachers are given special masks by the schools, two a day. All the children above the age of six have to wear them also, clean one for the morning and another for the afternoon. After the first few days they got used to wearing them. My 5 DGC have no problems. We are also told not to use the homemade ones as the new variants are too virulent

DD1 is head of a large ASN dept at a local academy. She has worked right through the pandemic-sometimes in school, sometimes at home, sometimes a combination of both depending on whether schools are open/closed/hub school. Her work load has been horrendous and she has worked until after 9 many evenings. She cannot distance from ASN pupils therefore increasing potential exposure. She has also had to teach her own subject if there are staff shortages. My daughter is a widow with a 14 year old daughter......she should put her life on the line?! DS also teaches, he is a pupil support manager, what used to be called guidance. He swears he’s going to have a t shirt printed with a guinea pig on the front as he believes that is what they have been. There is a lot of anger in the profession.

Nezumi65 Couldn’t agree more!!

Elegran

So that is why they were told they were not to wear masks - it was so that they could be sure of catching the virus and becoming martyrs!

This may be part of a long term plan to rid the country of pesky teacher unions, after all no teachers, no unions!

So that is why they were told they were not to wear masks - it was so that they could be sure of catching the virus and becoming martyrs!

I've got nothing but praise for my GC schools. There has been some internet problems but the on line schooling seems to be generally working. I don't envy them their first week back with the Covid testing going on, but looks like they have it organised.
My reception aged GS has been with me for this lockdown, but the online teaching didn't work for him. No worries as he is very bright and he has been learning ( sometimes by stealth). School is in regular contact and his little friends can contact him through the system. He just needs the social side of being at school really.
The BBC bitesize has helped, plus the one to one attention of grandparents.
Children are very resilient and I'm sure most will pick up what they missed, but some have been very damaged.

The catch up programme, or the National Tutoring Programme as it is known, is providing 3/4 of the cost of 15 hours one-to-one tutoring for children who have fallen behind, due to school closures.

The problem is that whereas all children have had a disrupted education not all of them have fallen behind by the same extent. For this reason, making all children repeat a year is not going to solve the problem.

I absolutely agree with the poster who said children should be allowed time to play and socialise with their friends - this is vital to their well being, so catch -up lessons during the summer holidays are a very bad idea.

I also agree that there is no law of nature that says children should learn to read, for example, by a certain age. But the fact is that the way our education system is organised children are at a big disadvantage if they cannot do what the rest of their year group can. And unless we are going to totally reorganise our education system (plenty of scope for another thread there) it is very important that those who have fallen behind the furthest have a chance to catch up with their peers. Otherwise they will fail throughout their school life.

Incidentally 15 hours is by no means long enough but it is a start.

Catch up with what? Stupid rote learning of made up grammar (fronted adverbials?) or dated GCSE curricula (curriculums?) - all of which put many kids off education for life. Perhaps the assessments need modification. Universities have adapted their methods of assessment - not sure why it’s so difficult for govt to see the same would be possible in schools.

Many kids are exhausted as well. Any catch ups should be focussed on play, creativity, time outside. The last thing they need is to be cooped up all summer rote learning.

If they were organising a summer of community activities (as they used to here) I’d be well and truly up for that. The council here used to arrange loads of free sessions anyone could sign up to for free - it might be something like working on a magazine, or surfing or football skills, or some sort of mystery to solve, or IT, or sailing, kayaking, or print making, cycling, cooking etc - all aimed at different ages, and abilities, some disability only activities. One of my kids did some dancing together with a dance group - for people with disabilities, they spent a week making a film, my disabled son went surfing which was filmed then spent a morning making music to accompany the film. Middle son spent a week at the local football club doing football skills. The youngest did some diving & climbing .It was brilliant - there was so much choice and all free. We used to look forward to the annual course catalogue. All went because of austerity. That’s the sort of thing kids need to be doing this summer not cramming in classrooms.

trisher

Wow a senior Ofsted official condemning teachers! Nothing new really, although I think the actual dying might go a bit further than usual-nervous breakdowns being the accepted result. I have a suggestion. Take all the money currently spent on Ofsted and give it to schools.

Quite, trisher. I actually glad I had the excuse of cancer to be off the Ofsted inspection. It was preferable.

Teachers , on the whole have been teaching, mainly in schools for the whole time.
Many have had to work extra hours prepping lessons twice over - once for in the classroom , and again to go online, including the worksheets for classroom and for ones that have either to be delivered, or to be printed out by the parents - extra work due to the different mediums.
The idea that they have just been sitting at home doing zoom calls every day is wrong.
My niece, who is a primary school teacher has told me that there has barely been a day go by, certainly in this current lockdown, when she hasn't been worried about going into work, in case she catches the virus - just think, she has been teaching children of hospital staff, other teachers, retail staff, police, paramedics, bus drivers etc and has had to self isolate 3 times due to either another staff member testing positive or one of her pupils parents testing positive.
This man needs to go back into his office, lock the door behind him, and never come out again IMO, preferably on a reduced pension. Shame on him !

The only people that should be laying down their lives are Johnson and the rest of his criminal gang.

