Starmer has backed rapid schools return, while sacked Rebecca Long-Bailey sided with unions in their concern about explosion of coronavirus outbreaks in schools
Boris Johnson has wasted no time in exploiting the removal of any opposition to his rush to re-open schools.
Labour leader Keir Starmer sacked Rebecca Long-Bailey – in spite of the prevailing cover story – because she refused to stop backing the National Education Union (NEU), Unite and other unions in their insistence that children and teachers must only go back into the classroom when it is safe to do so.
The doubling of coronavirus outbreaks in schools over the last few days shows that the UK is a long way from such safety – yet Starmer has continued to support an early return – and a string of so-called ‘centrists’ undermined Long-Bailey even when she was in post, appearing in radio, TV and print interviews to agree with their boss’s accommodation of Johnson’s wishes.
Now, with opposition removed from the Shadow Education brief, Johnson has immediately announced that children will be forced back to school in September – come what may – and that parents will be fined if they try to protect their kids by refusing to comply.
Johnson told an interviewer:
I want all children back in school in September.
Asked whether it would be compulsory, he responded:
Yes, it’s the law.
It’s worth noting that Johnson is not demanding that all MPs return to the Commons chamber. How the Tories will enforce any prosecution if parents claim the ‘Cummings defence’ of following “the instincts of every father and every parent” is unclear.
The UK epidemic has already seen at least 148 teachers die – and doctors are still trying to understand a new inflammatory disease in children following coronavirus infection.
But with the opposition away, the man responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people from the virus can play.
The SKWAWKBOX needs your support. This site is provided free of charge but depends on the generosity of its readers to be viable. If you can afford to, please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal or here for a monthly donation via GoCardless. Thanks for your solidarity so this blog can keep bringing you information the Establishment would prefer you not to know about.
If you wish to reblog this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.
Starmer the stupid strikes again.
He isn’t stupid at all. He is a disgusting careerist who doesn’t give a shit about the lives of our children, their parents, our teachers or any working people at all.
spot on well said
Brian – On the contrary Keir has been pressing Johnson for months to seriously address the issues surrounding the safe reopening our schools. The safety of staff, children and the wider community are at the very centre of his demands. He has also been working hard with the Unions to ensure that the safety of those returning to work in the wider population is properly addressed.
Sir Keir Starmer has accused Boris Johnson’s government of being “asleep at the wheel” over the reopening of schools in England insisting there had been a “total lack” of planning.
Speaking to Sky News, Sir Keir said: “From the day the schools were shut down, it was obvious what needed to happen to get them back open again. You needed a risk assessment, and you needed to look at the space. I’ve talked to loads of headteachers, and the points they have made to me were obvious and practical and could have been overcome.”
He added: “If you could put up Nightingale hospitals – a good thing to do – you can certainly put up temporary classrooms, you can certainly take over libraries, community centres.
“Had there been work on this from the day the schools closed down, I genuinely think we could have had all our children back in school by now, but the government was asleep at the wheel, didn’t get to this until too late in the day, and now we’re in the situation where children will be able to do other things this weekend, but not be in school on Monday.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coronavirus-uk-keir-starmer-response-schools-boris-johnson-england-a9590811.html
Bozo says that he will tell Nanny if parents don’t send their children back to school in September.
Starmer is acraven careerist who doesn’t give a shit about our children, their parents or any working people at all.
On the contrary – See my earlier reply to you.
More from the Bumper Book of Scary Fairy Stories for the Gullible – the poor man’s combined Beeb and Guardian. The mark of bollocks is always partial truth (or simply fabrication) and failure to put figures in context.
(1) You don’t know how many teachers died of Corona Virus – because nobody does.
(2) 148 is a miniscule figure in terms of the average number of deaths per year. In terms of the teaching force, it’s 0.03% – far less than average general mortality in the population.
(3) How many teachers died in the last significant ‘flu season?
Do tell.
As to children – the figures for them are in. I suppose you *have* to make up more Scary Fairy nonsense to get so far from the reality that the danger posed to them is virtually nil.
Whether it should generally be illegal to keep children out of school is a debatable question – but not that schools are at any exceptional risk.
Sorry – I have no patience with amplification of government/MSM fictions.
“Government/MSM fictions” – as always, you restrict your condemnation to the UK – presumably because, with the last vestige of reason, you recognise how fucking insane you’d appear if you called everyone else on the planet a fool – but that is implied in your ridiculous rants.
