The government have fucked up the re-opening of schools

[noblegiraffe]

They have, haven't they?

Back in June their five tests for reopening schools were:

First we must protect the NHS’s ability to cope, and be sure that it can continue to provide critical care and specialist treatment right across the whole of the United Kingdom.

Second, we need to see daily death rates from coronavirus coming down.

Third, we need to have reliable data that shows the rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels.

Four, we need to be confident that testing capacity and PPE is being managed, with supply able to meet, not just today’s demand, but future demand.

And fifth, and perhaps most crucially, we need to be confident that any changes we do make will not risk a second peak of infections.

I'm pretty sure I know the reason for not reminding people of those five tests this time round, but particularly test 4 - capacity within the testing system.

I was listening to the radio today about how the lack of testing is damaging the NHS's capacity to reopen services as nurses with symptoms cannot get tests and therefore cannot return to work. The same goes for schools - if teachers cannot get tests, either for themselves or for family members with symptoms, then they cannot go to work. This has been the case even with priority referrals.

There also seems to be utter chaos around who gets sent home when there is a positive test. Some schools are sending home a year group, others close contacts. Teachers often have no idea if they'll be sent home if one of their pupils tests positive.

But surely the government are tracking cases in schools carefully? No, it turns out they're not even storing that data. schoolsweek.co.uk/its-official-dfe-doesnt-know-how-many-schools-have-covid-cases

And a survey suggests that covid protection measures in some schools are poor. www.tes.com/news/third-teachers-lack-soap-and-water-school

So with an abysmal test and trace system, less than adequate measures to prevent the spread, and a department that isn't on top of its brief we can expect more disruption to come.

Even if your own kids' school is fine so far, parents really shouldn't be happy with this state of affairs, particularly the lack of testing capacity that will mean children will be out of school or missing a teacher unnecessarily.

YABU: The government have done a sterling job
YANBU: The government have not done a sterling job

the want my austitic son in 10 days from symptoms but not allowed to leave the house to take him for 14 days.
Yes! This is fucking ridiculous. Same position here - ds would be due back next Thurs (10 days) but we can't leave the house for 14!! There is no way he would let our neighbours or someone else drop him in/pick him up.

The whole thing is such a mess.

one week in and 200 boys in my son's school are at home due to one positive case. Just waiting for it to filter through the rest of the school now.

Mippi the majority of teachers amd many, many students at my school have the september cold.

There are no tests available in our lockdown area. If every member of staff who was ill self isolated, school would shut.

What do you think schools should do?

I think people just like to winge. Stop moaning about the same things. The only issue we have is that everyone including the government is focused on tests tests tests....what we should be focussed on is the fact that death rates are incredibly low, this virus really isn’t the awful pandemic it’s been sold as so we need to stop acting like it is and stop panicking.

@HoldMyLobster

Not true at all. We have to apply for tests through the same system everyone else does.

One of my family members recently got a test for her son through NHS Occupational Health. They couldn't get one through the regular online system.

My understanding was that NHS nurses applied to their own Occupational health for tests, and these were processed in NHS labs?

Bupkis would your child's medical team support you by saying it is better for your child to remain home for a while? The guidance says if a child is not on school because they are following clinical guidance, then they should immediately start remote education. There does not appear to be a time restriction on this. If it is clinically safer for your child to remain at home during covid times, I would explore this option!

I think it is very important that testing facilities be local and plenty of them. Was informed that ours is way too far away that one would have to get a ferry boat after travelling by road to get a ferry and if with Covid
this could spread around to staff of ferry boat and terminals etc.
It is a right muck up and all other countries can laugh at us.

@Letsnotgooverboard

I think people just like to winge. Stop moaning about the same things. The only issue we have is that everyone including the government is focused on tests tests tests....what we should be focussed on is the fact that death rates are incredibly low, this virus really isn’t the awful pandemic it’s been sold as so we need to stop acting like it is and stop panicking.

You know those 40,000+ deaths? (Which is itself an underestimate)

Just remind me again why that's not an 'awful pandemic?'

What is your suggestion? That we do not test, we do not self isolate, and we allow children and adults (including those who work in the NHS, those who are vulnerable etc) who have infections that could be Covid self-medicate on paracetemol and just go into school and work as normal? That we send parents of children who have been in crowded classrooms full of coughing peers straight into work in care homes, or straight home to look after elderly relatives??