It was a short inspection Ellianne but still looking at the data which is now irrelevant.

Presumably these inspectors are still being paid, not furloughed, so have to justify their jobs.
It would be more beneficial if they came into schools to support and see the human faces behind the data they are so fond of crunching.

Wow a senior Ofsted official condemning teachers! Nothing new really, although I think the actual dying might go a bit further than usual-nervous breakdowns being the accepted result. I have a suggestion. Take all the money currently spent on Ofsted and give it to schools.

I take your point, grumppa, but I did change that to “education officials” in my email, which is a modified and longer version of my original post here.

I agree lemongrove. My dearest friend is a secondary school teacher and she's angry at what she calls the 'over dramatisation' when it comes to teaching staff, especially as there's a great deal of other staff in needed in schools that hardly get a mention.

No surprises that there is a retention problem with teachers, with the lack of respect from pupils and parents with no support from education authorities, who would want the job.

There are plenty of jobs just as well paid with less hassle, as for risking their lives, no more than nurses, supermarket staff and many other essential workers and I don’t get extra pay either.

Wilshaw seems to have shot his mouth off again, but I can’t see how the uttering of a retired official on Question T8me can be described as a statement issued by the government, Ashcombe, even if it was worthy of the appalling Williamson.

My point is that a Conservative MP who received a letter on these lines could duck the issue by simply saying that Wilshaw was not speaking for the government.

There is no evidence that teachers are any more at risk than any other workers.The unions have done so much stirring that it’s turned public opinion against teachers, which is a shame.I know two teachers who are angry about this issue and wish the unions hadn’t gone in firing on both barrels.
Nobody expects anyone to ‘give their lives’ it was a silly comment.

As a working teacher, I’m heartened to read so many positive posts commending the work that we’ve put in over the last year to deliver lessons whether online or in school. Thank you for your support. ?

I can’t put the link up, but he did go back to teaching last year to help out.
If you read other articles on him he apparently did a lot of good whilst he was Head of Ofstead.
An unfortunate remark that he made though.

grannyrebel7

I don't see why children need to "catch up". I think they should just start again and carry on. It'll sort itself out eventually. The idea of the poor teachers having to sacrifice their summer holidays is ludicrous. They've been working flat out throughout the whole pandemic. Teachers are over worked and under paid. It's time they were recognised for the brilliant jobs they do in shaping our kids' lives. Let's hear it for the teachers!

Agree. Plus what great law of nature decided what children need to be able to do by a set age ?? Of course they will “catch up”.
The summer school etc will I guess be voluntary and therefore may not catch those most in need ? What do we think?

How will that amount of money pay for resources, staffing (not just teachers by site staff to keep school open rather than tackling although the maintenance that gets done in the holidays ? School meals?

I’ve just emailed this to my MP. You are welcome to draw on the contents of this, should you wish to do likewise.

www.independent.co.uk/news/education/covid-schools-reopening-ofsted-teachers-b1807935.html

Dear Mr. Foster,

Not many months ago, teachers were being praised! Any hint of disagreement with the government and this is the reaction. Appalling and undeserved. My daughter is a DH at a large primary school in Staffordshire, where the organisation of cover for key workers' children has, at times, been a logistical nightmare, involving hours of work contacting families who don’t always respond to group emails.

Office staff have produced work packs for families without printers and catering staff assemble food parcels, which are sometimes delivered by senior staff. IT technicians have prepared laptops to loan to needy families. Some office staff produced 3D visors for the NHS, using the school printers adapted for this purpose. Last year, staff worked during the Easter and half term breaks, taking turns to ensure childcare was provided for key workers' children.

Luckily, most parents are more appreciative than some education officials of the efforts made by the school staff at every level. Teachers have engaged online with pupils at home and with parents, whilst delivering lessons to children in their bubble. Teaching Assistants have had to learn new skills to engage remotely with those groups of children following support programmes.

This is happening in schools everywhere and the government do not help morale by issuing statements like this. Since this is reported in a reputable newspaper, one may be sure of its veracity.

Does he have no idea how hard teachers have been working? They haven't been sitting at home twiddling their thumbs. My DiL has been in school 4 days a week, teaching the children (approx half class) who were in while preparing work for those learning at home. Equivalent to doing 2 jobs, more or less. And, at the same time, putting herself at risk because she has asthma.

Teachers deserve the summer holiday. Parents, too - a lot will want to take their children away for some fun after all the stress.

I don't see why children need to "catch up". I think they should just start again and carry on. It'll sort itself out eventually. The idea of the poor teachers having to sacrifice their summer holidays is ludicrous. They've been working flat out throughout the whole pandemic. Teachers are over worked and under paid. It's time they were recognised for the brilliant jobs they do in shaping our kids' lives. Let's hear it for the teachers!

My daughter caught Covid in September. Had 9 weeks off sick with long covid. Poor girl (40). Went back to work as a EY teacher on the senior lead team a week before Christmas. Although better now, she feels like a sitting duck. She is so anxious about getting it again as she was so very poorly and has 2 small children of her own (8 and 4) to disappear down a rabbit hole worrying about them losing their mum.