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

@TheKeatingFive we have been lobbying for masks. Screens and some attempt at distancing. Parents seem to want to close for Xmas so they can nanny. And NEU don't talk for me. Not my union. My union is campaigning for safety measures.
Why do people want sick teachers ? We can't teach if we are ill. Keep us well and we can keep the schools open.
We had 22 teachers off last week - v close to closing year groups. I taught 63 students at one stage in the hall.

Otherwise, presumably, their efforts would be channelled into lobbying for masks.

Teachers have been doing just that.

The NEU press release is asking for closure, if their list of measures to keep schools safer, cannot be met by the govt.

This thread is also about closing schools if people mix en masse over the festive period.

Safety is the priority in all those points made.

All the govt has to do as a few small changes to the guidance in support of masks etc., sort out testing and tracing, support schools to make sure they have the funds to keep their schools safer and therefore more open to all and everybody’s happier. Win win.

[quote mumsneedwine]@NaughtipussMaximus that's all right then. As long as you're ok. I'll keep turning up and mixing with 2,000 non socially distanced, non mask wearing people. What could possibly go wrong ? Oh yes, dying. Like my colleague did in March. But that's ok, she wasn't important. As long as no one is inconvenienced.
[/quote]
What happened to children in the first lockdown wasn’t “inconvenience” and the fact that you represent it as such, and you represent the very real prospect of people losing their homes and being unable to feed their families as “inconvenience”, says an awful about you, none of it complimentary.

Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed. Safe not closed.

If I keep saying it maybe it will register in some people's heads.

@mumsneedwine

Why doesn't anyone listen ? It's not closing schools, it's making them safe we want. Masks, some distancing, screens. Then they won't sodding close.

This thread is about closing the schools. RTFT. Or if that’s beyond you, read the OP at least.

How can people with school-aged children expect their own kids to be put above people without a school interest situation?

It’s not as simple as that. Schools closing means a huge number of parents unable to work or wfh. The NHS is struggling as it is. What if you or a relative need hospital treatment over those 2 weeks of extra school closure, do you think the wards will be fully staffed? No, because many of the doctors, nurses, cleaners, HCAs and therapists will be at home. With their kids, home schooling. Your clinic appointment may get cancelled because NHS staff have no wraparound childcare. You might wait 9 hours in A&E instead of 3 because there aren’t enough staff to attend to you. Non-emergency surgery will be cancelled, maternity units will struggle, mental health services will be stretched to breaking point.

It’s relevant whether you have kids or not!

@NaughtipussMaximus blimey your bed side manner needs some work. I'm also a parent. Of a child who had her A levels cancelled.
Teachers did not cause this pandemic you know. Thanks for the sympathy of losing my friend. I spent today with her kids at her grave as tomorrow would be her 50th birthday.
And I'll pass your kind thought to my 24 year old PE teacher colleague who now can't climb the stairs. If you really work with COVID patients please try harder to find some compassion.

Schools were always open for the children of Keyworkers.

What about those of us who don’t have family to mix with at Xmas? We have no family support and the only respite we get is when the kids go to school? Do we get a say in this? Why should I be penalised when we don’t do family parties?

Shouldn’t you be lobbying your employers? Most schools are now independent academies and not under control of the LEA. Your employer has a responsibility for your health and safety, there’s no legislation saying shops must have barriers etc but they’ve put them in to keep staff safer and at work. Plenty of schools have mask wearing all day because the SLT have introduced it.

Agree with @naughtipussmaximus - if its a choice of having schools definitely close v possibly close, then its a no brainer. Shut the bubbles as and when you need to. For some schools that'll be in large swathes at times, for others it'll mean minimal disruption. A blanket approach makes no sense and is disproportionate.

Its also puzzling how we don't ever see threads from supermarket workers or nurses or care home workers or bus drivers about how their workplaces should shut because they're not safe.

Schools were always open for the children of Keyworkers.

But most wraparound care wasn’t open. If you work shifts and rely on breakfast club/after school club so you can work (eg wraparound is normally 7am-6pm rather than 9am-3pm) it’s just not possible. Some shifts start at 8am. Many healthcare workers have a commute of 1 hour or more, so without wraparound they’d be able to get into work for 4 hours or less rather than 9! I doubt many managers would rota staff in for 10am-2pm when they’re supposed to do a mix of earlies, lates and long days!