@Letsnotgooverboard

I think people just like to winge. Stop moaning about the same things. The only issue we have is that everyone including the government is focused on tests tests tests....what we should be focussed on is the fact that death rates are incredibly low, this virus really isn’t the awful pandemic it’s been sold as so we need to stop acting like it is and stop panicking.

Or alternatively we could have a realistic discussion based on a good medical understanding of the situation and the risks of exponential growth of infections caused by a deadly new pathogen that we don't fully understand yet?

The pandemic isn't the government's fault. I agree they could have handled it better. They are somewhat constrained by our the capacity and capability of our state bureaucracies and what our population will tolerate. They deserve some blame but not all of it.

@Vinomummyinlockdown

And that’s why I now home educate!!! I don’t trust these fools in government to keep us safe, nor do I trust anyone in general! The school families I see are making dry little effort to follow ANY SD rules and generally seem to think Covid doesn’t exist.

@Vinomummyinlockdown Have you deregistered your DC now from school or was you homeschooling prior to Covid?

It’s an absolute mess no definitive rules and each school is different some relatively lax and others sending home for a sniffle.

They deserve some blame but not all of it.
For the handling of it?
No they deserve the blame, if not all of it, then the vast majority of it.

Please tell me exactly what you suggest OP? The gift of hindsight is a wonderful thing when you’re dealing with an unheard of global pandemic! I just imagine how more of a sh**show it would have been had Corbyn got into power. Has it been smooth sailing - no. Has Boris listened to highly qualified medical experts?...I’m guessing so... no I dint think it’s been great and yes I’m fed up up with the restrictions BUT I’ve seen thousands of people on protests, on the beach, towns where people have ignored any advice and this is now where we are... The problem IMO is people being selfish and lacking common sense (I know someone who lied about their symptoms to get a test!!)

We didn’t need the gift of hindsight. We had Italy, two weeks ahead of us, begging us to learn from them and shut down, and we left it too late.

I have very little love of Corbin, but absolutely disagree that he would hav3 handled this worse. He would have prioritised human safety and lives and shut down earlier, I think. That would have saved lives and protected the economy.

The mess has come from all those idiots going on holiday both UK and abroad, not social distancing and going to the pub! Selfish idiots the lot of them

Corbyn. Sorry.

@pinkstripeycat absolutely agree ! I’ve noticed the death figure is slowly creeping up too ... it will be interesting to see , in a months time what it will be like . They said on the news yesterday that people in their forties and fifties seem to be coming down with cases more now . It’s all such a mess , so much mis reporting and inaccuracies and failings . It’s difficult to get people to see the seriousness of it .

Guidance or not our school is insisting on proof of a negative or positive test. So far so good only a handful of children sent home, one or two daily with probably just colds. Nothing I am aware of at my ds's school. Fingers crossed but
all my colleagues think in 2 weeks time we'll be back in lockdown...

What the holy hell has this got to do with Jeremy Corbyn? You can't excuse this government by suggesting somebody may or may not have made a worse fist of it. Boris, god help us, is our elected PM and he and the rest of his ministers are making a pig's ear of the return of pupils and teachers to schools.

twitter.com/TheIDSmiths/status/1306287140960174081

The gift of hindsight is a wonderful thing when you’re dealing with an unheard of global pandemic!

Teachers have been posting about the problems with the plans for re-opening schools for ages. It didn't need hindsight, it just needed a brain.

Sadly lacking in our leadership. But even they recognised that testing capacity was key to re-opening schools. They made it one of their five tests months ago.

It's also in their guidance. "The government will ensure that it is as easy as possible to get a test through a wide range of routes that are locally accessible, fast and convenient. We will release more details on new testing avenues as and when they become available and will work with schools so they understand the quickest and easiest way to get a test"
www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools

@JustSaying101
I deregistered my children due to covid. I have a health condition so I cannot take risks and rather than try to worry about what goes on “out there” (which I cannot change anyway) I took things into my own hands.

YANBU
it's a total shitshow.
As a teacher who was shielding, it's actually making me feel quite ill with worry.
I need to earn an income but the lack of social distancing I'm observing at the school gates plus the absolute lack of distancing within a school is very scary.
It's impossible to teach effectively and also keep yourself safe.

Oh. And the greatest thing is that lots of schools are pressurising their staff into having to teach remotely if they have to self-isolate so that their classes continue to get an education.

If they are self-isolating due to either themselves or one of their children being ill it's very difficult for them to do online live lessons from hone, especially if they have young children.

What they are being asked to do is almost impossible. I know that my young children can leave me alone for ten minutes let alone a whole day.