Lockdown Easing

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Scallywag
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Aug 18 2020 19:47
Lockdown Easing

What is your opinion on the easing of lockdowns, sending children back to school and ending furlough scheme?

With the sending kids back to school I am in two minds about it myself. On the one hand I've got a 'we don't need no education' approach to it as the purpose of education under capitalism isn't necessarily to let people learn but to socially condition the youth and prepare them for a life of work, constant never ending assessment or evaluation and subservience to hierarchies, as well as a day care service for adults so they can work whilst their kids are at school. On the other hand they obviously need an education especially since its absolutely necessary under a capitalist system for your own well being, and a whole generation could miss out on opportunities if they can't go to school.

I think they have sent kids back more in the interest that its the first step to getting the rest of the economy moving again because they can then force adults back into work. Can children not learn from home? Those who can work from home still work from home and those who can't remain on furlough?

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Scallywag
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Aug 18 2020 19:50
Scallywag wrote:
'we don't need know education'

Oh dear clearly I do! grin

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adri
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Joined: 25-11-16
Aug 19 2020 09:49
Quote:
I think they have sent kids back more in the interest that its the first step to getting the rest of the economy moving again because they can then force adults back into work. Can children not learn from home? Those who can work from home still work from home and those who can't remain on furlough?

Some schools in the US have re-opened or plan on re-opening soon. In some cases, like with universities, there's an increased focus on remote-learning, which most already offered. It's different with primary and secondary schools that don't have that sort of infrastructure in place, and which I don't imagine would really solve the getting-parents-back-to-work problem. There's also been some resistance against re-opening too soon or on unsafe terms, with teachers organizing sickouts and teacher unions saying they intend to strike. Anti-police protests are still on-going in places like Oregon, Kentucky and elsewhere (and I imagine students make up a part of that); lots of people are still out of work or have been affected work-wise; there are struggles around evictions; there's only been a single stimulus check a couple months ago, etc. I don't see how anyone couldn't be influenced or politicised, and I don't imagine older students are all that hopeful about their futures under capitalism. In any case "the economy" and capitalism's antagonisms and contradictions aren't going to be remedied by parents' return to work or schools' churning out obedient workers.

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adri
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Joined: 25-11-16
Aug 20 2020 20:32

Detroit teachers union vote to authorize safety strike

https://twitter.com/DetroitIWW/status/1296217287821860864

Quote:
DETROIT – (August 19, 2020) During an emergency special meeting Wednesday, members of the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) voted to authorize a potential safety strike aimed at pressing the Detroit Public Schools Community District to implement basic science-based safety protocols before schools reopen during the continuing coronavirus pandemic.