Schools should close for 2 weeks after the Christmas mixing

[OverTheRainbow88]

I think that schools should remain closed for face to face teaching 2-3 weeks after the end of the period in which Boris will allow families to all mix.

I don’t want to be in a classroom with 30 different kids 5 times a day who’ve mixed inside with all different family members and friends.

I say online learning until mid Jan, if Boris will allow us all to mix at Christmas

Totally unfair on those of us who are going to be sensible and not do mixing over the festive period. Better to just ban mixing IMO.

Kids have missed too much school as it is. How much more do you actually want them to miss?!!!

No. I don't want DS missing any more school. We will not be mixing with family over the holidays, DS is going to his dad's but that's it.

I've taken the decision NOT to mix with my family at Christmas, as my parents are both potentially vulnerable, so my DP and I will be spending the day just the two of us.

I know many people who are being sensible and choosing to do the same.

So locking down after Christmas will be a kick in the teeth.

Of course yanbu. I have 2 at secondary with exams so would appreciate measures that make them more likely to stay open. However the 10 days would have to start from 2 Jan as I reckon lots will socialise New Years Eve/Day

Our school ends in the 18th. I think it needs to close a few days earlier so people can self isolate before seeing elderly relatives.

I'm going to guess that all of those saying "we don't need to mix" don't live alone. I do. For me, mixing at Christmas is a neccesity. I'm working (teacher) and that is all I have had in my life since the beginning of September apart from the occasional zoom call. I will be mixing with my family at Christmas - about 6 people.

It's all well and good for those of you not dealing with the real isolation of living alone to call it unnecessary, but not everyone has that luxury.

Agreed. We're having a quiet one this year but that's hardly going to be the case for many despite what Boris says should happen. I really think there's going to be a massive surge after Christmas. Our secondary already isn't coping so God knows what will happen if it's open as it is now in January. I think the kids would appreciate a bit of extra time off after Christmas too.

@knackersknockersknickers

I can see why school staff would feel anxious but why do we always talk about "schools". There's a big difference between young primary kids and teenagers both in risk of spread and options for online learning.

Please can we break these discussions down.

Yo forgot about staff. Not enough staff in a primary school will shut bubbles

@Solidaritea

I'm going to guess that all of those saying "we don't need to mix" don't live alone. I do. For me, mixing at Christmas is a neccesity. I'm working (teacher) and that is all I have had in my life since the beginning of September apart from the occasional zoom call. I will be mixing with my family at Christmas - about 6 people.

It's all well and good for those of you not dealing with the real isolation of living alone to call it unnecessary, but not everyone has that luxury.

If you live alone you’ve been able to mix via a support bubble since the summer

@Spongebobsbob

I’m a teacher and a parent. Keep schools open before and after Christmas holidays. Don’t allow mixing of households over Christmas People’s priorities are so messed up!

I agree with this. Also from POV of NHS worker, please don't make January/February worse than it already will be with this stupid minority-supported Christmas-mixing followed by Jan lockdown.

Your thread title made me smile.

The Christmas Mixing.

Very Hunger Games!

@Solidaritea

I'm going to guess that all of those saying "we don't need to mix" don't live alone. I do. For me, mixing at Christmas is a neccesity. I'm working (teacher) and that is all I have had in my life since the beginning of September apart from the occasional zoom call. I will be mixing with my family at Christmas - about 6 people.

It's all well and good for those of you not dealing with the real isolation of living alone to call it unnecessary, but not everyone has that luxury.

I think that is totally fine and I doubt anyone would say otherwise! I think the issue is more that it is being reported that it will be a free for all, like normal years. Where people would be making many visits to extended family and friends. Like normally, we would spend one day with my extended family, which is 15 people crammed in. Plus a different 11 people another day and then finally 12 people another day. Also various friends popping in to visit now and again. We won't be doing this at all this year, but I think this more what people are picturing, rather than your set up! DH and I will still be working over Christmas so will continue not mixing to make sure we don't put anyone at risk.

I hope you have a lovely Christmas

@spongebobsbob

I'm aware. I don't have anyone I can reasonably bubble with. All my close friends are vulnerable and I don't feel comfortable exposing them to the risk from school.
My parents live too far away to visit for a weekend. I was self isolating at half term.

For clarity, I don't think primary schools should close again en masse. I've less clear opinions on secondary. They do seem extremely risky just now.

We had a tough November/December with many kids off or being sent home with an illness with extremely high temperatures last year. (Plus Noro, plus tonsillitis). Because the instant the thermometer showed at 39/40, they were sent home and were kept home (as they were too ill to go out and about), by the last week of term, the chaos had pretty much dissipated and only a handful were off.

By New Year, some of them, including those who had already been unwell, had come down with something else - a few were admitted to hospital over New Year.

Some came back to school and were sent home with that slightly different raging fever and other symptoms (such as a cough) by the end of the first week.

The second week saw large numbers of students and some staff off. The third week saw staff absences at an all time high - including me, who had gone through November and December in close physical contact and proximity with all those who needed to go home completely unscathed.

I assumed that the first wave was influenza. I don't know what the second one was, but it was fairly obviously brought into school by kids who had caught it just around Christmas, incubated it over the next week and then, once in school for the first week in January, the virus tore through the site over the next three weeks, affecting students and staff - I even caught it, despite going through handling every single student in November and December without a single issue. And I was off for over a week with it.

