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

So what about the key workers? Who would have their children while they work?

Are you happy to loose police officers, fire fighters, ambulance, Nhs staff ? Not to mention the other essential key workers?

We are paid by the government as a public servant, we get the ok pensions, surely this is a time to step up and rise to the challenge?

@bjjgirl

As the other lockdown, schools didn’t shut to key workers kids, but having lots less in made the schools much more ‘covid secure’.

The question is, what will all those key workers do when their child’s bubble constantly bursts in Jan? Those children will not be allowed in school as key workers kids if their bubble has burst. That’s a more scary scenario.

What the hell are hospital and police and fire staff doing at the moment for childcare if their child's bubble has burst 3/4 times which is not uncommon? When the child is supposed to self-isolate and can't be cared for outside of the home at all? It's happening now. It's happening all over.

I work in a school and the mental health of the staff is shocking at he moment. Even people who have been mentally robust for years are crumbling. And it’s no wonder after coming into contact with up to 180 different households a day for 1 hour in close confinement, with no PPE or ventilation. DfE guidance is now to have windows closed in lessons as it cold. Parents complain of staff wear face coverings. Older kids bubbles are popping due to their lack of giving a single shit when told to self isolate.

And just to remind people, during school closures, schools don’t actually close for key workers and the vulnerable. I worked through all holidays apart from the summer so childcare could be provided. So key workers in my school had better childcare through the pandemic than ever.

@bjjgirl are you a teacher? You sound like one with your "we" in your post but I don't think you are?
That's not to say you can't have an opinion, but you can't speak as someone working in a school now if you don't.

PeoplesVoteSlogan

Same could be said for supermarket workers having hundreds of strangers around them all the time. Same also could be said with carers who work with covid residents for 12 hours a day in ppe that protects the people they care for but not the carer. I've seen 4 people die in front of me due to covid. Teachers are not the only ones going through stress at this time.

Teachers are not the only ones going through stress at this time.

Yes, that has been acknowledged numerous times.

Let's hope a teacher knows how to spell lose/loose.

@overtherainbow88
As the other lockdown, schools didn’t shut to key workers kids, but having lots less in made the schools much more ‘covid secure’.

The question is, what will all those key workers do when their child’s bubble constantly bursts in Jan? Those children will not be allowed in school as key workers kids if their bubble has burst. That’s a more scary scenario.

I’m a nurse snd single mum with no family support. I’m not entitled to tax credits. Pre covid my childcare costs were minimal as I used breakfast and after school club plus my elderly mum would help out weekends if I was working, this is no longer possible due to her being at risk.
Last week one of my children’s bubbles burst and I’ve had to find emergency childcare so that I can continue to work (no suprise we are having staffing issues within the nhs due to staff having to self isolate). I’ve spent £300 on emergency childcare to cover the days I’m working. I’m working Saturday which shall cost me an additional £100 in childcare (my child’s self isolating periods ends Friday) therefore my childcare costs this week are £400. That is way over half my income. I’m currently questioning the viability of me actually working.
Should the schools close for an additional two weeks I shall have to source childcare which because it’s Christmas shall be at a premium. I anticipate there shall be further bubble bursting in January but that would IMO happen regardless. Some people may follow the rules but many don’t abs won’t. Financially, like many I am struggling, and yes I am lucky to still have a job I am very aware of that.
I am lucky enough not to have to work Christmas Day this year so shall be home alone with my kids.
I’m lucky we get a bonus in the nhs so I’m wondering if I can pay my childcare providers with this? Oh no I’ve just realised we don’t get a bonus we get claps but that don’t pay my bills.

On a side note DVcases have rocketed thanks to covid Christmas is another trigger for these.

[quote Possums4evr]@bjjgirl are you a teacher? You sound like one with your "we" in your post but I don't think you are?
That's not to say you can't have an opinion, but you can't speak as someone working in a school now if you don't.[/quote]
No I am a police officer who gets spat at, assaulted and have to deal with horrific things on a regular basis.

I said 'we' as the public sector.

@CallmeAngelina

Let's hope a teacher knows how to spell lose/loose.

I am also severely dyslexic but hey if picking apart other posters spelling makes you happy, feel free.

I’m interested in the statistic that 80% of children attending accident and emergency test positive (previous poster).

I’m assuming that children attend emergency departments for a variety of reasons, and that this statistic suggests therefore that about 80% of children have covid.

Astonishing if true, and a very good reason to campaign for the closing of schools, however I cannot see how it’s true.

I live in an area that was in tier 3 prior to the current lockdown. The children in our primary schools are being tested every half term. The typical statistic for a positive result is something like 10% of the class, locally. So 3/30 kids in the class. To my knowledge, none of their families have become ill, either.

