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

My point is that a lot of the natural deaths, that would have been labelled as heart attacks etc, are being labelled as Covid related. Therefore it is not an accurate reflection as to how many deaths are covid related, as these people may have died regardless.

I think one needs to look through the scaremongering, and look at the actual statistics and chances of a healthy individual dieing from COVID, not an underlying health condition. I am not saying that it has not increased the number of deaths, and more than likely accelerated many peoples, which is of course tragic.

However, we would not close the country and lock id down due to seasonal flu would we?

We need some solid data, to start to get the message out there.

I’ve read some stupid stuff on this site but I think Beebie’s comment on the economy wins it all. As long as all the over 80s are alive, it’s totally fine that everything else goes to shit !!!

@Notgoingouttoday even with class sizes of 15 with a dedicated adult English schools are going to struggle to find enough adults. Guidance suggests using TAs but not many schools have that many general TAs, so you do have to wonder even with groups of 15 how much teaching is going to go on.

When they are not at school they are working online, attending virtual meetings, setting homework and marking.

Some are, some aren't.

@fromdownwest

I am very sure about that. I have a primary teacher in my household who has been working in school over the holidays and since . She is looking after children for those that need it. It is not teaching, it is childcare and it is difficult to imagine any return to normality any time soon. She is already in school working so her reluctance for more children to return to school is not for her own benefit but because she feels unable to protect the children in her care - the environment is unsafe. Very young children are always touching everything and everyone - not to mention what goes in their mouths!

That's really unprofessional. Sounds like he must have been very on edge to post such a rude, emotional and unhelpful message. I think June 1st is unlikely. The logistics of it would take pages and pages to explain but I've been in meetings where teaching staff try to work out how we could do it. It doesn't seem workable. I've also heard that some corporations have asked people to work from home until December. I think the 2nd wave is the problem, and also mutations of the virus that are killing children in New York. The UK media have been appalling, creating headlines out of dates that are not definite. I'm so sorry for everyone who needs to get back to work and whose children need to get back to school. I don't know what the solution is.

@fromdownwest
I’m surprised you have teacher friends after you call them an entitled (more than usual) bunch!

it is possible that a separate infection is doing the rounds unconnected with COVID.

It's true that is possible, but given that medics in several countries have reported the same thing and seem to think it is associated with covid I think it more than likely is, don't you? Hopefully, it will just stay at a very small number but children have been protected and now they won't be so I suspect it will rise.

that information will be available to help him form a plan

Why don't the government make that information available then? I mean they must have it in order to have decided that it is safe. So rather than every headteacher of every school having to do their own research why don't they provide them with the information they need?

I suspect I know why...

@Ricekrispie22 - They are told frequently by us all in the group that they are, their moaning falls on deaf ears and provides endless amusement for us non teachers. They take it well, and all try to distance them selves from their colleagues!

However, we would not close the country and lock id down due to seasonal flu would we?

We need some solid data, to start to get the message out there.

No, we wouldn't. So, why do you think that so many countries have been locked down? What do you think is going on in the word right now? I don't understand people who think this is just fear-mongering and hysteria. If that was so, why do you think the world is as it is right now? Why are some countries controlling this better than others? Why does the UK have the second highest death rate of any country in the world, except the US? Why is the UK talking about easing restrictions when the death rate is still so high?

Has he planned his lunchtime room(s) for maximising seating layouts and serving areas for 2 m separation?

The government guidelines acknowledge that primary aged children will not be able to maintain 2m separation. There will be no social distancing within their group of 15 + adult. The only distancing will be between the groups. It worries me that people don't realise this.

Out of interest, have any of the countries that have sent kids back to school as they eased out of lockdown decided to do a u-turn and close the schools down again because everyone was suddenly infected and dying?

No other countries have sent children back to school while their numbers have been comparable to ours.

So, for those who don't want schools to go back yet, would you accept that schools and nurseries should open so far as possible for small groups of children - say, up to 8 children per adult kept separate from other small groups so far as possible ONLY for those with under 8 year olds with two working parents (on their working days) or deprived children?

This is exactly what I think they should do. Extend the keyworker scheme to families who need it so they can work but on the same basis that it is currently available to keyworkers i.e. that the adults in the family are working out of the home. We absolutely need to allow people to work if we can. What we don't need is every single primary school child back in school by mid June.

There’s dietitians, physios, people who normally work on pretty sedate elderly care wards etc , all working on covid wards now. Redeployed.

And if we aren't careful about easing up restrictions they will be doing that an awful lot longer. This isn't all about teachers! It's about letting the NHS get back to something resembling normal too so that they can help the people who are currently not getting treated.

@nobodyimportant

Totally agree! Those who have a parent at home in a non deprived household and don't have SEN needs that can't be met at home can pick up the slack and then those who are struggling to work full time and home educate get a bit of respite. Obviously it still isn't ideal, but it feels like the best compromise.

I think this is where we will get to anyway - lot of SAHMs on here are very keen not to send their kids to school, but I think that the government could have achieved this more straightforwardly if they had just limited the scheme from the outset!

South Korea delayed opening their schools this week after a cluster of new cases, but their numbers are minimal compared to ours.

Totally unprofessional.
If parents want to keep their children off that's their choice but the HT shouldn't be venting their frustrations on social media. Massive no, no.

LouisaMusgrove
Sorry, I know you knew. I was just emphasising it because there's a tendency for some on here to think teachers are some bone idle blob who can't be bothered.

A friend of mine is a teacher and she said its a massive holiday - her school wont use teams so she can all her work one day a week and the rest of the week she's going to the beach..

I’d love to know what teachers really think of key worker families who have no choice but to send their kids to school. I bet there’s some choice words said about them.

boob
You're just being goady there and trying to perpetuate this idea that teachers don't want to work, must dislike families etc.

TBH I'd worry that the head teacher would post stuff publicly with spelling mistakes...

There’s more risk to children getting to school than from covid.

Can you put a number on that? What is the precise level of risk from spending a day in a room with 15 other people? In effect mingling with 15 other households. If you have two children in school you will be mingling with 30 other households and if you have three you will be mingling with 45 other households. Can you tell me the exact level of risk that would be?

A friend of mine is a teacher and she said its a massive holiday

Can't be a very good school then. I don't know any other teachers in her situation. Most are working lots.