Anti-dementors are driving round the Arc de Triomphe

[SockYarn]

new thread :-)

We've just had an email from school too. They've confirmed that whilst social distancing is 2m they don't have the space for any more year groups to come back, so that's that for ds who is Y5. They've also said that because of this, in September, they will go back to their current teachers for the first two weeks, so that they can transition across to new teachers and school years in that period.

Dd, who is Y8, just doesn't exist apparently. Her school has been a total shambles.

It's fine for Nicola to say to stay local. If you live in Wester Ross and your nearest supermarket is Inverness or Dingwall, it's not so easy, is it?

Exactly. My mums in Berwickshire and nearest town is Berwick so not only over the border (!) but ten miles. Only bus going, turns around and comes back so can't get off!

Maybe that is the plan! So I struggle to get Tesco's slots and Amazon deliveries to her from England. Hmm. I also after ages managed to find a fruit shop in a border town which will take her some of that and veg, and a milk man. But FFS.

Our primary is not having any more years back either. Secondary very intense with assessed pieces of work instead of summer exams. Just had an email reminding me of stuff needed in due to it being assessed

I guess it is in case of needing teacher assessments perhaps. Hope some pushy parents are not helping some of them out (have a few of them nearby)

This gull is clearly a proper follower of The Roolz

This education fiasco....words actually fail me sometimes 🤬🤬

1m distancing agreed for schools by NI Executive!

I like the sound of starting off with their old teachers @AnxiousElephant77. The secondary situation is indeed shambolic, but TBH if getting children back to primary, where they all stay in the same classroom with the same teacher all day, is apparently too difficult, I’m not surprised the computer says no when it comes to secondary. The lack of innovation and problem solving initiative is dismal.

Good for Bill! Playgrounds are especially important for city children as they’re less likely to have gardens. People have started breaking into playgrounds round here. And there’s the absurd situation that we found ourselves in the other day, where 10 kids from different families were up the same tree, playing together few meters away from the padlocked playground

Obviously only for Northern Ireland, but England has been close behind NI on recent decisions.

Wow interesting (NI)

Surely that must set a precedent. France also.

@Nihiloxica

1m distancing agreed for schools by NI Executive!

Hurrah!

Ireland may be following Europe in advice also

Oh fingers crossed for our schools then - seems the main argument by the unions was 2m needed to be 'safe'

The increase in tree climbing since playgrounds closed is one of the few collateral benefits of lockdown.

Not that it excuses closing them, since small children and children with mobility problems should not be excluded from physical and social play.

Oh Northern Ireland sorry! I thought Ireland for some reason

Northern Ireland even better

@BarkandCheese - we've had a recent vet palaver too - ring surgery on arrival , consultation on the pavement , wait while vet takes said animal in to examine etc and " faint " lol when they come out with what needs to be done a an estimate of the bill .

Love the title by the way - have a vision of furious " Dick Dasturdly " type characters whizzing round the Arc

And, my lord, they love newts and bats grin

Ah yes, I remember that! I used to work for a housing developer back in the day, and every site they ever wanted to develop allegedly either had newts or bats on them. Mind you they deserved the extra hassle they were absolute shits

Very good news about NI (& France too)!

MrsFrumble yes the practicalities of secondary are tricky aren't they. I wondered how they might deal with the groups going about from class to class. Not sure.

Interesting about Northern Ireland being so ahead of us all. Anyone from NI who could provide some insight?

OK so if other countries around doing 1m it might start seeming odd to keep the 2m won't it. (feeling hopeful) I think it might move to 1m for after the summer to enable schools to open, and like we said yesterday Nicola will mutter and huff and then say 1.5.

I couldn't care less about the computer, this is an absolute joke.

More here on that NI decision

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-53068658

I can't believe their education is being sacrificed like this, given the figures we're talking about. Something has to give and I don't see why it should be our children.

1m needs to happen BEFORE the summer or thousands of businesses will go bust!