Is morality something you expect of others?

Ellianne

"Do sports outside, utilise sports halls, erect marquees, teach outside whenever weather is permitting."
I suggested this way back in May GrannyGravy and posted examples of schools and teachers who were going all out to achieve this. Thinking outside the box, innovating, experimenting are all vital, but that is not what teachers are particularly renowned for. Adapt to the new conditions, be flexible, don't have meetings about every little thing. Be practical while considering the safety aspects, be ready to scrap something instantly if it isn't working. Just give our children the chance they deserve, they have been denied so much. They are our responsibility.

Thinking outside the box, innovating, experimenting are all vital, but that is not what teachers are particularly renowned for.

Comtemptuous and patronising all in one sentence, Ellianne.

???

I missed that! I agree! It's contemptible. It's exactly what teachers do every single day.

No, Maisie, teachers on here have gone to great lengths to explain how they are bound by financial constraints, restricted by the narrowness of the curriculum, undervalued by society. The implication being they aren't allowed to experiment in school, throw out the rule book, turn the system on its head. Therefore they are not renowned for being innovative in a crisis like this, nothing to do with their method of teaching. They haven't been required to do anything like this before.

GRowstuff I have no magic formula for success, I only notice than within the best-of-the-possibilities there is still a weak point. It is the same weak point that is always there when homework needs to be done and may not be supported, but it is magnified when schooling is only part-time. It takes careful organisation which I am sure will happen.

If you care to read back Maisie we were discussing physical space .... church halls, marquees etc. when I posted my comment. Not many teachers are experienced at adapting premises, or understand the logistics of erecting portacabins and marquees.

None of us have been required to do anything like this before - we are all innovating, and teachers as much if not more than anyone else.

Schools are bound by strict safeguarding rules - they are not free to innovate at will. They are trying very hard to find ways forward within the constraints that are placed on them. Reasonable constraints of course - parents need to be reassured that they can send their children to school safely.

I would not dream of telling people running a business or factory how they might innovate to take account of the current circumstances; nor would I accuse them of doing too little or failing to use their imaginations - how could I? - I do not work there or have intimate knowledge of the systems there.

So - people should not presume to criticise schools when they know absolutely nothing about the work they are doing or the constraints that they are trying very hard to find ways round. What is it with the teacher-bashing and school-bashing? Do we do this with nurses or doctors? - I could cite some pretty poor examples within the health services, as all of us could with any organisation.

Elegran

GRowstuff I have no magic formula for success, I only notice than within the best-of-the-possibilities there is still a weak point. It is the same weak point that is always there when homework needs to be done and may not be supported, but it is magnified when schooling is only part-time. It takes careful organisation which I am sure will happen.

I agree, but schools can only do what's possible. If anything becomes of the promised tutors, maybe they could be tasked with contacting hard-to-reach pupils individually.

Yes, that is where the promised tutors could make a big contribution.

Ellianne

If you care to read back Maisie we were discussing physical space .... church halls, marquees etc. when I posted my comment. Not many teachers are experienced at adapting premises, or understand the logistics of erecting portacabins and marquees.

You don't get it, do you? It might be possible for a primary school to use one or two extra spaces, but for a large secondary school, it really just is not possible. There aren't the spaces available and teachers would spend half their time moving from one site to another.

Isn't the crux of the matter that the government want children back in school so that all their parents can get back to work?

It is very important that children get the education that they deserve but safety has to be paramount.

I just hope that the measures that have been put in place are adequate and all children can resume their education without more disruption.

I really am fed up with the" well I went to school so I know it all" posters on this site . What is it with some of you that you always have to have a go at the teaching profession?. Lucky girl your post was spot on .I really don't think that most of those commenting have the slightest idea of what life in a school today is like.

By the way the original post was asking the question "can you expect morals from others if you don't have any personally ?"

Perhaps some of you could answer the question instead of using it to be unpleasant.

Sorry, westendgirl, but the topic was going swimmingly along the lines of the OP until the teachers themselves derailed it. No one had a go at the profession until they started up.

Ellianne

Sorry, westendgirl, but the topic was going swimmingly along the lines of the OP until the teachers themselves derailed it. No one had a go at the profession until they started up.

Indeed, it was going swimmingly with all the non teachers piling in and saying what school should be doing without any knowledge of how schools work, how school budgets work or even what HTs and their staff have been trying to work on for the past few weeks.

Sorry if a few teachers spoiled it all with a bit of reality.

Maybe the only solution is to close all schools for the next year or two All parents of school age children will lose their jobs but at least teachers continue to be paid in full .
Otherwise Why not think of a solution, like other businesses, factories, shops, hospitals, restaurants, cafes ........ have all had to do .

I see two early derailers who I don't think are teachers.

Interesting to see how things are being thrown up so that we (the ordinary citizens )will then forget all about important points such as the refusal to withdraw the whip from the Tory
MP accused of rape ,the dubious integrity of some of the Cabinet, the handing out of contracts without proper tenders.
Funny how these things crop up . !

Oh well, not culpable me. I kept to the brief nearly into page 3 until the heat got to me.
Politics is a mean game.

gillybob what useful contribution does your post make to the discussion?
Of course you could take the view that parents working is the only reason BJ is interested in opening schools, the education of most children being something totally outside his usual remit. In fact the education of the poorest being something he and his party have steadily eroded. Anyone remember Sure start? and then of course you have the staff who used to work with those pupils, the steadily disappearing Teacher's Assistants.

westendgirl

I see two early derailers who I don't think are teachers.

Interesting to see how things are being thrown up so that we (the ordinary citizens )will then forget all about important points such as the refusal to withdraw the whip from the Tory
MP accused of rape ,the dubious integrity of some of the Cabinet, the handing out of contracts without proper tenders.
Funny how these things crop up . !

You do not have to be a teacher to be knowledgable on how a school works, whether it be senior, primary or private.

As useful as many of the others trisher who just spout the usual poor teachers... what are they to do? mantra . This started as a good thread about ( as I thought) general morals to which I contributed early on , but now ( as often happens) it’s a thread about teachers. I desperately want my DGC to return to school as they have missed so much . My eldest DGD is 14 and is missing out on crucial learning towards her GCSE’s .

So what about parents needing to go to work ? Is that do wrong ? do teachers and their unions really want to bring this country to its knees by preventing this ? There has to be a solution .

So wrong not do wrong ( typing on a phone screen )

Just seen this thread. So upset. Marquees scout huts village halls etc, adequate toilets ? Health and safety regulations in place ? Transporting students ? All these ideas are great and surprisingly enough head teachers etc have been working hard to sort out how to do it all. Remember they were told no rotas ? Teachers at my old school have been told they must not wear masks. Private schools obviously can cope....and that’s fine but state schools with 2000 students plus all the special needs requirements not to mention the behaviour issues in modern schools.
Please GN stop sniping at teachers, they honestly do try their best and would like nothing more than to go back to normal.

Sorry my post was not very well written I am just so disappointed at the unwillingness of people to see the point of view of those involved in education.

Instead of saying what cannot be done we need to concentrate on how we can get children back to school . Even WW2 didn’t prevent learning .

Lucca

Sorry my post was not very well written I am just so disappointed at the unwillingness of people to see the point of view of those involved in education.

It’s not about the unwillingness to see the teachers point of view at all Lucca . It’s about the seemingly unwillingness to reach a solution .

You made a good comment on page 1 gillybob.
I think being the PM he has to take a moral overview despite his own private misgivings.
A bit like Teresa May having to go along with Brexit despite her own private
feelings, though she was squeaky clean.