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

@CathTurnbull

I think the govt have definitely made mistakes but it seems some people are intent on blaming everything to do with Covid on the govt.

What people don’t seem to grasp is the govt HAD to open schools in sept - safe or not. There was too much pressure for parents returning to work and kids missing out on education-you can’t please everyone.... that thrown in with the sheer volume of people wanting (not necessarily
needing) a test It’s unsurprising we’re in the situation we’re in.

No, what the government HAD to do was come up with a plan that KEPT them open. If schools only open in September and then perform a hokey cokey before closing in Oct then the govt has failed its children. A blanket closure would be the worst outcome, something that teachers have been warning about.

In Wales we went from the gov minister saying that blended learning would be in for the forseeable future, that we would have additional weeks off school within the Autumn term built in for planning, but also as 'firebreaks' to further limit transmission and that online learning was going to be a big thing.

Instead, we are all back in. Business mostly as normal.

And the blended learning is a mishmash of having to teach our classes in person AND provide online learning for any isolating pupils. As well as being prepared, in the event of having to isolate ourselves, to be providing learning for the pupils in class - who will need a supply or cover adult in class with them if they aren't isolating at the same time - but who I can provide work to do with the kids it seems.

Parents evening's are to be on Zoom, so that's going to be a three day stretch of frustration when we can't actually get on with the parents we need to see in quick succession.

@CathTurnbull

I think the govt have definitely made mistakes but it seems some people are intent on blaming everything to do with Covid on the govt.

What people don’t seem to grasp is the govt HAD to open schools in sept - safe or not. There was too much pressure for parents returning to work and kids missing out on education-you can’t please everyone.... that thrown in with the sheer volume of people wanting (not necessarily
needing) a test It’s unsurprising we’re in the situation we’re in.

Do you think they HAVE (your shout) to keep them open when staff are ill / self-isolating? I'm afraid we're not here to sort your childcare issues. Our job is to educate your children and that could've been done more safely.

In my current working climate I won't be able to avoid Covid once it gets into school. I won't be going back until I'm fully better.

If only there were some way for Littleposh to tell that this was a thread about schools so that she could avoid as necessary.

Or if there were some way of hiding it so that she didn't have to keep posting on it that it makes her sad.

Poor Littleposh.

@Littleposh

Can't you all just share one thread?? Does there really need to be multiple new every day covering the exact same things?? You don't want schools open?? Don't use them

Don't like it? Don't open it.

Lol noble - wind your neck

@Littleposh, can't you just avoid threads you don't like the look of instead of turning up to whine on them?

1,332,658 tests were processed in the UK, across all pillars, in the week from 27 August to 2 September, a 6% increase from the previous week.

Of these 9800 approx we’re positive. That’s an awful lot of people being tested that do not have covid . And this is before schools went back .

Can you imagine over a million tests . In that amount of days .it is still quite an achievement.

Let’s hope Cambridge get on with the new saliva test as it could save time and money .

[quote Jpnkard]Please sign this petition to try and encourage Boris Johnson to exclude children under the age of 12 from the new Rule of Six

chng.it/fxyw9gSrQ7[/quote]
Honestly we’re trying to keep schools open here... isn’t there a dusty petition section somewhere

What I found interesting about the English government not excluding children from the Rule of 6 is the tacit admittance that children may be a factor in spreading covid.

Which is something that has been firmly denied up till now.

1,332,658 tests were processed in the UK, across all pillars, in the week

So if 100,000 a day are promised to care homes, that leaves about 600,000?

And 100,000 are used by the ONS for the new larger survey? That leaves 500,000?

Not to mention healthcare staff and those needing to go in for hospital treatment - who must surely be absorbing a significant number per week, perhaps 100,000 or so?

So for all other purposes, we have not much over 50,000 tests per day for the whole of the UK?

No wonder there is a bit of an issue.

@CathTurnbull as you say it was obvious what was going to happen so the absolute idiots had to prepare for it.

@SaltyAndFresh

I'm afraid we're not here to sort your childcare issues.

Er, that's exactly what covid has demonstrated. Schools are for freeing up works to work. Dual purpose if you prefer, but nonetheless, your childcare keeps the economy running.

Schools needed to go back

Pubs / clubs etc need to close

@noblegiraffe

What I found interesting about the English government not excluding children from the Rule of 6 is the tacit admittance that children may be a factor in spreading covid.

Which is something that has been firmly denied up till now.

Good point!

@cantkeepawayforever
So for all other purposes, we have not much over 50,000 tests per day for the whole of the UK?

No wonder there is a bit of an issue.

And here is where we expose one of the roots of the lies around our testing capacity.

For those thinking about the numbers, 1,332,658 tests in a week sounds like a huge amount but the Government had told us that the systems they have created can function with 2,450,000 tests per week. They are failing when working at only just over half of what they promised (and still are promising).

I don’t need childcare, not sure why that comment was made? It’s pretty obvious there are a lot of frustrated and angry people here which is understandable.

Just a shame that energy can’t be put to better use by being more constructive and proactive rather than constant moaning and whinging. We’re in the middle of a pandemic, we need to adapt and learn to think on your feet, see things more holistically. It’s not healthy to live in this blameworthy culture.

@millymollymoomoo

I didn’t vote as I don’t like the choices Schools need to be open with all children in. End of HTH

And fuck anyone who is clinically vulnerable? "End of"?!!

[quote AllWashedOut]@SaltyAndFresh

I'm afraid we're not here to sort your childcare issues.

Er, that's exactly what covid has demonstrated. Schools are for freeing up works to work. Dual purpose if you prefer, but nonetheless, your childcare keeps the economy running.[/quote]
Not when we're not able to work because we've been exposed to Covid or are ill ourselves. I'm afraid I don't have the immunity superpower.

Nurses get tests at separate venues to the general public, so they will always be able to get tests.

Absolutely. I read the posts prior to schools in the UK reopening and thought it sounded horribly shortsighted.

My children, ages 9 and 6, have gone back in masks, and they’re split into am and pm cohorts. They each have eight children in their class. They are in school for three hours per day, focusing solely on reading, writing and maths, and have Zoom lessons for art, music and Spanish when we are home. Sadly, science is on the back burner, but all in due course.

Either way, I think softly, softly is the way to go right now.

The speaker of the house is telling the Government the current problems with testing are unacceptable and to take action. Not that No 10 pays much heed to parliament.

It is completely negligent to be in this position with testing in early Autumn - it’s hindering schools return, NHS function and people’s ability to work. Please explain this absolute mess Dido?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8734997/Up-250-000-Britons-waiting-coronavirus-test-results-Matt-Hancock-admits.html

Yet last week Boris was telling us we’re heading for 10 million tests a day with ‘Operation Moonshot’! How confident are we in that coming to fruition!?

@CathTurnbull it was because you said schools had to open, safe or not, because of pressure on parents returning to work.

We’re in the middle of a pandemic, we need to adapt and learn to think on your feet, see things more holistically. It’s not healthy to live in this blameworthy culture.
This is true - but how can people think on their feet and adapt getting a test?! There's either capacity or not... and there's not.