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.

bajrifl People aren't being naive, everyone can read what's going on with the field hospitals etc. But I also choose to listen to what the science experts like Dr Ferguson are saying and, touch wood, the social isolation is working. The end of May is ten weeks away, a lot can happen by then. And even if schools do reopen,

Also, there's nothing wrong with maintaining a positive mindset and wanting things to get back to normal sooner. The constant negativity from some posters on MN is as difficult to deal with as lockdown itself.

I’m seriously hoping for the last couple of weeks in July, as September would be so sad for the children. However, I think we’re in in for the long haul

I agree Longwhiskers

I think if they can get these tests in place and the numbers of infected are under control, after May half term is feasible. 2 months is quite a long time.

Whoops, missed off the end of my sentence!

And even if schools do reopen, the social distancing will continue elsewhere and I suspect, as someone else has just said, they'll open the primaries first, because there's more of a childcare issue with those.

Oaks Officially move up. Nothing else is practical.

But at primary level they'll pick up maths and literacy from where they left off. Primary is effectively a 7 year curriculum.

I do get it, thanks very much @BelleSausage. But all the people who seem to think that it's possible to just shut down our economy for months on end are living in cloud cuckoo land. We cannot have large swathes of the population economically inactive with shops closed, businesses shuttered, schools closed, etc until September. Anyone who thinks we can has absolutely no grasp of economics.

They also have little grasp of human tolerance for huge disruption. MN is a crazy little bubble that doesn't correspond to the thinking of anyone I know IRL. On here, it's all cosy home schooling and 'Isn't it lovely to have our DC around all the time', but back in the real world people know this cannot continue indefinitely. The government said all along that lockdown would have to be timed very carefully to coincide with the predicted peak, because they know that people won't tolerate being shut inside their homes for long periods of time. This isn't China. We don't have martial law here. Yes, the police will be getting new powers to disperse groups of people in the streets and from what I've seen this past few days people are taking the new measures very seriously - as they should - but this cannot go on for months on end.

We're going to be spending billions of pounds on the current measures, so it's imperative that the situation doesn't continue any longer than absolutely necessary. New predictions are for far fewer deaths than initially predicted, because every day from now on we'll be flattening the curve. Social distancing will have to continue for some time, but there will have to be a relaxation of the current lockdown pretty quickly and I hope schools will return some time in May/June.

Am amazed some people think kids will be back in school this academic year.

End of term in Scotland is last week in June.

We're not expecting to be back until after summer. It really all depends on how this progresses, initially they were saying peak at the end of May, now they're saying a few weeks - who knows.

Spot on zafferana. School will reopen for economic reasons as much as health ones.

Am amazed some people think the Govt won't do everything they can to make it happen, Notcoolmum.

We are working towards reopening on September. As a school we don't expect to reopen to all students before the end of the academic year.

The at risk groups have been told to self isolate for 12 weeks just last week. So that would take us to June at the earliest.

It would be an added bonus if everything was safe enough for us to do so but it seems pretty unlikely.

I teach in secondary school, and there’s been no intimation at all within our staff groups or from senior leadership that we are closed for the rest of the academic year.

At the moment, I reckon we will be back in June. That gives time for a good six weeks’ schooling, give or take another possibility of mini-lockdown, before the summer holidays.

The government advisors said that school closures are only effective if the measure is in place for at least 12 to 16 weeks, which takes you up to the end of next term. It is not a quick fix.

I hope schools reopen in September and that there is no need for school closures next academic year. I think kids with exams next summer can cope with home learning this summer if next year is not disrupted. Any more closures and the impact will be huge.

September is my ealiest and best guess. But that is all any of these posts are, guesses. No one, including officials, have any idea at this moment. Too many variables to pin on a specific date right now.

I also think possibly after May half term. They timed it so they are expecting the peak in three weeks. So it will hopefully die down after that. I’m hoping schools will be some of the first things to reopen. At the very least for the two weeks in July.

I agree with @zafferana & think the government wanted to close schools later but staff shortages/public pressure stooped that. Also really strict lockdown is pretty much unenforceable unless you have a shoot on sight policy. People have to want to do it. Behaviour & economics are also key.

I can't see them cancelling school holidays in the summer. The unions would be against it entirely.

Don't forgot some teaching staff are working all the way through this time too. Others might not be in the building but are still working the same hours or more at home.

You can't just reduce holidays. It's not as simple as that.

Crazy if September.
There would be so many layoffs and economy will go into tailspin, no amount of govt debt will help.

Schools re opening are separate to other sectors opening. Or do people think it has to be all at the same time? Eg stores open sooner

I don’t know just wondering

September, I think.

Yesterday, a 21yr old died from Covid-19. No underlying health issues.

Your children (and everyone else’s) ARE missing out on education and nobody wants that but... they need to get some perspective.

I can't see it until September.

If this antibody test works we could get people back in to work before schools open for example

I work in a primary school, our head doesn’t think the y6’s will be back. I genuinely hope they are (as all other years too) as I’ve a son in y6, I’d like him to finish his last year at primary properly and see his friends that are going into different schools.

Optimistically, September