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

I had been thinking this too op. If people are going to insist on treating Christmas like every other year, then I think a January lockdown, including schools, will be necessary. It would be a complete nightmare for us, and we won't even be mixing over Christmas as we will be working as usual. And I have no idea what we would do for childcare in January. But I can see there would be no other choice if people won't wise up.

To those assuming schools will still provide childcare, I wouldn't be so sure. We had an extra week off at Halloween and the schools completely closed, no home learning, no childcare. Just an extra weeks holiday for kids and staff. Total nightmare

Obviously I am not in England.

@Sewsosew

They have recently tested all the staff in one department of my local hospital (my friend works there). Half of them were positive and ASYMPTOMATIC. People will socialise over Xmas, pass it about, have no ill effects until it passes onto someone who is ill. Schools are still part of that chain. Teachers will have partners who will be working with people who have picked it up on Xmas day. People who work in care homes, factories, self employed won’t be isolating for 2 weeks after Xmas day. It’s so short sighted.

I am not meaning to be argumentative, but this seems very unlikely. Are you sure it wasn't antibody testing? It seems highly improbable that 50% of staff all got this virus at literally the exact same time and are asymptomatic. Given it has been circulating since early in the year.

Seems much more likely that it was antibody testing and half have had the virus at some point this year, that would certainly tie in with where I work. I would say 50% of us have had it by now. Many of us were very unwell.

I've already said to my family that we're happy to keep it low-key this year as if there are any problems, two can't go to work, one is semi-vulnerable and all the children can't afford to lose any more school. So unless we are vaccinated before Christmas we're happy to video call and see them properly when it's all over.

I really can't see that, unless you are on your own, that it's a big deal. And those on their own should be able to bubble with someone else for the day if they haven't already.

@OverTheRainbow88

I assume the OP would be okay with not being paid for those two weeks?

I assume I would be working, online teaching etc.

You’re very lucky that you would be able to online teach for that time. I have two young children who I would also have to look after during that time. The upshot of that is, like the first lockdown, I would do neither job well. I can’t believe that we are at a point where we are discussing prioritising Christmas (a nice time of year) over education (a right for all children). Absolutely disgusting!!! And I say that as a teacher who will also be in the same position and subjected to all the pupils being in my room after mixing over Christmas. Nobody would isolate their child for 2 weeks after being off school for 2 weeks so it would be completely pointless. The kids have been through enough and are still being dragged through the mill over exams etc and I’m still exhausted from my week of online teaching after October half term (Wales). Schools should be as close to normal as is safe and not pushed down the order of priority for Christmas.

@brewbrewbrew

Two weeks before would make more sense. Two weeks afterwards seems a bit pointless.

So people can have two weeks to prepare for fun with their own families, but then sod those who will be side by side and face to face with these same people in their infectious period afterwards?

@Angel2702

I’m hoping that schools being closed, a lot of businesses shut down for two weeks over Christmas might mitigate some of the effects of households mixing. For us I feel safer seeing a few family members where we know where they’ve been than the hundreds of students and staff they are in contact with every day at school.

I wouldn’t mind as much if my two at secondary did two weeks online learning as long as it was proper teaching and not the home school of before. But as others have pointed out there are mocks in January so that’s very unlikely to happen.

Primary schools closing will mean people can’t work again.

That's a very good point actually, that overall mixing will still be less than if schools were open. That is actually very reassuring, thank you.

Two weeks before would make more sense. Two weeks afterwards seems a bit pointless.

For families yes.
For school staff no

@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.

I'm a teacher. I don't think this should happen. Honestly before this second lockdown they were all socialising loads anyway so I'm guessing you wanted schools closed then too?

We are in a job that requires us to be in contact with lots of people and being uncomfortable with that isn't a good enough reason for schools to close. Whether or not we should be allowed to socialise freely at Christmas is a different conversation.

Like I said, it's probably not going to be that different to what I know loads of kids in my class were doing before this second lockdown.

What about those kids who haven't been provided for by the government - the same government who also didn't think that these kids also needed feeding

Parents should be providing whatever they need to study at home and feeding their children. It’s not all on the government. Parents are the ones with responsibilities for their children.

True. Half the staff were sent home. Staff from another hospital have been brought in to cover.
I doubt it will be repeated in other departments.

You know you can get it more than once? Antibodies are only temporary it seems?

[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]
Well said.

YABU of course, if the schools are closed for 2 weeks after Christmas, people will continue mixing big scale with the extended family as if it was a bloody holiday.

