To think this procrastinating about school reopening is going to cause more deaths and long term issues than CV

[whenthejoyreturns]

Credit due to all the schools that have worked hard and found inventive ways to open this week. I know of some that have sent positive messages to parents and managed to reassure them that their dc won’t be traumatised by the experience.
What’s preventing all schools doing this? Our local primary has sent an email basically telling parents they will be committing murder if their dc step anywhere near school. Unsurprisingly they’ve decided they’re not ready to open yet. This is a modern school, all classrooms have doors to outside and are large and airy. The deputy head’s dc has diabetes and I believe she doesn’t want to open because of her personal circumstances.
AIBU to think schools are not thinking about children and the negative impact this is bound on thousands. I believe many will never recover from this.

@whenthejoyreturns

Credit due to all the schools that have worked hard and found inventive ways to open this week. I know of some that have sent positive messages to parents and managed to reassure them that their dc won’t be traumatised by the experience. What’s preventing all schools doing this? Our local primary has sent an email basically telling parents they will be committing murder if their dc step anywhere near school. Unsurprisingly they’ve decided they’re not ready to open yet. This is a modern school, all classrooms have doors to outside and are large and airy. The deputy head’s dc has diabetes and I believe she doesn’t want to open because of her personal circumstances. AIBU to think schools are not thinking about children and the negative impact this is bound on thousands. I believe many will never recover from this.

So have you been in contact with the head to say why you think the school isn't opening and to express your concerns? Have you at any point made enquiries regarding the educational provision to date?

@smogsville

Yes I think it should be localised. As numbers get lower (fingers crossed) we will surely end up with some hotspots but some areas almost completely free of the virus.

I think a lot of the debate has been spun as parents vs teachers but really it’s the government at fault. The whole thing has been poorly planned with no effort to actually work with the teaching profession.

@happinessischocolate

socialisation mainly. Plus I think we need to start gradually getting all dc back to prevent/minimise the potential long term damage that will effect some dc if this doesn't happen (especially some older secondary dc). Primaries need to begin this process now or the consequences could be dire.

What are these dire consequences? Kids have only been off 2 months which is just slightly longer the the annual summer holidays and we don't hear about these dire consequences every summer?

Teachers and school are there to educate our children, it's not a social club and there will be very little socialisation going on in the schools when they do open, which is the whole point of why it is hard for school to reopen whilst ensuring children are kept apart.

Older kids are fine, they can meet up with their mates now, they don't need school and passing thousands of other kids in the school corridors several times a day for that.

The daily death rate is higher now than it was when the schools closed, so where is the logic in opening them now?

What kind of dire consequences? Well there's this

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-52773344

But I suppose the children affected by horrific circumstances like this will have had their miniscule chance of catching Covid 19 reduced even further. So that's OK.

I find the absolute refusal to accept that a lot (and I mean a lot) of children are at far more risk as a consequence of being isolated in lockdown than they would be school very strange.

Almost all of the teachers I know are worried about children at their schools because they are in real danger now that there are no eyes outside of the home on them.

And that's before you think of the children from families who love them and parent them well - but were already struggling to feed them before the very real threat of global recession.

I think denying that this period isn't going to have serious long-term implications for a huge number of children & young adults is being deliberately obtuse at best (but usually it comes across as wilful ignorance)

@CountessFrog

DH is a medic and he thinks schools should open for key years.

Then presumably he has what he wants.

I think denying that this period isn't going to have serious long-term implications for a huge number of children & young adults is being deliberately obtuse at best (but usually it comes across as wilful ignorance)

Wilful ignorance is what you have expressed in this post. Where is your evidence for your wild assumptions?

I find the absolute refusal to accept that a lot (and I mean a lot) of children are at far more risk as a consequence of being isolated in lockdown than they would be school very strange.

No one has said that children are not at risk but many are saying schools have opened too early, even taking that into account, including members of SAGE, who are far better paced than you to know. Saying what you believe to be true doesn't actually make it true.

@Useruseruserusee yes govt doing a lot of harm I nearly wrote useless bunch of bastards but useless doesn't actually cover the damage they're responsible for. Take care.

Children dont have a minuscule risk of catching COVID @KittyRainbow, they catch it at the same rate as adults.

We've had work set by school but it's not been amazing, no submitting or feedback. Only 20 keyworker children in per day in a 3 form entry primary, so not sure how they school can pretend the teachers have been working throughout. Doing what? They've made it very clear they were expecting to be shut until September and they don't want to reopen to wider numbers (despite huge demand from parents). It has unfortunately changed my opinion of the school and staff somewhat. But on the plus side I've made it my priority to take control of my DCs curriculum and learning so that's been a benefit and I have enjoyed homeschooling.

Also, I don't agree with the way anyone expressing discontent with schools is accused of teacher bashing and shut down. Yes I'm sure some schools/teachers have been amazing and are working flat out, which is obviously admirable, but it's clear from these threads that a lot also haven't been, and it's perfectly okay for posters to want to question this.