The reason for testing them is to study whether they are spreading covid asymptomatically, however the study seems flawed, as nobody is following up to see if their families develop the illness. So all that happens is that whole classes are sent home. In some cases, they were tested just before half term, sent home, then tested at the beginning of the next term, too. And then sent home.

Huge numbers of children local to me are missing weeks and weeks of education in the name of this study. Understandably, as they don’t appear to be spreading covid to their families, and nobody seems to be following it up, these parents are beginning to opt out of the study.

Cant possibly be 80% of kids with covid.

@Vivana

PeoplesVoteSlogan

Same could be said for supermarket workers having hundreds of strangers around them all the time. Same also could be said with carers who work with covid residents for 12 hours a day in ppe that protects the people they care for but not the carer. I've seen 4 people die in front of me due to covid. Teachers are not the only ones going through stress at this time.

Agreed. Care worker have been treated shockingly. But a supermarket worker has multiple fleeting encounters. Staff in schools are also expected to manage the metal well being of their charges. Difficult to do when you have poor mental health yourself. This is exacerbated by the prospect of being blamed for an outbreak in a school because you let three kids work in a group...or let them share a glue stick. And let's not forget teacher bashing and blame is a national pastime for some. (apologies and thanks to those who support my profession, you don't know how much we appreciate you. Sadly you are a minority)

Not all public sector workers are "in it together" many are working at home just now. I would not swap my job for that of a police officer. I think we all deserve more concern shown for our safety though.
Incidentally a have a dc very keen to join the police when he leaves school but worried as his dyslexia might make him fail the entrance tests, so it's very positive to see it hasn't held you back from joining.

But a supermarket worker has multiple fleeting encounters.

What do yoy mean by 'encounters'? How do you perceive covid is spread? I am presuming you don't think staying 2m away from kids and wearing a mask if you get closer is sufficient? In which case I am assuming you must think yoy catch it from the air. Then surely you can see that thousands of individuals each staying in a space for 30-minutes to and hour is more risk than the same 30 children in a classroom? The chances of many covid positive individuals being in that space over a working day and receiving repeated exposures to this is much higher.

Time spent with the infectious individual is very important, relates to viral load as well. If we have contact with a confirmed case in school at less than 2m for less than 15 minutes we are not even viewed as a contact and don't have to isolate. Most supermarket contacts would also be less than 15 mins.
I don't know what the proportion of primary to secondary is but you can't imagine that most teachers only see 30 pupils a day surely?

On LBC at 9.33/34 caller lambasts Shapps (transport secretary) about the gaslighting in education and manipulation of ONS. Didn't catch callers name. I was cheering from my garage whilst putting shopping away. It will be on repeat.

Shapps' response "We're doing all we can, we are not going to get everything right... increased testing will help teachers yada yada". Inept response. Hastily moved on by Ferrari.

Thank you thank you to that caller!

*ONS data

@Possums4evr

Time spent with the infectious individual is very important, relates to viral load as well. If we have contact with a confirmed case in school at less than 2m for less than 15 minutes we are not even viewed as a contact and don't have to isolate. Most supermarket contacts would also be less than 15 mins. I don't know what the proportion of primary to secondary is but you can't imagine that most teachers only see 30 pupils a day surely?

Ok. I was thinking primary. I take your point about more than 30 kids. But it is not time spent with an infectious individual but individuals (plural) and for that both the risk of exposure and total time exposed to covid positive individuals is likely to be higher for supermarket workers.

I haven't rtft so may have been said but I think they should close 2 weeks before the mixing dates and 2 after so the families who chose to mix within the rules can do so knowing kids have been out of school longer so at less risk of transmitting it, this in both senses.

Even with bubbles bursting schools should stay open. Every day she can get proper teaching is a bonus IMO.

My DD's school in year 8 has managed get through until last week, and they are now on a week off due to 1 positive in a bubble of nearly 200 pupils!

She is upstairs doing a live lesson at present - its reminding me all over again that online teaching is so massively inferior to face to face.

Anyone who feels the risks/stress are more than they are willing to accept in any job should make a decision to not do the job. Thats the case in all jobs - not just teaching. I've worked in a few areas of nursing that I hated, really stressed me out, so I left. I've even worked with nurses who would object to being allocated to infection rooms - they got short shrift from me.

"so the families who chose to mix within the rules can do so knowing kids have been out of school longer so at less risk of transmitting it, this in both senses."

They choose to mix, they take the risk. In particular why should schools close early just to solely benefit those who choose to mix.

They choose to mix, they take the risk.

But then they pass on the risk to others - classmates and teachers- who did not make that choice.

Kids mix all the time! My DS goes to school and is in a year bubble. He then goes to a childminder and mixes with lots of different children. He then goes to swimming and mixes with more children, he then goes to football and mixes with more children and he goes to stagecoach and mixes with yet more children. Incidentally he will be mixing less over Christmas as all these activities will stop and we won't be seeing family