ENOUGH of your distraction and diversion, JUST ADDRESS THAT POINT.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/suspected-covid-19-outbreaks-in-schools-almost-doubles/amp/
Says it all ,
now for the flat Earthers after 3—- 1 .put index fingers in ears ,2 draw breath and 3.go lalalalalalalalalalalal not listening lalalalalaa
The message is simple , schools are breading grounds for cross infection and spreading of most anything going , now go figure the rest out , it’s obvious , PS the Earth is NOT flat
Here are the number of deaths where Covid19 was listed as the only cause, split by age:
Ages 0-19: 3
Ages 20-39: 32
Ages 40-59: 255
Ages 60-79: 551
Ages 80+: 477
These are across all of England and Wales since the beginning of the “pandemic”.
Simply put: Of the 27045 deaths with Covid19 in English hospitals (up to June 3rd), only 1318 had no pre-existing conditions. That’s less than 5%.
This mirrors, almost exactly, the statistics reported in Italy back in March.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/06/COVID-19-total-announced-deaths-3-June-2020-weekly-tables.xlsx
There are approximately 8,740,000 million pupils in all schools in England. There 425,200 teachers in England and 43,500 teachers in Wales as of the 28.10.2019.
Meanwhile, the majority of children have missed about 17 weeks of education in a school many of those will be doing GCSEs plus A-levels courses which are extremely important for their future.
And of course it’s beyond human ingenuity to review the previous term or two’s work before resuming the curriculum, is it?
So what if it means putting back the exams and even extending their time in education?
More teachers would be required and salaries would have to be raised to attract them – but don’t we care about our children enough to do that? More and better paid teachers is a GOOD thing, right?
Maybe we even care enough to legislate that higher education and future employers must make appropriate allowances for this cohort’s disrupted schooling?
Unfortunately, the loss17 weeks of year 10 GCSEs for pupils is very difficult for them to recover from as most experienced state school teachers will verify.
In terms of the A- Level syllabus, although they are much more independent learners the loss of 17 weeks teaching in schools for the weaker students, it can be very detrimental to their future grades , as most experienced state school teachers will verify. In terms of putting the exams back and extending the time for GCSES plus A-Levels that would be very welcome for them, however, this would have a knock effect in terms of potential places in further education eg colleges, universities or even potential employment.
In addition, the problem of extending these courses would mean running into the following year would cause very considerable logistical problems for a school as many experienced state school teachers will verify. The problem of retention of teachers prior to this year was considerable as a great many left the profession within 5 years of graduating and many more sought to retire as soon as possible besides of course with the more difficult schools they have had problems retaining staff because of work load, stress and behaviour problems from students as many experienced state school teachers will verify.
So it’s not just about pay, it’s about the problems I have pointed out and more as most state school teachers will verify. Therefore, I suggest , before putting pinky to keyboard go and work in a inner state school when the opportunity arises , as you appear not to have much of an idea about the reality of many state schools.
So you’re saying it’s beyond your ingenuity. Understood.
“Running into the following year” was clearly front and centre in my call for more teachers, and attracting more teachers clearly requires better pay and conditions.
Adjusting curricula, expanding school terms/reducing holidays temporarily, ditching oppressive over-testing demands on teachers, after-school catch-ups, revised examination and revised university entrance dates and allowances on academic requirements are all perfectly feasible – it takes effort, novel thinking and flexibility but it’s doable – but possibly not by people who are set in their ways and dedicated to the status quo.
Clearly recovery will take more than one year, but the load will reduce year on year.
The whole education system has been deprived of so much for so long we all knew it was in deep trouble long before CV – CV has, however, highlighted the strengths of its workforce as well as the weaknesses of the government.
What better time will there be to demand greater attention and funding be paid to education than now, when parents have experienced what life is like without it?
When I started teaching in 1981 it was still a profession and, in many good cases a vocation.
It is now regarded by our multi-party governing class as a job, where actual teaching is replaced by “delivering” the curriculum.
The curriculum itself is, on the whole,not fit for purpose, being designed and delivered in bite-size chunks, with the purpose of measuring teacher performance first and foremost.
The vastly more important objective of assisting the cognitive development of children has no place in such a ridiculous system, and,for that reason it is relatively easy for people to leave school these days functionally illiterate and innumerate.
For reasons such as these, large numbers of teachers bail out after only five years in the job, the causes of poor attainment and behaviour are not seriously addressed, we continue to sink in international measures of educational attainment, and allow our population to be the ongoing victim of lies and massive propaganda.
