Given Iceland's data surely schools should go back.

[Floatyboat]

www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2006100?query=featured_coronavirus

It appears that kids either don't get it much or their immune system stamps it out so quick the chance of transmission is very low. Iceland has been able to keep schools open and still gets these figures for under 10's.

Clearly some caution/graded opening may be sensible but to continue with the current status quo and all the associated harm is not justified.

Any other conclusions to be drawn from this data?

[MrsWhites]

But children have been infected and in some cases actually died of the virus across the world, I appreciate numbers seem to be low in this age bracket but cases have happened.

Adults are also required for schools and minimum staff numbers need to be maintained, I would imagine if schools were still open this would be hard to achieve with teachers/staff shielding or self isolating after suffering symptoms.

Schools also mean groups of parents gathering closely together at opening and closing times.

To open schools would be a big gamble with our children’s health, I for one am glad the government are not taking this chance!

[RedToothBrush]

So what about all the staff in schools.

Or how you have to have parents to drop children at schools. Who are incapable of social distancing whilst doing this.

Not only that but we don't know enough about covid-19 and how it affects different groups. Genetically Iceland has a very small pool, so there may well be higher genetic resistance than in other populations.

We don't know.

[slipperywhensparticus]

How does there school systemcomosre to ours? Class size pupil ratios even building size makes a difference

[Wannabangbang]

Children can and still do die of this as do teachers. So no i think it would be like imposing a death sentence should kids go back now. We aren't even at the peak yet, nevermind nearing the end of this catastrophic pandemic! Also it would mean many parents gathering in playground putting themselves at risk too.

[Zinniasout]

Schools are run by adults who could get very ill if they are constantly in contact with children who carry the virus unknowingly.

[socialcommentator]

Schools reopening makes sense, but schools are run by teachers and them and their unions will push back hard at the thought of returning.

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

Schools reopening makes sense, but schools are run by teachers and them and their unions will push back hard at the thought of returning. Do you blame them? Asking them to sacrifice their safety for someone elses convenience?

It's bad enough that all key workers, which already includes teachers, have to put themselves at risk without doing anything to increase it!

[Makeitgoaway]

I don't understand why people insist schools should be closed because some, very small numbers, of children do die. Tragic as that is, some children die every year from seasonal flu, chicken pox, measles. Some children die though accidents at or on the way to school. We don't close the schools. Some children will die because schools are closed and they are not being safeguarded adequately.

The main issue with the reopening of schools (as has been repeated here often) is the staff. Especially those in the vulnerable, but not shielded, category who will be unwilling/unable to work.

Schools can't reopen until guidelines change regarding measures to be taken by the "flu jab" group and teaching unions are satisfied that their members are not at risk as a result.

[Floatyboat]

I don't think anyone has actually read the paper.

This suggests that young children are unlikely to be even asymptomatic transmitters to any significant degree. Is that not relevant? More relevant than single case reports of children that died?

Also given school closures only happened late march why are we not seeing disproportionate amounts of middle aged teachers die on the news? Like we see doctors and nurses die. Presumably because schools aren't actually that risky / exposing people to high viral loads.

[SallyLovesCheese]

but schools are run by teachers

Teachers didn't make the decision to close the schools.

Don't you think if teachers did run schools we'd do away with the pointless paperwork, teaching to the test, marking all work with 3 different coloured pens and the like?

[iVampire]

It’s going to be difficult until rapid testing is widely available. Because if every raised temp with cough means 1-2 weeks off in isolation (depending on which family member gets it first) that is going to be highly disruptive to learning,

That’s both for teachers who would need covering, and because of the number pupils who would need catching up.

That’s aside from working out how DC of families with a shielded member, or DC who are themselves shielded it highly vulnerable will receive education

[Makeitgoaway]

With regard to teachers OP, the advice to that "flu jab" group is to stay home except for exercise, so whether the children are a risk to them or not, mixing with other staff, parents, travelling to work is against the advice they're being given.

[Wannabangbang]

What about the risk to adult staff and adult parents dropping off?

[CaryStoppins]

One of the points about closing schools is it keeps adults at home - that reduces virus spread.

[shineaflight]

So because of one newspaper article we should send the kids back. No. Why is everyone so desperate to get rid of their children? It's only been 3 weeks

[middleager]

Which part of the country are you in OP? How badly hit is your area? I live in the town with the highest risk to life right now so I'd need reassurances.

My son has asthma so will all the kids with poor health be disdavantaged if they can't go back?

Isn't Iceland less densley populated? Again, where I live the densisty of population is part of the reason we are a hotspot.

[YangShanPo]

It's not just the school staff, kids will bring it home and spread it to their family members.

[StrawberryF1eld]

Children don’t teach themselves. What protection would the adults have? I wouldn’t want to be stuck 24/7 in very close quarters with 30 children at the moment,would you ?

[middleager]

My one child gets a public bus and the other a taxi. So those transport services would need to be running also.

[Makeitgoaway]

SallyLovesCheese In a lot of cases (head)teachers did make the decision to close the schools, as a result of severe staff shortages because of self isolation and vulnerable staff. IMO the government were forced to close earlier than they planned because so many schools couldn't stay open anyway.

It will be the same with any re-opening. The government can decree schools are open but if they don't have sufficient staff to do so safely, HTs will remain closed.

[edwinbear]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/04/14/pressure-mounts-re-open-primary-schools-may-half-term-catastrophic/

Potentially by May 11th looking at this morning's news.

[justanotherneighinparadise]

My god. Petitions to close the schools then 3 weeks later petitions to open them again? Everyone is so bloody contrary.

[Makeitgoaway]

Middleager, those services have never stopped. We still have vuknerable children coming to school by bus and taxi.

[MonaLisaDoesntSmile]

@Floatyboat because no one mentioned every single profession of every single person who died. Unless you know statistics which have not been released, do you know how many teachers died? How many builders? How many unemployed? How many sales assistants? No one counts. Focus is on NHS. School staff gets no PPE, or classes are overcrowded, no way to implement good hygiene measures and keep people apart. Maybe volunteer yourself to work in a school during this time? Your help would be appreciated in your local schools I'm sure.