When do the schools go back after Corona?

[nd_eric_77]

My school has not posted any plans yet, but a significant percentage of parents (ie: the loudest ones in WA groups) are not willing to send their kids back until the kiddos can be vaccinated. Guess we will see. If we do get to bring the students back, schools need to establish policies for what to do when a student or teacher tests positive. Is there post-exposure isolation for those in close contact? How do we define close contact? Spending a 50-minute class in the same room with 25 other students? These are important decisions.

 

[dafluff]

If we do get to bring the students back, schools need to establish policies for what to do when a student or teacher tests positive. Is there post-exposure isolation for those in close contact? How do we define close contact? Spending a 50-minute class in the same room with 25 other students? These are important decisions.

These decisions should not be placed on parents, teachers or school administrators, none of whom are trained in epidemiology. It is ridiculous that there are no guidelines for this from the government, even if they just copy paste what Malaysia (or some other country) is doing.

 

[ChrisTex]

To be honest, I rather have some input in the decision instead of some government official who hasn't stepped into a classroom in a number of years.

 

[godmachine12]

These decisions should not be placed on parents, teachers or school administrators, none of whom are trained in epidemiology. It is ridiculous that there are no guidelines for this from the government, even if they just copy paste what Malaysia (or some other country) is doing.

Yes, yes, yes! When I read that ultimately parents would be able to decide if their kids study on-site or online, I thought to myself, ‘This is the ultimate shirk.’ It's beyond belief that the government would be so foolish and irresponsible.

 

[Helpful Herbert]

How do you force a parent to send their kids back to school during a pandemic?

 

[nd_eric_77]

How do you force a parent to send their kids back to school during a pandemic?

Hence the difficulty. Schools theoretically could refuse to pass students who have excessive absences, but they will have to weigh this against the lost revenue from students whose parents simply withdraw their kids from school rather than send them to in-person classes.

 

[dafluff]

Here is a story of a vocational high school (SMK) who took part in a face-to-face learning trial run. After 8 people showed symptoms, they tested all the students and found 179 positive students.

Semula 8 siswa SMK batuk dan anosmia, ternyata 179 siswa positif Covid-19

Mereka mengalami demam, batuk serta kehilangan indra penciuman atau anosmia.

regional.kontan.co.id

None if this should come as a surprise. We know people of all ages will have an impossible time following health protocols.

 

[Helpful Herbert]

I don't really see any possibility of schools opening again until 2023 or later. Covid is now endemic throughout the whole country and vaccination campaigns will take at least 2 years. Any attempt to open schools in the meantime will result in a huge spike and they will have to close again. I'm wondering how many of the international teachers will stick around that long ...

 

[William King]

I don't really see any possibility of schools opening again until 2023 or later. Covid is now endemic throughout the whole country and vaccination campaigns will take at least 2 years. Any attempt to open schools in the meantime will result in a huge spike and they will have to close again. I'm wondering how many of the international teachers will stick around that long ...

Or how many schools will be able to pay international teachers for long.

 

[ChrisTex]

Another thing is how it is going to affect the different exams like Cambridge. Cambridge isn't doing anyone any favors right now.

 

[nd_eric_77]

Another thing is how it is going to affect the different exams like Cambridge. Cambridge isn't doing anyone any favors right now.

Have you heard anything from Cambridge? Are the exams going to have the same regulations as they did in 2019?

 

[ChrisTex]

Have you heard anything from Cambridge? Are the exams going to have the same regulations as they did in 2019?

I know they canceled the ones in the UK, but they are apparently still planning on having the may/June exams as normal. The curriculum director and I had hoped they would allow us to do it like last year. The only they I have heard is they will allow schools to skip certain parts of the exam, but they won't do predicted grades like last year.


There is a webinar on Wednesday and if it is anything like the one in August when they tried to explain the scores, bring your popcorn and a few drinks. In August to say everyone was pissed is an understatement. If people could reach through the screen and throw punches, the Cambridge people would be black and blue all over.

 

[ChrisTex]

And Cambridge is going to be screwing over millions of students as they are insisting everyone has to sit the exam in May/June or move it to November. They were full of excuses once again. They must live with unicorns, sparkle like the vampires on Twilight, and shit rainbows.


Yes I am pissed off as this is screwing my students.

 

[HappyMan]

Or how many schools will be able to pay international teachers for long.

Are the students not paying the normal tuition? My child's school (not an international school) has hardly changed the tuition. The major difference is in meals and field trip costs.

All courses are online.

 

[William King]

Are the students not paying the normal tuition? My child's school (not an international school) has hardly changed the tuition. The major difference is in meals and field trip costs.

All courses are online.

Most are. But many students are withdrawing, many parents expecting discounts.

The bottom line will hurt schools.

Reducing the number of expats will save money in the short term.

 

[ChrisTex]

So AQA, Oxford, and Pearson have cancelled their exams so far. Cambridge stands alone. HOWEVER, they are scheduled to make an announcement about June 2021 soon. Fingers, toes, legs, hair, and anything else than can be crossed that Cambridge finally sees the light regarding their madness to try and have in person exams.

 

[HappyMan]

So AQA, Oxford, and Pearson have cancelled their exams so far. Cambridge stands alone. HOWEVER, they are scheduled to make an announcement about June 2021 soon. Fingers, toes, legs, hair, and anything else than can be crossed that Cambridge finally sees the light regarding their madness to try and have in person exams.

What is the reasoning for doing in-person rather than video? Are they worried about real-time coaching?

 

[ChrisTex]

What is the reasoning for doing in-person rather than video? Are they worried about real-time coaching?

I am guessing, but I don't think they even know they are doing.

Cambridge believes that the testing is more accurate and academic integrity than teachers predicting grades. They also claimed despite the exams being cancelled in the UK, France and German are in school and they are going to do the tests in person so everyone should too. Plus they can't predict the future when told schools aren't allowed to meet face to face(it is actually a crime now). Their advice: move the exams to Oct/Nov.

This isn't the first time Cambridge has nearly screwed over students. Last year they asked teachers to give their predicted grades and be ready to provide evidence on why you think they should have that grade. When they released the scores, instead of using the predicted grades, they use historical grades instead. If you scroll up where I mention about the webinar last August, that was when they tried to justify and explain why they did it. A week later they said they were going to use the predicted scores.

Normally I would agree, but we aren't exactly in normal times. I understand some teachers might inflate the grades, but that is what the evidence is for. I would argue there is probably cheating that goes on during the in person test. My main issue is Cambridge doesn't have a back up plan. They think the covid situation is the same around the world and we should go back to the way things were. I am fairly sure everyone wants this, but common sense says, we can't and we don't know when we can. I heard one person say the reasons why we are in this mess with Cambridge is because the people running it are old.

 

[Methblinkz]

In Batam we have some schools with mixed possibilities. We don't really have or had a general lockdown (schools are different though) here but it seems like many parenta are scared to send their children to the school.
Some have strictly online classes, in otherschools you can sign an agreement that the school won't be responsible if your kid catches Covid. So you can choose between online or offline. From what we heard it is going to continue like this for an unknown time.

Iam tired of arguing about Corona and I don't know what to think about hard general lockdowns. Seems like only China and a few others really succeeded with it. I don't know if it is the only thing that helps, it seems like it also depends on who and how you test. Anyway, someone could criticize Batams decision for no real lockdown. Maybe things will go longer than they should this way. So yeah, uncertain times for many things.

 

[ChrisTex]

Good news, Cambridge is going to allow teachers assessment for the May/June sries!