In terms of reducing January illness rates, I think it would make sense to delay the start of term, as then if somebody caught a virus, it would have time to pass before coming in to school.

However, that doesn't mean it solves everything. So I am not expecting it. I'm not looking forward to January.

[quote BustopherPonsonbyJones]@Glitterbubbles
Firstly, health care professionals signed up to work with people who were ill. Teachers didn’t. Secondly, teachers CAN work from home in the same way that GPs, office workers and many others work from home - online. It isn’t ideal but online GP appointments, vet appointments and bank appointments aren’t either. The difference is it inconveniences some parents, many of whom are sitting at home working from home quite safely. For what it’s worth, I’d prefer to work in school but only if it’s as secure as other workplaces.[/quote]
My mum was a teacher for over 50 years - she caught loads of stuff from her kids over the years. Any type of vomiting/noro or rota virus quite often which would then pass onto me and my brother. My point being that this is not a new thing.

One year it was a dose of Flu we came down with just before Christmas that wiped the whole household out for weeks when we caught it off her.

There are always risks - you have to learn to balance them.

I was twice exposed to open TB in my twenties as a nurse - pathogens are part of the job. On ICU we are wearing full PPE as we do AGP's but on the non critical care wards they are only wearing regular face masks, pinnys and gloves. This level of protection is pretty basic.

No job is risk free and if you are not prepared to accept a perceived level of risk - well IMO you should not be doing the job, whether as an HCP, supermarket worker, warehouse packer or teacher.

@PrivateD00r
It isn’t a competition and I am sorry you are ill; however, the situation at Christmas will make many teachers ill and by default, many more of your NHS colleagues. I don’t want to be ill and I definitely didn’t sign up to be a ‘hero’. Nits don’t frighten me in the same way as COVID frightens me - but I get your point about delivering babies not usually being life threatening either.

I have suggested that we lockdown from the 26th for two weeks to protect us all from the numpties. Some of your front line colleagues will need childcare. Childcare could be provided for single parents who are essential key workers and for families where both parents are essential key workers. Other children can stay at home for one extra week and take part in online lessons. It is inconvenient but suck it up to save teachers and NHS workers.

Absolutely not, so that it's more work for the parents (let's be honest mostly mothers) who are WFH?

And people who are not working from home but work in cafes, shops etc. have to scramble for childcare?

And why should the people who stuck to the rules for Christmas be punished?

Mumsnet has lost its mind, ideas worst than the govts....

Worse*

No education is more important than seeing family at Christmas. People have to accept Christmas is going to be different. It’s only one day! How many people will infect elderly relatives because they feel the need to cram into each other’s houses

I'd change the Question OP

It's not a case of should we close schools for 2 weeks after if BJ allows 8 days of Christmas Jollity & Visiting as you will get fairly equal YABU and YANBU (which I see is the case)

It should be AIBU to say that the Govt would be irresponsible to prioritize popularity over health by allowing 8 days socialising followed by the immediate return to School nationally given what we know about transmission rates and locations?

@PrivateD00r

Absolutely fair enough - it's a good point that it's the "free for all" idea that's the real risk. I'm not sure many people will have that kind of Christmas, thankfully. Diwali and Eid were both celebrated broadly sensibly (I live in an area with large Hindu & Muslim population) and I suspect that the Christmas messaging will be broadly similar when we get nearer the time. Some or maybe even most people will break a few, minor, rules. A small number of people will be ridiculous. Overall, the increase in transmission might be quite minor.

apologies for reading only page 1 but some acamamy trust schools near us are planning to close a week early at christmas to try and minimise infections before hand if social mixing of households is allowed at christmas...I think a week after too would make sense

It should be AIBU to say that the Govt would be irresponsible to prioritize popularity over health by allowing 8 days socialising followed by the immediate return to School nationally given what we know about transmission rates and locations?

52andblue, I agree with this.

I'm an SEN teacher. Lockdown or no, I have been and will be avoiding my parents because I don't want to pass anything on. Even if the government insist on this 6-day festive bender, I shall continue to see my parents from afar.

Yes, it would be nice if
a) I was in a job where I could wfh
b) I could trust my pupils and their families were also being sensible
c) this whole bloody pandemic would just fuck off

But I can't change a) and I have no control over b) and c) so I'm taking what precautions I can.

The children I work with are already at a disadvantage due to the life dealt them. My colleague and I saw them during the initial lockdown actually forget things they had learnt before (video lessons everyday as despite EHCPs they didn't come into school). I just want to continue to work with them in school and do my best to educate them.

Secondary schools should close on the 11th only a tiny minority of children with Sen need childcare. Remote learning g can be done and paper packs sent home for those with no laptop/internet.
It’s simple , easy to implement and will most likely save thousands of lives.

@Solidaritea I didn’t say I don’t “need” to mix and I haven’t seen anyone else saying they don’t “need” to mix either. I have said I have chosen not to mix. There’s a difference.

Fair enough, Christmas Day but do the festivities need to go on for 5-7 days? No they don’t. Get the kids back to school! They’ve missed enough as is!! Education is far more important than meeting for a dram and a sweet mince pie imo.