I agree with you. What I would say is I had a 2 metre conversation the other day with someone we know who has a son at a local private school and they have had video classes from almost day one of this crisis. The student involved remarked that he was fine with this and felt that he was keeping up with curriculum etc. Just a point to consider that they have found a way. A close relation of ours, who is a teacher in a primary school, in a phone call today said very powerfully that they need to get schools going again for the sake of many kids who need the framework of an organised day. Another view.
For me school is just as important for developing social skills as it is academic, more so perhaps for infant/primary years.
I am not doubting the importance of education, but protecting life (child and teacher) is more important. Spain are 2-3 weeks ahead of us, yet they are aiming towards schools restarting in September, not June. They don’t think that schools would be able to keep the children safe or that the children will comply with 1.5metre social distancing. Not just my opinion, but many think that the government are trying to move things forward, too quickly. Getting kids back to school to give them a “framework of an organised day” shouldn’t take precedence over safety.
Mrs F is a teacher. She is baffled by the idea of reception class being chosen and thinks that it will be all but impossible for them to socially distance, they just won't get the concept. It's a bit like getting five year olds to play football, they just chase the ball like one big swarm of bees.
My brother teaches in a private school - he's been doing video lessons since the school closed. I'm some ways, he prefers it because he does more teaching and fewer meetings.
Bollocks. The socialisation of children is the responsibility of parents. What really pisses me off is that everyone sees a school as providing childcare not the intellectual development of their children. I thought most parents were responsible adults but ever since my niece, who teachers reception, told me that she has to change the nappy of a child who is perfectly normal but has never been potty trained by her parents I realised the crap job most parents do of raising their children. It would do some people good to spend a day with a reception class teacher to see what a really **** job most parents do of raising their kids. I could never be a reception class teacher. I would probably murder half the disobedient little bastards before the end of the first week. A good starting point in socialising a child is to teach them that no means ****ing no. Sadly for most children their parents have never taught them that.
Someone on another board posted earlier that social distancing won't be in place for under 7s. No idea how true it is mind but found it interesting.
How does an adult teach a 4 year old to socialise with other 4 years olds? It can only come from experience of being around others that age. In fact, I'd go as far as saying it's because the parents aren't there that makes it so vital in that they have to learn to cope with situations on their own. Teaching no means no has nothing to do with learning social etiquette and how to form relationships with peers. Sorry but you seemed to used my post to have a rant about something unrelated, although I do largely agree (the nappy thing is absurd and apparently on the rise). Then again I'm a youngster so I've taught my boy to swear at and piss on the elderly init.
Thought I'd turn sky news on for the first time in ages... and it made me angry within 3 minutes. They are reporting on Yemen, and how covid is hurting an already war-torn country. They never report on the situation in Yemen in normal times, why are they doing so now? Never miss a chance to add to people's fears. Yet in normal times, when they could have been raising awareness and raising money, it was barely mentioned. Serves me right for putting the news on to be fair.
I am rather surprised by some of the remarks about socialising children. It is true some parents have very little idea about how to educate their children. However perhaps we should give a thought to how they were brought up back through the generations. I think each generation since WW2 could be guilty of leaving it to others more and more over the years. Again not all obviously but some took the easy way out and left it mainly to teachers. Having said that educating a child isn’t just about what they can learn through education system. Surely it’s about helping them to learn how to make decisions when they are away from adults and amongst themselves. The decisions they have to make outside the home is where all adults have a part to play. If they make a mistake it is then up to all involved to show that child how they could have made a better decision. It’s not just about right and wrong it is about why it is right or wrong. Then children ask more questions. Yes that can drive you barmy at times but if you have the patience Their questions may be rubbish to you but it should be encouraged. This unfortunately is where in my opinion the modern parent falls down, then tend to leave it to what they see as the person to educate their child. A very vicious circle........
Someone I know, their nine-year-old son recently got hospitalised with Kawasaki just two weeks ago and then tested positive for COVID-19 as a result of being kept in the hospital. Definitely a concern, as you say.
Footballers are to be tested twice a week and teachers are not. I think that says it all about this government.
This is clear advice. For those able to read the attachments an ITV centre is the Spanish equivalent of our MOT garage.
On the subject of schools I’ve been teaching in early years for 15 years and it staggers me that they are going to try and open early years departments first, let alone do it in June. Early years has a higher adult to child ratio so more potential carriers and vectors for spread. The relationships with children are more physical (they need a cuddle here and there and are used to that relationship) and their personal hygiene boarders on non-existent! I think schools in the UK aren’t exactly doing their best to provide continuity right now and a lot of that does come from the top. To my knowledge there’s still no top level policy regarding remote learning in the UK. There should have been one already but that’s a fairly forgivable oversight. To not have prepped something in the time given is disappointing. We’ve closed all schools until August at earliest here but I think a proper start in September is more likely. Since closing in February I’ve been sending activities to do at home, video calling for welfare checks and recording stories and songs for kids every day. It’s obviously going to be harder in the UK because of more socioeconomic issues and access to internet, but how about free school internet vouchers during this time? Schools know who these families are already and it’s only a matter of being given the money and the clarity on how to help them.
He's back home now so heading in the right direction, still on the meds for now and back in for some checkups but definitely improved.
Well according to the Daily Mirror he said it at 950am. Then three minutes later when asked by Marr to confirm it he backtracked and said that the only way to be safe was to stay indoors. Typical qualification of a false statement to deliberately confuse the viewers.
Does this go down as yet another own goal, by the government? I have read reports, going back several weeks, that indicated that the loss of smell and taste were symptoms associated with the coronavirus, yet the government has only decided to warn the public about this today. Weeks behind other countries! https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ts-advised-for-people-who-lose-taste-or-smell
