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.

Children seem to be acceptable collateral damage in this awful situation.

Really? It seems like the elderly and the vulnerable are collateral damage. Stop being so dramatic, all that counts is that we are all healthy and safe. Children won’t get PTSD from missing a couple of months of school.

Being a parent is a 24/7 job. People should realise this before having children.

Bulb hasn't said anything nasty at all. Get a grip. Teachers need a holiday if this is over by Summer and I doubt it will be.

I don't think school will be in any way 'normal' when they re-open, unless this is post vaccine.

I would expect that they might be open for a small number of children, or a short amount of time, for limited additional transmission of the virus. Then that group of students and teachers go into isolation and home learning for a couple of weeks to see who develops symptoms, while the next group goes in (that's how we're staffing the core childcare at the moment - 1 week in for the rota-ed staff, two weeks to see if they develop symptoms, then back in again).

Disruption of learning through staff and pupils - in large numbers - being off will continue until herd immunity and / or vaccines start to bring this properly under control. That could well be 12-18 months.

The only alternative would be if antibody testing comes in in such a universal way that we can let back into schools only those who 'pass' the antibody testing. School education for those who show immunity, home education for everyone else, gradual lifting of distancing / isolation so the next wave of people catch the virus and develop immunity.

It's not going to be 'normal'. At all. For a very long time.

Our school has told us to not expect to be back until August ( Scotland ). Personally, I really dont care about the learning for the primary school kids, they will catch up. It is the lack of social interaction with other children, teachers , reception staff, janitors etc that worries me the most for my DS & my teen DD, along with not being able to see their big sister who lives with her boyfriend, no sports or or social outings etc. The mental health of our children & indeed their teachers will be suffering.

The only way to prevent a second peak is by herd immunity which should come from a vaccine. This could be 18 months away. 18 months of total lockdown is impossible for all kinds of reasons not least economically. So if we accept there has to be a second peak, the NHS can cope better (therefore less deaths) with a second, hopefully smaller and more controlled peak, in the summer. So it would make sense to get kids back in May/June to promote a controlled summer peak, then lockdown in Sept/Oct again to try and prevent a big winter peak. Hopefully vaccines might be ready after that...

*I don't think school will be in any way 'normal' when they re-open, unless this is post vaccine.
*
^This. Because I caught the infection I've had for the last 3 weeks from my DD2 (8). It might be COVID-19, but it's responded to antibiotics so it could be pneumonia, which I had last year. I also have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

So when my DDs ((DD1 is 11 today), go back to school, the simple fact is that if this isn't COVID-19, then I'm in danger of catching.

There are a lot of parents and grandparents who will be in the same boat, a lot will be far more vulnerable to this illness.

So I would like to wait until either a vaccine is available (which would be a shame but if necessary then I'm afraid we'll have to accept it) or until the antibody test is available (which would beg the question of what happens with those who are still vulnerable).

Hopefully the measures being used to combat the pandemic will reap rewards and it will be deemed safe for schools to open up again before the summer holidays (say for 2 weeks), but it shouldn't happen until it really is safe for that to happen.

Here in wales we have we told not until at least September

By whom?

I thought May was when it was going to peak.

Schools aren’t going to be going back then.

No matter how hard anyone wants it to happen. If you spent 5 minutes in the average school, it would become crystal clear why l think they will probably be the last thing to return to normal

The modelling suggests we will now peak on 5 April. That’s why the brought in more stringent measures when they did.

Children don’t understand 2m social distancing. I work with primary aged children and they regularly spontaneously hug me, I need to sit close to help them with work, I have to treat them as a first aider daily.The classrooms are not big enough to space out. Over 50% are collected from school by grandparents. It’s a huge risk.

I think it will be at least 12 weeks after the current restrictions started, which is late June, at which point I think schools will not open for just three or so weeks.

So September, or August in Scotland.

5th April is next Saturday.

No way is going to have peaked then. Aren’t we are on the same trajectory as Italy?

Children don’t understand 2m social distancing
At our secondary school many of the corridors aren't wide enough to accommodate 2m social distancing so any lesson changeover would mean almost shoulder to shoulder with others.

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince have a look at Professor Tom Pike’s modelling that is where the prediction of 5 April being the peak comes from. It’s also the basis of the 5000 deaths you may hear.

He also predicted that Spain would be hit worse then Italy, which sadly given the announcements of deaths looks likely.

Same here, even if they let them out at staggered times. I don’t think our corridors are even 2m wide.

I think it is marginally possible that they might open for 1 week, just before the summer holiday, to cause another mini-peak over the summer by allowing the infection to circulate but for those who catch it at that point to be better for September.

Then a 3 week rotation through to e.g. half term, then 2 weeks off for everyone.

Then full antibody testing and admission for everyone who has had it, plus a few of those who still 'need' to catch it on a rota, monitored very closely.

Full opening in January.

Aren’t we are on the same trajectory as Italy no

I think we'll be very lucky if schools reopen by September

One German state is talking about schools going back in late April. That seems like wishful thinking but I think after May half term is potentially realistic, it's 9 weeks.

LolaSmiles
At dds school, they aren’t allowed to walk down the corridors because they’re so narrow (poor design) so everyone goes around the outside. That said, it would still be impossible to distance when doing do so.

The schools I belive are going to be off till after summer hols more like September.. ooch ..

Our uni had closed until the next academic year. I don't think schools will re-open

I agree Cantkeepaway - it’s about us all getting it in a managed fashion. So I think they might encourage some classes to go back depending on teaching availability eg y6, exams years, part time etc

If we wait til Sept it puts the next peak in winter and we need it far sooner - summer holidays ideally

I am preparing for September and dreading it. Hoping it's not longer.

I absolutely love my DC, and spending school holidays with them. But this is not the school holidays, we're trapped in a small flat with only a communal garden which is shared with 6 others in the flats so understandably we can't monopolise it. It's just the two of us. I talk to her constantly but I think her speech has regressed because she's not getting the same opportunities to socialize and communicate.

In the holidays she'd be playing with her friends from school, we'd be visiting her friends from her groups and we'd be visiting her cousins. She'd be seeing her dad and going on holiday with him and his family. We'd be sharing the shared garden with the other kids in the block and playing with them.

I feel so sorry for the impact this will have on her. We're loosely following the set work for school but she's struggling. I consider myself clever but I worry I'm doing her a disservice, she can't just ask the TA to help her she has to wait until I'm available.

My own mental health has taken a beating too, which isn't making this situation easier.