Yes I'm sure some schools/teachers have been amazing and are working flat out, which is obviously admirable, but it's clear from these threads that a lot also haven't been, and it's perfectly okay for posters to want to question this.

Even when the posters are laughably unreasonable? Have you read some of these threads? Ridiculous.

watch so it's a win for you then?
And without knowing the facts you're still going to have a bit of a bash?
Yes I'm sure some teachers have been amazing... gee thanks

I went back today. We haven’t been open but have been sending out tailored home learning packs, and I have been helping to drive round delivering printed versions for those that can’t print them at home, plus helping with one to one online lessons.
We are a small village school. We had two bubbles, one of older kids, one of younger ones plus older siblings so we didn’t have cross contamination of bubbles should we get an infection in school.
Social distancing lasted about an hour in our bubble. There was very little teaching - we had children from reception to Year 6 in one room and how do yo teach all of that in one hit? We are going to be doing the same home learning packs that the others have - I’m supervising the older I’m a Ta for younger children, not a teacher for Key Stage 2 so there won’t be any meaningful teaching for our older siblings.
So we went for making the kids feel safe and happy. Which worked. They had a good day but it was impossible to completely police the social distancing. Now we have to try and teach, while still doing online lessons and home packs for those not coming in.
We also realised just how little we have for them to do. So many of the free flow things that the little ones normally have access to have had to go. We gave them bubbles today and they spent loads of time outside blowing bubbles but that’s not going to last forever.
We’ve already had one kid wet himself because he couldn’t remember which toilets he was allowed to use.
I get that parents need to work so kids need to go back, but I do think we need to think about the effect on the younger children at least, going back into a weird environment. Doesn’t do anyone any favours to just announce “They’ll be fine.” Some will. Some won’t.
Also, with regards to vulnerable children, don’t forget that they could have been in school all along. And if there is something parents want to hide then they can just say they don’t want to send kids in a pond continue to hide it with no consequences. It won’t solve that.

WatchoutfortheROUS
Also, I don't agree with the way anyone expressing discontent with schools is accused of teacher bashing and shut down.

And no-one has, many posters that have asked sensible questions and not generalised have been offered/given support.

Those that have generalised, goaded, and been fuckwits have been given what they deserve. The truth as I see it is that they are used to the teachers being nice and taking whatever shit is thrown at them and it has come as a shock, and they have got all precious/defensive about it.

Goodness, I need to proof read and not take while cooking.

I mean, I am in the bubble with young children plus older siblings, and am supervising the older ones while they complete their packs.

We've opened today. 70 children in, up from the 2-10 we have had in daily from day one ( that's over a quarter of the school) 9 bubbles, 3 reception, two year 1, 2 keyworker and 2 year 6. All staff in except for one in hospital with COVID, one self isolating with symptoms, two shielding. Can't fit any more children in no room or staff to teach . Children very quiet and subdued.

Children very quiet and subdued

That's a shame.

The thread on "how has your first day back at school gone" tells a very different, much happier story. I hope more kids have had that experience than this one.

When there are only 8 in a bubble, it is going to be quiet and subdued!

*I'm amazed how many parents think it won't be safe for I'm amazed how many parents think it won't be safe for children to return to school. I'm not talking about those with vulnerable family members but those who think their otherwise healthy children will be in danger.

Are they really so dim they can't understand* statistics?
Well said.

What are these dire consequences?

At least three children have been murdered by abusive parents during lockdown. Those sort of dire consequences.

The scandal,is that at least one child a week on average is killed each year, whether there is lockdown or not.

But how will we protect those children even now? The ones who come from abusive homes? No one has been able to give me any kind of answer yet. Those kids could have been in school all along if the parents wanted it. And they don’t have to send them in now if they don’t want to. There will be no penalty. So how does opening school for the masses protect them? A parent who wants to hide abuse can simply say “I feel it’s safer for them to be at home.” No further questions, nothing to see here.

PeskyEdith...it’s hardly comparable! It’s not about emotional resilience, it’s about a very real risk to staff and children. Too much is unknown about the spread of the virus and children. Also, those saying it’s political point scoring have been reading too much in the news.
The head of my school is desperate to get the children back. The staff are too. However, we want to do it safely. We are working out asses off to prepare the school whilst providing childcare to key worker kids(throughout the holidays) and support students at home. Believe me, if we could have kids back in the way things used to be, is be jumping back to the classroom in a heartbeat.

So how does opening school for the masses protect them? A parent who wants to hide abuse can simply say “I feel it’s safer for them to be at home.” No further questions, nothing to see here

If schools are back "as normal" that wouldn't be an excuse any more.

It doesn't. But the daily calls to vulnerable families, the home visits taking place, the Zoom groups, the calls to social services are all still taking place. Parents have always been able to keep their children away from education if they want to, the current situation means that there is probably MORE in place for those parents that do decide not to attend school than in the past when a child could just be deregistered.

Trustthegenegenie

But we are still in a pandemic. Surely we can’t advocate opening schools as normal while it is still going on?