Headteacher has posted this to facebook

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The headteacher at my DCs school has posted this to Facebook. He says that social distancing is impossible and unless we would be happy to let our DC play in a supermarket for hours to 'not even think about' bringing them to school. I have 2 expected back on June 1st. AIBU to keep them off after this?

m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10222994594279008&id=1403891361

600 deaths did not occur yesterday. They were counted yesterday

and when the ONS releases the actual total later it will probably be almost twice that number if what has happened previously is anything to go by.

Not expected 1st June. If safe on 1st June. If numbers havd dropped further. If R is down. Lots of ifs.

I'll eat my hat if schools do not open for those children on 1st June. That's what schools have been told to plan and prepare for. The "numbers" that would prevent that happening have not been issued so no doubt whatever they are will be deemed to be acceptable.

Thank you @3cats, I couldn't have put it better myself!

@nobodyimportant the children also spit into smaller groups of 4 when playing outside.

Also their Primary Schools start from 6 so all older than our YR and most of Y1 children. They didn't show their nurseries where they have said that the youngest children should be in groups of 3 and the slightly older ones can only go up to 6 in number. So much smaller groups than the stipulated 15 for our schools.

@nobodyimportant

I think they have other criteria to meet in relation to track and trace before they’ll open.

I’ll feel better if they’re doing that properly rather than saying they’ve tested 100,000 but have actually only done 66,000 and posted out an additional 33,000 etc

Good for him. This supports what he’s said www.standard.co.uk/news/education/reopening-schools-may-be-unsafe-coronavirus-expert-a4438181.html

I think its significant that nine different unions have got together to issue a joint statement. That is a very widespread cross-section of the people involved in schools, and of all shade of political opinion. As ever, the Government is claiming it is following 'the science', without sharing the data it is using. They'd inspire more trust if they were more transparent and also did a bit more consultation with those who are going to have to deliver education in changed circumstances.

Personally, I would be happy to send my child to school in terms of their safety. I think it is going to be challenging, though not impossible, for schools to find a way to make schools safe for teachers.

Exactly! I'm pretty relaxed on a personal level about going back. I'm as sure as I can be without having had a test available to me that I have already had the virus. I caught it before schools closed, I believe from someone who I know had a member of their household tested +ve. So I'm more than likely immune now and my family have all been exposed. I have a child who I will probably take in for a keyworker place because I think the risks to him are low.

I still think that this is too soon in terms of managing this for the country as a whole. At the moment the R number is low because of all the measures that have been put in place. As these measures are taken away, of course, the R will rise again. The more people with covid in the general population the more new people will be infected. At the moment, I can see the govt have a clear route to remove all the restrictions that are currently in place but I can't see what they are doing to stop the R going back up as they do that.

When I think about how my child would act if left alone in a supermarket I can see how it might be compared to leaving him in school. Isn’t the head teacher just admitting that his school and his staff (like many other schools) might not be able to create a good infection control environment.

@nobodyimportant you might have to eat your hat, because at this rate there won’t be any staff turning up on June 1st
www.theguardian.com/education/2020/may/12/plans-to-reopen-schools-on-1-june-in-jeopardy-as-education-unions-tell-staff-not-to-engage-with-prepartions-1

LouisaMusgrove
I hope people realise that isn't just teaching unions but also includes TAs and support staff, before the usual lazy teachers arguments start.

In my school the people who run the medical room are actually admin and pastoral staff. They need proper protection and consideration before we open fully.

Hi Lola, yes I'd said all the people lnvolved in school - so clerical support, cleaners, TAs etc

I would rather the economy ‘tanked’ as people like to say, but consequently elderly and vulnerable lives are saved
Except when economies 'tank' people die. So we can destroy the economy to save a few elderly and vulnerable lives but end up killing a lot of the elderly and vulnerable in a recession/depression.

Also worth checking out Twitter.
twitter.com/paulwaugh/status/1260571859466227713

@3cats - Lets see if you can spot which year is 2020 and which year is 2019 from the ONS figures for deaths

Jan 56,706
Feb 43,653
March 49,723

Jan 53,910
Feb 45,796
March 43,946

With all the references to Denmark in this thread I think it is important to note that their children don't start school until they are 6 years old so cannot be compared to our reception classes.

@Notgoingouttoday they do have nurseries though.

famly.co/blog/covid-19/denmark-reopening-child-care-corona/

Effectively holding the country to ransom, by refusing to go to work. How come they are so much more important than any other person who has been working for the past 3 months!

Shame on them, coming across as an entitled bunch (more so than usual!)

@fromdownwest I am not sure why you suggest teachers are refusing to go to work. Plenty of them are going in to look after the children of essential workers and those that are vulnerable. They did so throughout the Easter holidays! When they are not at school they are working online, attending virtual meetings, setting homework and marking.

@fromdownwest
Wow, I’m speechless.

@notgoingouttoday - You sure about that? Four of my teacher friends in our group have done nothing but ride their bikes on zwift, paint their gardens, play in the park and make light of it!

They have all admitted that they are starting to get bored. May not be reflective of the population as a whole, but is 100% in my circle

@fromdownwest

You are not comparing like for like. You would have to compare figures from the UK with current measures, such as hand washing and social distancing, without coronavirus and figures with current measures with coronavirus, i.e., this year’s figures. Comparing death rates between this year and last year is meaningless because, for example, flu figures are greatly reduced this year as a result of better hygiene and social distancing. It’s not like coronavirus is saving lives, social distancing is saving lives; however, social distancing is unsustainable long term. In countries that introduced social distancing and closed schools and borders much earlier than the UK, their infection rates and death rates are much lower.

@ineedaholidaynow Yes in groups of 5 or 6 children with a dedicated adult. Where do you expect our schools to find all these extra adults in the next couple of weeks? If they do find sufficient volunteers in time, I imagine it will be basic childcare rather than teaching.

I wouldn't be willing to send my child to school to be babysat by a volunteer without all the necessary safeguarding in place. I would prefer to keep my child home as I can't see a benefit to sending them in until the classroom goes back to being a learning environment.

I would rather the economy ‘tanked’ as people like to say, but consequently elderly and vulnerable lives are saved

But they wouldn't be saved. If the economy tanks, the NHS would crumble and those people wouldn't get the treatment they need (a bit like now really with the hospitals being deserted!). You can't run a country without a functional economy!