To prepare DC for the fact that schools may not open?

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It's now looking like full school re-opening is in doubt, unfortunately - I'm so torn about whether to be open with my DC (10 and 8) about this fact or just keep talking as though it's definitely all back to normal in September.

I'm leaning towards the latter, but wondered what others are planning to do? For context, one of my DC is desperate to get back to school, the other is absolutely dreading it, which makes things complicated...

It feels like it will be a huge shock to suddenly have to announce on eg Sept 1st (as last-minute announcements seem to be this government's specialty ) that it won't be happening after all, but on the other hand I don't want them to be worried for a whole month before we know what's actually happening...

Sky, The Times. Let me find a link. Hang in

Here. It’s in other newsfeeds too.

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-millions-of-over-50s-could-be-told-to-stay-at-home-to-avoid-second-nationwide-lockdown-12040780

I read somewhere that people over 50 were automatically shielded in Europe. I may be wrong though

My secondary dd will be in a bubble of '' 180 ''.

I can't see in reality how that constitutes a bubble at all? In terms of safety.
I can't see why visors at the very least cant be compulsory. I'm thinking of coughs and sneezes.

I think the worst thing is, pressure on parents to send unwell dc into school.

Nowhere has said to urge on the side of caution, just temp and cough. Even though actually there are more symptoms than that.

So dc with coughs and sneezes will get sent in.

That will result in approx half of teachers having to stay at home. Bet they use this as an excuse for schools not opening.

It's not half of teachers! About 20% and presumably not all of those over 50.

The more worrying thing is the impact on families who 'will be instructed' to be more careful around those at risk people. Not sure how that works when your other half is a teacher, or a nurse, or a taxi driver etc...

I assume it will have a huge knock on effect with grandparents providing childcare too

They’ve said schools are priority. I honestly believe they’ll do everything in their power to reopen come September, even if it means shutting other industries.
They’ve missed 6 months already, they know mental health is on the rise espically in children. I’d be very surprised if they remained shut.
Nobody wants a generation of missed education.

What’s unenforceable?

The ‘bubble’ idea is nonsense.
My three dc are all in separate bubbles of 250 + , and then in different bubbles on their journey to/from school / college.
Then I am in a separate bubble of 33.
However the staff teaching my dc can move around all the bubbles as can I.
It’s a nonsense. The bubble idea doesn’t exist anymore.

Even if- and I don't believe this- it is proven that no child can infect a single teacher, school staff can still infect one another. Schools cannot stay open once a certain number of staff are unavailable. So I don't get why people say school staff don't need PPE. If Bob in the office catches covid from his partner and passes it on to his colleague Sally in the reception team who shares it with head of year 7 Anne who gives it to her deputy head of year Ian etc etc... you don't need kids to be super spreaders or even normal spreaders for a bunch of staff to become unwell. I work in a MH hospital, our outbreaks have largely been amongst staff rather than patients. We have an enormous staff team and have never been close to not having enough well staff to run but schools don't work on our staffing numbers and would be unrunnable much, much sooner in a staff outbreak. You can totally discount the risks posed to the staff by pupils (I don't. I don't believe no under 18 can infect an adult. But I know some do) and still see that having schools open poses risks to staff and that those risks can easily lead to schools having to close again. Get schools open? Yes please. Keep them open? Yes please. Assume that will happen without taking proper care of the people needed for them to be open? Don't be fucking daft.

Part of me believes the Gov have no intention of actually reopening all schools as stated because if they were serious there would be major moves underway to mitigate risks and that would include recognition that no PPE for school staff is insane.

I think the government does want to open schools as it enables parents to work and keep the economy going.

But it doesn’t want to pay for it. So it’s crisis management. Once staff start being ill, they won’t be able to open anyway.

It’s the shortsightedness of it that’s getting to me. What’s plan B if staff are sick? My dd is starting GCSE year in September. Really worried about her.

GinDrinker00
They’ve missed 6 months already

Why do you insist on posting this rubbish?

@GinDrinker00

They’ve said schools are priority. I honestly believe they’ll do everything in their power to reopen come September, even if it means shutting other industries. They’ve missed 6 months already, they know mental health is on the rise espically in children. I’d be very surprised if they remained shut. Nobody wants a generation of missed education.

They haven’t missed 6 months. It’s only 20 weeks since the decision to close. That includes all the holidays when they wouldn’t have been in school anyway.

It’s bad enough as it is, it doesn’t need over dramatics added to it.

Schools shut for 2 weeks before Easter, 5 weeks after and then for many-7 weeks after May half term. That is 14 weeks of school.

I haven’t rtft but my 2 girls school is reopening on 2nd September. They are 8:30 - 2:45 Monday to Friday. The old hours were 8:30 - 3:15. Then on a Friday they’re 8:30 - 11:30 to allow for a deep clean ready for Monday. They’re reviewing this in October half term to see if they can put hours back to normal. That’s the letter I’ve had.

I doubt they wouldn’t open them. However, the government has been willy nilly with this from the start so it wouldn’t come as any surprise if they did decide not to go ahead

I would just go with the government at the time. So as far as the governments latest advice on schools opening goes they plan to open from September - don’t tell your children otherwise until you know otherwise.

One point to make is please don’t tell your children that all we be back to normal in any case because it will not be - even if they go back as planned. They will start and finish at different times, play and lunch times will be different they won’t mix with other classes. In secondary most will stay in one room all day, have breaks as a bubble/year group, eat lunch in their classrooms etc.

Why don't you just confront the fact that life isn't back to normal yet, and things are changing all the time. You don't have to know the answers, and neither do your kids. We're acting on the assumption that they are going back, but my girls also know that everything is up in the air. It's more a case of "fingers crossed". Quite honestly, I'm expecting them to go back, and then for a 2nd lockdown shortly afterwards when everything spikes.

I really hope they reopen. The trouble is despite what the government say I now think schools reopening is bottom of their priority. They won't close anything to get children back to school.because need to get the economy going.
They're too thick to realise no school means lots of parents not working or half working/half schooling and that our children won't be properly educated. No !matter what home learning is not the same as being in school. I'm sure teachers have said doing the online learning is worse than being in the classroom. So.If they don't go back will have teachers resigning or going off with stress. Oh and a load of children with mental health problems too.
Government is too short sighted to.see this though. I'm just praying I'm wrong and they go back.

We have discussed it with our DS who will be due to go into Y1. Mainly as he’s one of the oldest in his year and he may not be able to have a birthday party either. He understands why but is a bit bummed about it all. It seems mean, but we are just trying to manage his expectations. Shit this stuff is so difficult!

I’m sure they’ll open, definitely primary due to the evidence of under 11s not transmitting etc. I’m 99% certain on secondary but what do I know 😂

I work in education OP and we’ve been told that we are DEFINITELY reopening to the full school full time from September 2nd

I don’t think the gov can afford to keep parents off any longer tbh, I don’t actually think they are that bothered what happens to the kids in all honesty but they need the parents back at work

YABU simply for posting yet another boring "will they, won't they" Covid thread.

You don't know what will happen, nobody here knows, even the bloody government doesn't know, so stop winding yourself up and your kids and enjoy the holidays.

Just cross that bridge when you get to it like the rest of us.