If school cannot go back normally, they shouldn't go back?

[UnderReview]

Especially primary schools. Social distancing cannot be the new 'normal'! It will really fuck kids up. They'll be scared of normal contact and germaphobes for life. It's not OK. No school would be better than playing on your own in a chalk draw box in the playground or sitting on a table by yourself. It would be a nightmare for teachers too and is ultimately useless. If a kid sneezes on the way in to class or in the toilet and touches a tap or the wall, or coughs on a tray of pencils, etc... and they're sharing the same air in the classroom.... and the teacher cannot possibly stay two metres away, what if a child falls over or is in pain?! Or choking? I don't know what the answer is, but it can't be social distancing in schools. Or AIBU?

Just had a lovely email from school regarding their plans for reopening. Said it would be wonderful to see as many children as possible, but there was no pressure on parents to send and it was a family decision. Children will be taught in bubbles and there will be social distancing between them but not within them - they will be placed with friends as much as possible. As much time as possible will be spent outside. It all seemed really positive and feasible to me.

That's exactly how it should be. Sounds like a sensible head. We need to stop the unions playing political power games and get on with individual schools making their own evaluations/decisions according to their own circumstances.

Our school asked for confirmation by a date, but internally have acknowledged that they have to assume and prepare for all eligible children to be there. So any parent pressured into giving an answer now can change their mind on the day if so desired.

How do you sit a nursery class aged 3 year old in a stripped out room, at separate desks, no toys, no hands on play with friends, no singing, no play dough/water/sand/big outside toys? What are they going to do all day?

It’s abusive frankly. It goes against every last thing we know about educating small children. I’m so sad we’ve chosen to do this to our children. I have no idea what to do, it seems like any which way, in school or not, my young child cannot play appropriately with peers, probably for a year or two at least, at a most formative age. I’m not remotely worried about coronavirus in schools, but this”new normal” is terrifying.

Just had a lovely email from school regarding their plans for reopening. Said it would be wonderful to see as many children as possible, but there was no pressure on parents to send and it was a family decision. Children will be taught in bubbles and there will be social distancing between them but not within them - they will be placed with friends as much as possible. As much time as possible will be spent outside. It all seemed really positive and feasible to me

Sounds the polar opposite to mine

@bubbletwix, the answer is: you don't! It is scaremongering bollocks.

I'm really sorry that other schools aren't dealing with it the same way as mine. But the question is, why aren't they?

Our schools plan has been approved by the governors and local authority. If other schools are choosing an "abusive" (others words not mine) path, they must be choosing to do so.

Our school is going down the negative "honest" approach. I'm disappointed

Is it honest though?

I think those photos of early years classrooms stripped bare are potentially doing a lot of damage with regards to parents views of how it can work.

I've been in school throughout lockdown, every week, with a handful of children. We are not expecting them to social distance between themselves. We have toys in the classroom that are wiped down at the end of the day and children have books and computers. They shares sports equipment and go on the climbing frame together. We just wipe everything down as much as possible and ask that children try to keep their distance from adults where possible. The same with other adults. But is not always possible. I had a boy upset this week because he wanted to go on a particular online game and couldn't find it. He brought his laptop to me in tears. I sorted it for him and he sat back down (yes, at his individual table but we don't force them to stay there). I made sure I wiped my hands down straightaway, didn't touch my face and as soon as I could I washed my hands. When I get home I ppt my clothes straight in the wash and shower.

So it can work without social distancing for the children. It will be far more difficult with more children in one room (only six in my classroom at the moment) but nowhere near as strict as some schools seem to be making it.

I'm still scared about being in with more children and would probably wear a mask if given the option (especially as I have a DH who suffers with extreme anxiety and is bad enough with me going in as it is), but probably once they'd been back a few weeks and I could see it was working I would relax a lot and so would he.

Many schools are thinking about how it can be done the right way, but there's too much focus on those schools going to extremes which, in my incredibly unscientific opinion, are unnecessary.

