Will the government do a u- turn on their school opening plans?

[SistemaAddict]

Having read the below document and lots of threads on here from teachers and parents, I would be very surprised if the guidance issued for schools the other day isn't hastily amended. So many concerns about safety have been raised and the teachers unions are not happy. I just don't see how it is possible to reopen safely. My own DC's primary school is small and there is no way due to the building design and location that they will be able to implement the guidance.

I'm not sending mine back as I'm shielded but wouldn't send them anyway. I don't deem it safe.

What do others think?

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/884171/FINALL6.6637COOHMGC199RecoveryFINALL110520v22WEB11.pdf

[Sirzy]

I don’t think there will be a U turn. It has been made clear all along that 1st June is the earliest date the move to that step could happen. That doesn’t mean it should or will happen on that day though

[Frazzled2207]

It doesn’t necessarily matter - as far as I understand it schools can refuse to open if they can’t make it safe- what out HT has suggested anyway

[GeriGeranium]

They don’t need to u turn.

They said the earliest it could happen was 1 June, depending on infection rates and whether schools could reopen safely.

The advice from unions and teachers is overwhelmingly that they can’t, so they won’t.

[SistemaAddict]

Our school WhatsApp group is full of parents thinking that their children are definitely going back after half term. They haven't taken the ifs, buts, maybes into account at all. I've not heard from the school itself since the document was published so I'll be interested to see what the HT says when they do get in touch.

[ThatsWhatHeroesDo]

I would like to send my child back to school but I don't actually see it happening. She needs new shoes if she goes back but I've not bothered ordering any. I'll run to Asda on 29th May if needs be.

[NoMorePoliticsPlease]

This is a bit like the going back to work Mon or wed. The message is Can open/can return, not the police will arrest you on June 1st if your child cannot attend. Whatever the scientific eveidence to suggest the low risk ( and therefore the first tentative unlocking) Parents and teachers will worry. Now that the unions are involved it will be a very slow dribble. An intersting array of Can Do and hysteria from head teachers will muddy the water. Whether you are a teacher or a parent make your own decision

[vanillandhoney]

No. They don't need to do a U-turn.

They haven't said for sure that anything will happen on June 1st - it's just the earliest possible date for schools to begin to open again.

[BiarritzCrackers]

BJ's words were "at the earliest by June 1", which is useful, because it doesn't make sense and can be interpreted as you wish. It's intentionally so.

"At the latest, by June 1", makes sense.
"At the earliest, from June 1", makes sense.
"At the earliest, by June 1", does not.

[Fairylillie]

Yes, because everyone lying on the beach and in the park having picnics with friends and family is going to put the infection rate back up (plus the overcrowding on public transport, the fact that the police have said today they can't enforce the 2m distance and all the people who've decided to ignore the rules and do what they want from now on). We'll be going back into lockdown in early June.

[PheasantPlucker1]

Personally I think schools wont open, and they were never going to.

The Gov created a scenario where they made it absolutely impossible for schools to do so safely so when teachers complained, it could be blamed on lazy work shy teachers complaining.

[IndecentFeminist]

We need to make moves back towards school. It isn't unreasonable to ask us in schools to be trying to make it happen. Either the govt tells us what to do and we complain that we are the experts and should work it out, or they don't tell us how to do it and we complain they're leaving us in the shit.

Statistically teachers and pupils are not at any greater risk than anyone else.

[TeenPlusTwenties]

I think a lot of parents will choose to keep their children at home to start with.
Which will make it easier for schools to reopen safely as there will be fewer children in.

[Maybelatte]

He said stage 2 will only happen if everyone is sensible during stage 1 which they won’t be because people are idiots.

[LemonBreeland]

I'm in Scotland so this doesn't affect my DC, but there are so many threads on here that are reading like schools are just going to open on 1st June. That has never been said, and it could well be pushed back. There is nothing set in stone. Considering it's less than 3 weeks away, I'm not sure they will have a concrete plan in place by then anyway.