Or NHS staff with family nearby would end up relying on them for childcare, so more household mixing!

[quote mumsneedwine]@NaughtipussMaximus blimey your bed side manner needs some work. I'm also a parent. Of a child who had her A levels cancelled.
Teachers did not cause this pandemic you know. Thanks for the sympathy of losing my friend. I spent today with her kids at her grave as tomorrow would be her 50th birthday.
And I'll pass your kind thought to my 24 year old PE teacher colleague who now can't climb the stairs. If you really work with COVID patients please try harder to find some compassion. [/quote]
Where did you get the idea that I’m a doctor?! Not from me, certainly.

And I’m sorry for your loss, but I never said or implied that teachers caused this pandemic, so I’m not quite sure what your point is. I’m also not sure why you think children’s suffering is so unimportant that you term it an “inconvenience”.

Definite school closures versus possible school closures - hmm. If schools went online for a fixed period I would set work, I would mark work and help any students who didn't understand the tasks.
If I get sick due to a virus stew caused by holiday shenanigans, I won't be setting any work or responding to pupils as I will be off sick. Let's hope I am not one of the unlucky ones, if I did die I imagine at least a few of my students would find that had a bigger impact on their own well-being than two weeks off school.
It's a risk assessment - the chance of something very bad happening is less likely but the consequences are so much worse.

@NaughtipussMaximus apologies. I assumed you were medically trained as you seem to know lots about COVID.
My mum was taught in an underground station while wearing a gas mask for 4 years. Yes it was horrible but it was safe. We didn't want schools closed in lockdown. And in-fact they weren't closed. Key worker kids & vulnerable kids were in every day. We don't want schools closed now. We want them safe. That's all. I'm off to bed as will now be in school at 6.30am trying to work out how to sort out stuff for the year group that was closed 10 minutes ago.

Oh the old "online learning" argument. Forgive me, but based on the quality of online learning we got last time around I have very low expectations.

Whenever I see "online learning" I just see "twinkl worksheet x5"

Yeah or a list of a billion links to wade through to try to find something relevant.

I don’t think I know more about covid than anyone who is able to read and understand very simple science. It’s worrying that someone might think that amounts to medical training.

Can only speak for myself 🤷🏻‍♀️ Well, myself and my colleagues and the staff at my older dc's school. We provided and marked decent work.

I don't use twinkl (secondary) but dc had some sheets and they were just ways of teaching the curriculum. If the teacher typed them out themselves would that satisfy?

Also - genuine question to those calling for a two week hiatus of schools post-xmas:

What happens if case numbers are the same (or worse) at the end of it? Do we then do another two weeks off? And then if no better- another two weeks off? For the whole of the country?

To me, shut the schools and education stops. I mean, ok I know some teachers will try and engage online; but many wont and many kids cant/wont engage back anyway; so for all intents and purposes, education stops. And suddenly these kids will have missed an entire year. I just dont think that's ok.

We Aren't mixing over Xmas. Why should my child miss out in January in year 10 when we won't have mixed at all.

@Doordine
I'm a teacher and it really surprises me how little some other teachers seem to value education. Like it's optional.

I'm a teacher and it doesn't surprise me how many people (and the government) give more of a fuck about Christmas than they do about keeping schools open.

So much for the
'We must do everything we can to keep schools open'

If people really gave a monkeys about education they would be keeping no essential shops shut and that goes for pubs etc. too.

I don't give a toss about Christmas, but I do want my DC to be at school.

@Juststopswimming

Oh the old "online learning" argument. Forgive me, but based on the quality of online learning we got last time around I have very low expectations.

Whenever I see "online learning" I just see "twinkl worksheet x5"

Maybe the government will set some guidelines this time.

but I wouldn't count on it.

I think the schools should close two weeks before and go back just over two weeks after.

But I feel that high schools should be closed anyway. Keep primaries and nurseries open which allows parents to work. High schools, colleges and uni’s should all be online classes.

Id much rather NOT mix at Christmas than the children miss out on school. I agree with a prev posters suggestion that exemptions should be made for those terminally ill, single households etc ... but for the sake of the rest of the population having a good old knees up for 5 days, I will resent any further restrictions.
I completely agree with you op though. I’m
Not a teacher but if I was, I wouldn’t be happy going to work where potentially the kids have been here there and everywhere.
Personally I don’t want to see a mass relaxation of rules in the first place.