Everyone else is talking about it, so why not me?:
* on schools (again): it seems that the Commonwealth tried to get the States to agree on a consistent approach, but failed. My daughter is in year 12, and I regularly also chat to a State school primary school teacher of Year 1. From these sources, I have a fair idea that teachers are not happy and are fearful of catching it from their students. Queensland teachers were expecting the Easter holidays to be extended and brought forward, allowing a month long break. Now we are having a "going to school is not compulsory, but schools are open, and if you are in one State they would like you to go to school, but in another they would prefer you stay at home" mishmash, all (presumably) with students still having to sit exams and submit assessments whether or not their parent lets them go to school.
Morrison talked as if closing down schools might mean they can't reopen for, say, 6 months, and so all kids would lose a full year of school. But of course that's not a necessary outcome. I would ahve thought that re-arranging holidays this year allows the schools to get better prepared for both:
a. dealing with prevention in schools assuming they can continue after a month break (allowing classrooms to be re-arranged for distancing, building up a pile of soap, paper towels and hand sanitisers, detailing compulsory sanitation measures before classes, maybe even getting thermometers to allow student's temperatures to be taken) and
b. preparing for the potential need to fully close them to but allow for on line education to continue, even if at a reduced intensity compared to normal schooling.
And, as with other countries, you could also make it clear that those parents whose jobs simply do not allow for day time care of younger students, the schools will always be available to provide that service.
This would have made a lot more sense, if you ask me, compared to the weird sort of mishmash we now have.
* the financial response - I don't understand enough about it to have a strong opinion one way or another. Significant parts of it don't make obvious sense to me.
* closing down of cafes, pubs and cinemas, etc. Perhaps this needs more emphasis on a successful outcome meaning they can re-open, perhaps with limitations, in a (say) a month's time. I think part of the dismay about it is that the overall impression left is that the shutdown will likely be for months, not weeks.
3 comments:
My wife teaches at a school that had a pupil with coronavirus.
A one-off.
Very easy for teachers to have space from pupils.
Agree on confusing signals.
Homer, I honestly don't get the "very easy for teachers to have space from pupils" line you are pushing. Especially for primary school teachers.
So is your wife telling you that none of the teachers are concerned about catching it from students who may or may not be symptomatic? My daughter says that all of her teachers are worried about it and are longing for extended school holidays to begin now.
No , none are but it is a high school.
what is so hard about teachers avoiding contact with pupils?
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