Longer lockdown or shut secondaries ?

[Coffeeandteac]

YABU - keep open
YANBU- Go to online for 4 weeks to reduce spread for secondary.

I know they say lockdown may be extended now. Though it is clear from today that the lockdown will be longer while schools are still open. It is also clear older children spread the virus like adults from watching Marr and news channels today.

Which would you prefer? Which do you think is right?
In my opinion I would shut secondaries as I think it may not take the R below one anyway.imo.
However if I had a choice I think it would be better for business to have a shorter lockdown and close schools.

AIBU?

I would shut post 16 education and universities before any other education.

I think have a slightly extended lock down (taking us to Mid December) and then schools, early years, uni's all have an extended festive break.

Definitely. I’d shut schools for 2 weeks ASAP rather than have this, and then in all likelihood it being extended till Christmas. Two months plus of shops/gyms/hospitality bring closed is far more likely to shaft the economy than a short sharp lockdown which gets the R rate down quickly.

The trouble is the government are so adamant that year 11 and 13 must sit traditional exams in the Summer, and with another nationwide school closure thats just not going to be plausible. The best thing would be to admit this now and start preparing a proper plan B, but that means them openly saying they were wrong.

Shut schools but leave open to Year 11 and 13 with masks. Remote learning for the rest.

It’s impossible to say that people have to carry on going to work and at the same time remove childcare. Especially when you can’t use friends and family in the same way.

Agree with shut schools apart from yr 6, yr 11 and year 13.

@welshweasel that's why it's just about secondaries. Primaries are essential for childcare and can also have meaningful bubbles. Secondaries are very different - not needed for childcare so could do remote learning with just vulnerable pupils in, and also are clearly one of the biggest drivers of infection.

Tbh the only thing they could do to fit with their other policies is send yrs 9,10 and 12 home. Which they might well do but that’s not the same as closing schools.

Can’t send 11 and 13 home as they have exams. Can’t send 7 and 8 home as they’ve said these children are too young to be left alone while parents work - rightly imo.

It’s a huge mess and there are other things they could have done sooner and over the summer to stop this kind of choice having to be made.

(I have a yr 7 but I can work from home so I’m not saying that for my benefit, but for people who have to go out to work. I can work from home fine with my yr 7 dc here, and she’ll actually do her on line work. If my yr 2 dc were at home again like before I’d be a lot more fucked!)

I would prefer small household Christmas to school closures. Couldn't really care less about being just our household for Christmas but I care deeply about the disruption to education.

YABU. Keep the children in school!

I actually think year 11 and 13 would be better at home with good online provision. At the moment they are in and out isolating and we're trying to teach online and in person with no idea who is off each day to plan and noone gets our full attention. If they were all online we could focus on really good online teaching in a way we cant at the moment.

Shorter lockdown, shut ALL schools including primary, stop thinking that only secondary schools are a source of COVID spread.

Secondaries will most likely need to close in the not so distant future. I think they should trial keeping years 7, 11 and 13 in from this week and reassess in 2 weeks.

Option C - realise this is just another of one of the many illnesses out there that kill certain people, and adapt and move on.

This is the exact reason why they should have done it over half term, arrogant and made no sense to keep pushing on with rates rising.

You cannot send year 10 and 12 home. That's the first year of studying towards those exams,

No. Education has been messed up enough as it is. There was outcry over exams in the summer and now suddenly people want the same to happen next year?

Stay in lockdown until the new year. Christmas will just make things worse again, we need to be in lockdown for Christmas otherwise there was no point in doing it at all.

Again there’s this view it’s open or closed. You can say they are open all you like but there are regular closures of bubbles for infections (and if you don’t send home the whole year group you are just dodging the issue and causing more infections) and these will become more and more frequent. Secondary schools will close themselves - and it’s the more important older years which will close most often.
Some form of closure/blended learning/use of spaces and supply teachers to spread pupils out is needed if you want exam years to have regular schooling.

@Crakeandoryx

YABU. Keep the children in school!

So longer lockdown for business?

Not saying this is right or wrong but people's jobs will be more severely at risk.

@Groundhogdayzz

This is the exact reason why they should have done it over half term, arrogant and made no sense to keep pushing on with rates rising.

I agree.

DS attends a school which is part of a trial for rapid mass testing, I really want his school to remain open, partly because I have no concern about his risks and partly because I believe that the trial needs to be completed as a potential exit strategy for all of us. I would love to see the testing trial rolled out across more schools because it really does give peace of mind.

Laura that does sound really interesting.

So longer lockdown for business?

But those of us who have small children in schools need them to be in schools so we can work, my job is also at risk if they stop children going as I have no other childcare bar at risk elderly grandparents.

I think it would be a good idea to close secondaries however as those children would be old enough to stay at home in most circumstances so it shouldn’t effect working parents too much.

It’s so hard as there’s always going to be people screwed over no matter how it’s done