Your op won’t be the reality though. They are in groups of fifteen, realistically with no hugging or touching rather than 2m apart at all times

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This. Aren’t classes that size why people pay ££££ for private schools?

God, I feel like writing to my MP about our school. It's sounding worse and worse in comparison with what a lot of your schools are doing.

They actually wrote the words with an underlying "we don't want your children back" message.

2m apart at all times

Mine has specifically said "children will be kept 2m apart at all times"

It’s not photos in the Daily Mail I refer to. I have seen photos of the classrooms at my children’s school. I cried. It’s stark and horrible and reminiscent of a prison. The staff are usually amazing and helpful and incredibly sensible, so either they’ve all gone temporarily mad, or this is what’s required.

Mine has specifically said "children will be kept 2m apart at all times"

That’s dreadful and not in line with the guidelines. They say where possible ‘if you can keep older children within these small groups 2m away from each other you should do so.’ Elsewhere in the guidance they draw a distinction between ‘older children’ and ‘early years and primary age.’

I have a friend in the Netherlands, schools have just started to return on a staggered basis. She told me that at no stage during their lockdown were young children expected to socially distance from other children - they were actively encouraged to go out and play with their friends, just to stay away from adults outside their households. Their incidence of Covid-19 amongst children is no higher than any other nation.

Some people really can’t evaluate risk very well, can they? And that’s ultimately the difficulty we face.

I know many others have said this on the thread but clearly no teacher is going to stay 2m away from a choking child (who almost certainly will die if left unaided) because of the small risk of catching Covid and the far far smaller risk of dying from it.

And this is the problem the government faces. They’ve whipped up so much fear to get people to comply with the measures that people are terrified and can’t put Covid in perspective. So now when they try to tell people to go back to work and school, they run into these problems.

Also, in some of these hysterical posts about children being abused in socially distanced schools, I catch a whiff of a certain type of SAHM desperately trying to justify their existence. Just saying.

Bernadette that sounds mad, and I would indeed question it. Your school are presenting an option that they know that no parent wants, probably so they don't have to do it. The really sad thing is that some parents will have no option and they will be terrified. It is appalling.

Our HT, in comparison, said the words "we look forward to welcoming your children back and creating a semblance of normalcy and fun for them, even if it is not the normal they have been used to".

He also said that the focus will be on mental health, mindfulness and connection.

DC take their cues from our reactions so it’s important to be positive and supportive

Probably one of the most important sentences on here ...

YABVVVVU such a ridiculous, panicky, silly post. No kids won't be fucked up, no they won't be germaphobes. Your kid is much more likely to get that from your obviously hysterical mindset than anything that will happen at school.

Friend of mine was at school when a chemistry teacher told her to clean up the side. But be careful cause the chemicals she was clearing could ‘kill her’

She’s had really severe ocd since. She’s taken off a lot of the skin on her hands from some 300 odd washing then a day and she has a daily 4 hrs shower....

"How do you sit a nursery class aged 3 year old in a stripped out room, at separate desks, no toys, no hands on play with friends, no singing, no play dough/water/sand/big outside toys? What are they going to do all day?"

My son is at a special school where they are developmentally that age or younger. Most of those things are still going on. As is personal care. Social distancing isn't expected at that age.

Who's read the guidance?

It sounds like you are buying into the hysteria peddled by the press. Children are not going to be sat in chalked boxes and of course nobody is going to choose social distancing over helping a choking child!

It sounds like you are buying into the hysteria peddled by the press

Nope. Just reading it directly from the paperwork my child school has issued.

How do you sit a nursery class aged 3 year old in a stripped out room, at separate desks, no toys, no hands on play with friends, no singing, no play dough/water/sand/big outside toys? What are they going to do all day?

You don’t. Our nursery is not social distancing at all with key worker children. I have seen the pictures.