To be honest, I wish people could see that their insistence of meeting granny and all the family over Christmas is the best way to get her killed.

And no, it is not as if I don’t understand granny, I have lost mine to Covid already and almost my parents.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

What about those kids who haven't been provided for by the government - the same government who also didn't think that these kids also needed feeding

Parents should be providing whatever they need to study at home and feeding their children. It’s not all on the government. Parents are the ones with responsibilities for their children.

Yes, but that isn't the reality. As a society, we have to try and prevent this cycle of poverty that can occur within families and communities by making sure that those who are living a hand to mouth existence are able to access opportunities afforded to the majority of us.

@Doordine

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

Online teaching is great... When you have Internet access, a computer, a desk, a quite home, supportive parents.

What about the kids we teach who are sharing one laptop between 5 siblings? Who share a room with 2 others? Who wont get fed that day? Who don't actually have internet? Who will need to look after younger siblings while their parents go to work in supermarkets or hospitals for example?

Two weeks is a huge amount to miss-especially when your privileged peers are cracking on.

If you are concerned that the measures in place in your school aren't enough to control virus spread then take it up with your school. That's the real issue. We have an important job to do and the younger generations have suffered enough without causing them even more disruption.

This is exactly what I think. I've had endless disagreements with my boyfriend who also works in a school in a non-teaching role (not in contact with anyone except other non-teaching staff basically). He can't get his head around why I feel so strongly about schools being open, but this is why.

Now from the point of the teachers, key workers and pandemic management, I think the lockdown should continue over the Christmas period.

Teachers should wear masks all day, as I’m certain they are permitted to. Then their risk is the same as many other workers and they can stop fretting about it.
And as for online teaching - I’m sorry but I think we all know it doesn’t really happen, not in any consistent and meaningful way . They either just send a worksheet over, or they do a “live lesson” which consists of 15 minutes of talking, followed by, you guessed it, another worksheet. That’s the case for my kids school and for the schools of all my friends kids. I dare say there are exceptions but I haven’t come across any.

genuine question; what would you be doing for childcare if you agree with this suggestion? Whilst I recognise school is not childcare, for myself and many many working parents it allows us to work therefore contributing towards the economy.I’m a nurse and single parent, I work with potential covid patients daily and without the schools being open I would not have a job. I cannot work from home.
My youngest has recently returned from a 2/52 self isolating incident due to an outbreak during this time I spent £300 on emergency childcare. I do not have a partner or family member to support me.
My children have missed so much education and I genuinely worry about their MH and development due to this.
I do recognise the anxiety that teaching staff face, whilst they can control their actions they cannot control the actions of their class members. However, this is the same in many situations.

I really think that despite lots of people huffing and puffing about potentially not being able to mix at Xmas, most would abide by the rules. People will have a rant but I think in the end most will do what’s asked of them. I think people will be too nervous to do otherwise, as I can bet that if people making the sacrafice on Xmas day see a few cars roll up to their neighbours they will be on the phone reporting it.

[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]
What about shop staff? Should all shops including food shops close too? Or postal workers? Or factory workers? Hospitality staff? Funeral workers? Prison workers?

As for ‘signed up to work with people who were ill’ surely you realised kids catch colds, flu and sickness bugs before you started teaching and signed up to work with them?

As for teachers can work from home; we discovered in lockdown that an awful lot can’t.

I also believe that schools should close a week early for Christmas to allow teachers to spend time with their families at Christmas without worrying about bringing Covid home from school!

Can we close hospitals too? If love to spend time with my family too!!

If I hear "but you have PPE" ill fucking scream.
A surgical mask, plastic pinny and gloves does not properly protect me from covid. As seen in the amount of staff we have off atm!

[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]
Now, come on. I am a midwife. That means I 'signed up' to work with 'ill' people? I think you will find that very few women I care for are 'ill' generally. It is so hard to remain sympathetic when you read stuff like this

A teacher is every bit as likely to encounter someone ill in normal times than I am.

Can we please stop making it a competition and see things from the perspective of others?

This is awful for all of us. It isn't better for me because I 'signed up' to work in global pandemic and contract covid, which I am still really struggling to recover from

I didn't ask for this anymore than you did.

Surely @LadyPenelope68 missed the part about being doctors. Surely no one could actually think this?

I really don't understand why, if the rumours are true, that it's six days of easing of restrictions. It makes no sense