Cannot see Uncle Festa and cheap and nasty Tory party defending their Covid19 policies or lack of them in court
District Judges dont like you taking the piss
Some children shielding in certain at risk groups have still not been released from shielding measures by their health care teams. If insufficient measures are in place when schools fully reopen then children in certain groups may never be able to return to mainstream schools. They have already had appointments and treatment postponed. Some will even be placed on palative care as money within the NHS becomes short and difficult decisions by doctors have to be made about whom will receive treatment. Now number 10 wishes to fine the parents of these children if they do not return to school. The parents will say no and will also not be able to or be reluctant to send siblings.
The sick, elderly and those living with certain health conditions are being cast aside by the government. Equality is non existent in the Conservative Party. The Labour Party is supposed to be fully supportive of equality and should not be backing the government if no measures are in place to facilitate the return of all pupils to school.
Excellent news nothing like threatening parents over their kids safety to really piss them off , great to see Johnson polling fall through the floor . Mind you arse wipe Starmer will no doubt offer his whole hearted support fo what the Gov is doing .
Interesting to note the FACT that the US has now shut down again pubs etc due to spikes in CV19 infections , just like will happen as a result of the schools being fully open.
I can just imagine Bozo pontificating to the GB public ” just you listen UP YOU PLEBEIAN PARENTS and get your spawn to off to their SCHOOLS OR ELSE !
Oh and ARSE WIPE Starmer you just dam well better get your new lackey to kick the shit out of the School Unions and whip em into line boy ! … That is all !
Johnson’s fall when it comes will be heavy. Sadly many more will have died before he’s toppled, and this country will be in ruins. But little comfort that waiting in the wings is Starmer, the soft right alternative, Friend of Israel and Netanyahu puppet. Starmer may be around for some time, consolidating his power base with a Putin like efficiency. Many from the left have now left the Labour party, outraged by some of this man’s magnolia mediocrity coupled with his love of Israel, bland and half-baked in his his opposition to the beast Johnson, and conducting a clandestine love affair with the chief rabbi. Many more will leave after his disgraceful treatment of Long-Bailey. Of course, Starmer knows this. Don’t let anyone be under the illusion that his latest uncharacteristically incisive action was not fully thought through. The more left wing activists leave the grass roots of the party, the stronger Starmer’s position, and the longer will be his tenure as leader. As unprepossessing as what Starmer seems to be is, he is, actually, not quite what seems.
A nice thought but I suspect he will not fall anywhere , it is imo already part of the 1922 committee strategy to replace him next yr post Brexit , with a more acceptable face for the Tory party , less contentious so as to smooth things over when the CCV19 enquiries start .That will as we all know be an utter white wash , and of course the guilty party will be off the scene by then .
Meanwhile Arse Wipe Starmer will continue as leader of the Tory support Party , the only hope imo is the rise in strength of Forward Momentum as a LW vehicle to challenge the unt ( must get that faulty C key fixed ) when the time is right .
Country is already in ruins and has been for decades, definitely 15 years+
This is why our government is turning in on us. No more far away lands to plunder. Those that remain are not pushovers…
Just about everything has been sold (NHS is only really a name now), often at cheap rates to mates and chums. 90%+ of politicians are guilty of aiding and abetting this situation, both past and present.
As George Carlin said “Right now, right this minute is as good as it gets”
It is (already ruined) I agree. But still plenty scope to make it worse. And Johnson’s the very man to do it, while Starmer looks on like a shop window manikin and cuddles up to the chief rabbi.
David Mc Niven 4pm. If you noticed , evidently you didn’t, I repeated the phrase 4 times “ as most experienced state teachers will tell you”, so what is your experience in teaching in state schools?
Moreover, you may have noticed, probably not, “ The problem of retention of teachers was prior to this year was considerable ….”.
With every statement you have made, you demonstrated your total lack of comprehension of what actually takes place in many state schools.
Just to reiterate, I suggested you go and work in an inner city state school then you might have some idea what you are writing about instead of displaying your ignorance. Your are never to old to learn.
“Your are never too old to learn.”
Your, on the other hand, apparently are.
Message for Boriski: “Try it!”
Meanwhile the government is planning to appoint up to 30 new unelected Lords this year – including Conservative donors and party figures, according to The Times. The paper reveals today:
“Donors understood to be on the list include Michael Spencer, a billionaire financier who has served as Tory treasurer, Peter Cruddas, who has given more than £3 million since 2007, and Jon Moynihan, a multimillionaire venture capitalist who chaired the Vote Leave finance committee.”
https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/the-government-is-set-to-appoint-dozens-of-new-lords-for-life/