Schools open or shut?

[Andrea87]

Should schools stay open?
A tricky one to answer. I have to add I have an interest in shutting them as I am a teacher who had to give up my job in the summer because I couldn’t risk bringing the virus home to a family , so I have spent this time creating an online course for teaching parents how to teach reading plus become an online tutor so I would do better personally if schools were shut plus I have lots of teacher friends who would be safer if they don‘t go to work.
On the other hand I know how challenging it is for parents who are working, trying to keep their job in these difficult times, plus home tutoring their children and the online educational support has been ranging from excellent to some schools doing very little in lockdown. Such a wide response by schools in terms of what they provided at home, it amazed me.
Then there is the important social aspect of children missing out even if they were home educated with excellent support from school and parents.
It is not an easy answer. I live in an area where the virus has been prevalent and know about 3 primary schools and none of them seem to have had the transmitted at school, so it seems primary schools have been safe.
Primary children seem safe. What about the teachers?
Having said that I know teachers who say they do not feel at school and then go to large shopping centres for non essential shopping which surprises me.
So what can happen to keep adults in schools safe and parents the opportunity to continue to work but also keep educating children?
So that teachers like I don’t have to make that difficult decision and leave teaching ( believe me it was hard , I loved my job of 20+ years and miss it dreadfully) maybe the government could furlough teachers who are in the high risk category or live with people in that category and have supply teachers cover their classes. As said children seem to be safe. This would make it safer.
However it is not an easy decision.
Stay safe everyone.

children didn't return until September. Why couldn't they have gone back in June when infection rates were falling?

They did. But thanks to the government it was only certain year groups instead of all pupils on a rota.

What criteria will be used to allow them to reopen? Zero covid? Everyone vaccinated?

Well given that 85% of primaries are opening on Monday, whatever criteria deems that safe? It would seem to be a pretty low bar.

I have a couple of underlying conditions. I can assure you that leaving my daughters without a mother would have them in a far worse state than missing a couple of months of school. And I say that as the parent of an 8yo that struggled hugely during lockdown. But she'd struggle far more without me.

I know teachers who say they do not feel at school and then go to large shopping centres for non essential shopping which surprises me.

Not that I can go anywhere because Wales is in a state of perpetual lockdown, but I feel very much safer in shops than I do at school. I have no intention of keeping out of the way of members of the public who think we should put ourselves in the firing line then barricade ourselves indoors. They can keep out of mine (I'm not referring to ignoring social distancing).

It's dependent on the rates/data surely? 1000/100,000 then yes, close them. 200/100,000 when tier 3 has worked so far surpressing it on v1 of coviduk then no, unless and until v2 kicks in and then we need to see the spread in schools before they make a decision.

These next few weeks are just an experiment to see what the rates do when you close secondary, close primary plus secondary.

@noblegiraffe

Y10s who were in school and not doing online lessons were pretty fatigued by Christmas too.

He and his friends are stuck behind a computer for 6 hours a day with a few breaks. It isn't normal by any standard. Plenty of them are not enjoying this and there school work is slipping.

My son loves school and is very social. This hard working and smart student is fading so much I am thinking about deregistering him until next September. So he can learn in a more natural way.

Online lessons have there place in all this but aren't a long term solution.

Don't forget in your drive to make schools safer that there isn't a one size fits all answer and even as a teacher you don't always know best.

It doesn’t really matter if we have mnetters letting their teens go off to parties over the Christmas/ new year break. It is all a real kick in the teeth to school staff

CraftyGin

Depends on the child. Don't be so dismissive. If you work in secondary you need to not generalise so much. That is how vulnerable kids get missed. I am hoping you are not SLT

Don't forget in your drive to make schools safer that there isn't a one size fits all answer and even as a teacher you don't always know best.

I have literally no idea what you’re talking about here.

Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

Did you mean to be so patronising?

@formerbabe

I supported the initial closure of schools...It was absolutely ridiculous however that children didn't return until September. Why couldn't they have gone back in June when infection rates were falling?

Have to agree in hindsight that would have made sense but that is the trouble with hindsight. Don't think we understood the situation as clearly back then.

Six weeks of school, then six weeks in the summer off, then six weeks back in, possibly a two week break at half term.

Oh hindsight is an amazing thing. However nobody new the new mutation would speed transmitting up so much. Despite some here screaming it was obvious and all that.

I’ll get hammered for this but I think throughout Tier 4 all schools should shut and bring the infection rate down.

I am so torn. My DD desperately needs to be in but its also genuinely frightening. She was in March-july and it wasn't this scary then but our area was relatively minor hit then. Now our cases have tripled in a week.

I'm not sure school are thrilled to have her in either which is a rubbish feeling.

I'm pretty certain every teacher in the land would rather being in school, teaching normally.

But these are not normal time, are they.

@GuyFawkesDay

I'm pretty certain every teacher in the land would rather being in school, teaching normally.

But these are not normal time, are they.

This all the way.

I want to be in school, and I want to teach the subject the way that it should be taught.

I didn't want to have to spend the break rewriting SoW with no knowledge of how long pupils would be out for.

@Rockbird

I have a couple of underlying conditions. I can assure you that leaving my daughters without a mother would have them in a far worse state than missing a couple of months of school. And I say that as the parent of an 8yo that struggled hugely during lockdown. But she'd struggle far more without me.

There isn't really a debate in that

@noblegiraffe

Don't forget in your drive to make schools safer that there isn't a one size fits all answer and even as a teacher you don't always know best.

I have literally no idea what you’re talking about here.

I know and that is a shame. If you did then maybe people would listen to the stuff you have to more often. You are very wise on the subject of schools but need to except others have their own experience too.

"children didn't return until September. Why couldn't they have gone back in June when infection rates were falling?"

I and all my colleagues went back to full hours on the first day back after May half term, in accordance with GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE.
We then had every year group in from June 22nd.

So it really pisses me off when I read generalisations like yours.

"I know and that is a shame. If you did then maybe people would listen to the stuff you have to more often. You are very wise on the subject of schools but need to except others have their own experience too."

Nope. I've no idea what you're on about either.

@FrippEnos

Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

Did you mean to be so patronising?

I can imagine. It depends what you are referring too. Like it in real life too I am afraid.

We are back at just under 1000 deaths a day. We don't understand enough about the new strains to be able to mitigate their risks effectively. The NHS is about to be overwhelmed as cases rise from mixing over the Xmas period.

Of course we should be shutting schools, at least until we have this surge under control.

@CallmeAngelGabriel

"I know and that is a shame. If you did then maybe people would listen to the stuff you have to more often. You are very wise on the subject of schools but need to except others have their own experience too."

Nope. I've no idea what you're on about either.

Great team work guys

Get back to not listening to the posters and taking every little thing as a personal insult against you and all school staff.

Some people really are not out to slag off schools but actually just worried about their child

Did no one see the news this evening? Nhs workers in ICU tearfully begging people to STOP MIXING. "Covid loves crowds."

But yeah, fine, open schools!

Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

Its a shame because some of what you post in quite interesting.

Its just not worth the rubbish posted with it.

Of course people are worried about their children. I'm worried not just about the two of my own but the other 250 I'm responsible for and meant to be keeping safe. How can I do that with a bit of fresh air and some hand gel?

On the statistics and data thread earlier they were trying to work out the rational using last weeks figures for the areas chosen to keep schools closed longer.

I don't know if they found an answer yet but worth checking out.

Else it was just random