Schools

Why do they always have to talk about schools at the weekend? School leaders are stressed enough, give them a break at weekends.

Yesterday’s briefing was awful. It was almost like they didn’t understand any question they were being asked.

“What happens if after the first few children go back to school the R goes up?”
“The R is the rate of infection. We need granular data.”
“Why can a child take their own lunchbox but not their own pencil case?”
“*laughs* I’ve never been asked such a stupid question. Children aren’t interested in what anyone else has in their lunchbox.”
“As, deaths in diabetics account for a quarter of the deaths in hospital don’t you think you should change the guidance to put diabetics in the extremely vulnerable group.”
“You don’t understand. Type 2 diabetics are just fat. Use this time to lose weight.”
“As most primary school teachers are women who is going to look after their children?”
Sorry, I didn’t listen to the answer because I was shouting at the TV. Childcare isn’t a female only responsibility. Let the Dads multitask.

Gavin Williamson takes a question from a pirate as he insists
that choosing children who lick everything to go back first
is about minimising contact.

I previously liked Jenny Harries but I think she needs a break. She is so desperate to find the granular data (whatever that is) that she’s forgotten that she’s talking to real people about their real concerns.

As a teacher, I can’t wait to get back to school but I really want it to be a good experience for the children. I think that most teachers expressing concerns are doing so for the same reasons - they are concerned that it won’t be right for the children. Four and five year olds in school don’t sit at an individual desk; it’s not how they learn best. If the government insist that they want these children back in school first because they are missing out on the most learning then they need to let them go back to an environment in which they can learn. However, if we are honest, we know that this is a lie. They need to get the country back to normal and these few children going back first is a test. We know that but they can’t say it.

If I were a parent of a child due to go back, I honestly don’t know what I would do right now. I’m not someone who is particularly scared of the virus and I do believe that the country has to start to get back to normal in gradual steps but I would want them to be able to learn in the best way. As it is a choice whether to send them back or not, I know that I would be having sleepless nights over it. I think this is an unfair position to put parents in. It’s been difficult enough as it is.

However, I’m an optimist and I know that whatever people do it will be the best thing for them and their families, just as whatever schools do it is always with the best interests of the children in mind.