How we got here, a thread (1/25)

Before Christmas, owing to rising infection rates, Greenwich advised their schools to shut before the end of term – several councils later advised the same. (2/25)
https://t.co/zt5PKT06Xr
.@educationgovuk threatened these schools with legal action if they did, resulting in schools re-opening their doors for the last few days of term. (3/25)
https://t.co/F0msj2r7HL
The General Secretary of the ASCL, @RealGeoffBarton, accused the @educationgovuk of using "bully boy tactics" to stick to a "robotic mantra to keep schools open whatever the cost" but added "the costs could be incredibly high." (4/25)
https://t.co/YOPeRqFzPj
During this time, @KevinStannard1 warned that we could be heading for another exams U-turn (*spoiler alert*: he was correct). (5/25) https://t.co/ziSGCvXfQ5
On 16 December, our reporters @tweetsbyames and @JohnGRoberts started to hear that there could be a delayed return in Janurary. (6/25)
https://t.co/z5AGSjhn1c
There was also a whole outcry and U-turn around having school staff carry out Covid tests around the same time… (7/25)
https://t.co/NrFTWrHeVC
Schools were being put in an impossible position over lack of clarity about how and when the spring term would start, public accounts committee chair @Meg_HillierMP told top @educationgovuk official. (8/25)
https://t.co/yJSnNpHohi
Revealed in a scoop by us that most secondary school pupils would be learning online in the first week back next year. Only exam groups back in person. This is the same week @educationgovuk took legal action to stop some London schools moving online(9/25)
https://t.co/66wpriA4Pk
In order to get the @educationgovuk testing in place for January, @MattHancock wanted headteachers to work over Christmas to make sure it was ready. (10/25)
https://t.co/u2pRzhiWFb
The new variant of the virus was uncovered, which turned out to be more infectious – and experts warned it might lead to more cases among schoolchildren. (11/25)
https://t.co/bas8TdwxK8
During this period (WE ARE NOT EVEN AT CHRISTMAS YET) @GavinWilliamson and the government claimed that schools didn’t drive up the number of Covid infections. (12/25)
https://t.co/TOs1tppQkU
A crunch meeting between the prime minister and the DfE on 23 December about reopening schools was postponed until after Christmas. (13/25)
https://t.co/l5WwaC1glH
The government also accidentally banned the education of children around this time as well… (14/25)
https://t.co/Zwm2H7fLfE
In an exclusive from us, we revealed the government’s plans of school reopening after mounting pressure for a delayed start owing to Covid infection rates rising countrywide. (15/25)
https://t.co/yeYDz0KRcy
.@gavinwilliamson gave a speech to the Commons confirming everything we had reported on schools reopening. (16/25)
https://t.co/AEUXPZGxff
Some primary schools were to remain shut, raising questions over why some councils were chosen above others (17/25)
https://t.co/boQDtUPyFW
'Schools are safe,' insists @BorisJohnson. 🤷‍♀️ (18/25)
https://t.co/uwHjsHh3aC
On New Year’s Eve, education secretary @GavinWilliamson said he is "absolutely confident" that there will be no further delay to school return plans in January (19/25)
https://t.co/pMTsY0cQN2
School leaders started to demand @educationgovuk’s reasoning around certain primaries being closed and not others (20/25)
https://t.co/Rx6lzCntc1
U-turn incoming! This raised questions about why all primary schools in London were closed but some in other Tier 4 areas across England were still scheduled to open (21/25)
https://t.co/aczChktDlk
The government insists the U-turn wasn’t about safety concerns… (22/25)
https://t.co/xvmncmls6A
The unions then got involved, forming an alliance to protest @gavinwilliamson’s plan @NEUnion @NASUWT @NAHTnews @unisontheunion @GMB_union & @unitetheunion (23/25)
https://t.co/zLEc4W4rxo
This all leads to last night’s announcement. @BorisJohnson announced – at the end of a day when thousands had returned to school – that schools should close their buildings for all but vulnerable children and children of key workers (24/25) https://t.co/eRMOQv8vEY
There is likely a lot more coming in the next few days, so keep an eye out on our profile @tes and our website (25/25)
https://t.co/8I0Jt9nwzk

More from Education

You asked. So here are my thoughts on how osteopathic medical students should respond to the NBOME.

(thread)


Look, even before the Step 2 CS cancellation, my DMs and email were flooded with messages from osteopathic medical students who are fed up with the NBOME.

There is *real* anger toward this organization. Honestly, more than I even heard about from MD students and the NBME.

The question is, will that sentiment translate into action?

Amorphous anger on social media is easy to ignore. But if that anger gets channeled into organized efforts to facilitate change, then improvements are possible.

This much should be clear: begging the NBOME to reconsider their Level 2-PE exam is a waste of your time.

Best case scenario, you’ll get another “town hall” meeting, a handful of platitudes, and some thoughtful beard stroking before being told that they’re keeping the exam.

Instead of complaining to the NBOME, here are a few things that are more likely to bring about real change.

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"I lied about my basic beliefs in order to keep a prestigious job. Now that it will be zero-cost to me, I have a few things to say."


We know that elite institutions like the one Flier was in (partial) charge of rely on irrelevant status markers like private school education, whiteness, legacy, and ability to charm an old white guy at an interview.

Harvard's discriminatory policies are becoming increasingly well known, across the political spectrum (see, e.g., the recent lawsuit on discrimination against East Asian applications.)

It's refreshing to hear a senior administrator admits to personally opposing policies that attempt to remedy these basic flaws. These are flaws that harm his institution's ability to do cutting-edge research and to serve the public.

Harvard is being eclipsed by institutions that have different ideas about how to run a 21st Century institution. Stanford, for one; the UC system; the "public Ivys".