Schools reopening before May half term?

[Manchestertimes]

What's everyone's opinion on when the schools will reopen? I think they will reopen a few weeks after Easter.

If the peak is another two weeks away
Then another four weeks for it to come back down again

I agree with you OP, the schools will re-open after May half term.

There is absolutely no way kids are going to be off school for six months! No other country has done that.

Let's not forget that when school closures were first announced, they told reporters it was going to be for five weeks.

We have too many members of staff on the
Vulnerable list to safely open.

That list will need to be told it’s fine to go back to work before a lot of schools are ok to go back.

Exactly Fedup

We have been told by the teachers that it is unlikely they will open until September.
Well, with respect, we teachers have no more idea than anyone else.

fourpeasinapod I’ve heard it will depend on to a large extent the coursework. If the student is working at pass, the exam would be pass, same for merit and distinction. Nobody can see for certain until the examining body tells us.

June and July? Staggered week. a compromise would be for several yeargroups in for 2 days and the others on the other 2 days. Focus on core subjects. Better than nothing at all.

I think it would be better for schools to reopen after the May bank holiday. That way if infections start rising once children begin mixing again the NHS has a better chance of coping over the ‘quieter’ summer months. If we wait until September and the curve starts rising again we’ll be back in lockdown before Christmas, again worried about flattening the curve until the warmer weather kicks in.

This.

Our Amsterdam office has been told it will be closed until at least June 1 and schools will be the same (come from Government rather than head office) so I'd expect the same here and then to be updated again nearer the time. We've been told business as usual as a best case scenario from September at least. Hoping that's actually a worse case scenario.

I'm hoping after the may half term date

Nobody will be more delighted than me if my P7 child can go back for the last two or three weeks of term and complete the things his older siblings have enjoyed like Memories Assemblies and fun days and the run to the park for ice cream after the bell goes on the last day. He's gutted he's missing out on that.

But it's just too far away to know. So the most sensible thing to do as parents is assume that schools won't be back to August/September and manage your children's expectations accordingly. If schools are back sooner, then that's a bonus.

They will take out the bit they have missed from the curriculum. They won't have to catch up . Try not to worry about all that now .. stay safe and inside and just get them to do what they can to keep their minds busy .

I highly doubt it, even after the lock down is over the government will have to be very careful about not re-infecting the population. So this could go on for months yet.

June at the very earliest

In Asia including Hubei the original epicenter things have normalised, even Wuhan will be unlocked in a week.
This is not a virus with high fatality like Ebola, it is a contagion measure to help the NHS cope. I really hope schools will reopen asap after Easter and even if a write off school wise give children some sense of normality and let the economy slowly repair itself. It is in nobody's favour to have long closures aside from some SAHPs who dont mind these arrangements so much. With 2 parents WFH longer hours than before my children suffer and i/businesses are bleeding cash.

Like Asia possibly a staggered approach with still some closures or on-off closures till September.

I am optimistic.

@zafferana did you even read my post? Or the part you quoted and responded to?

OP was talking about secondary school children falling behind. I was pointing out that at least there are accessible resources and that secondary age NT kids at least have the ability to follow them.

To say that they should all just muddle through for another five months is crazy. Many of them with lose their jobs or their businesses will fold and where will the country be then?

I already explained that I’m home with disabled twin toddlers who I can’t engage at all and who should have been starting at a specialist school - do you think I want schools to be closed until September?! What do you honestly expect the government to do? I am desperate for them to be able to go back to nursery but I know it isn’t safe.

And my point was that yes, it’s bloody hard trying to work while trying to get kids some form of education but a) in that situation I’d rather do it with secondary school age NT children and b) there is at least some provision that can be access for those kids, unlike for many of us

I hasten to say, I would love it if my DDs could be back in school after the May half-term. But we don't want to do it too soon and reinfect the population.

I take the point about the summer months being a good time in that there won't be the usual winter viruses around, so maybe end of June/early July if it's not judged safe after the May half-term?

Teachers will not work in the summer holidays, it’s just not going to happen which is why it’s best for parents not to count on this.

I think September and also think it could be August and they cancel having August off school this year

@MondeoFan they won’t be do that. My DD would refuse to go back in August anyway.

No they won't work in the summer, it's true, but 3or 4 weeks of school might at least give parents the chance to get their lives back on track and other childcare establishments would then be open too so that they'll be able to work again.

But it's out of my hands anyway.

It's depressing so many on MN seem to think teachers aren't working and should have 9 weeks of their holidays removed (so go from Feb half term to October half term without a break).
everybody else will do exactly the same though? in the moment i home school 2 kids and work fulltime. i won‘t take any holidays for the rest of the year as i need to get all the stuff done i can’t get done from home.
insisting on a 9 weeks (!!!)break is highly selfish - the majority of the workforce will get 1 week if we are lucky!

I think it's possible they'll try to get the schools open at least for a fortnight or so at the end of term (but not much earlier than that) - but probably still keep the most vulnerable in lockdown.

There's some quite interesting stuff on the radio etc about it needing to be a balance between the deaths from the disease and the deaths (poverty/mental health etc/economic catastrophe) from the action taken.

It’s bad that people prioritise not having to work out their own situation (pp re wfh with dc) over the safety of other people.

Most people would expect not to be at risk at work.

Selfish? You think we should take a pay cut? I’m sick of entitled parents just look after your own children!!

It’s never enough is it. We will be taking the summer holidays and that’s not up for debate.