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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask if you think there's a chance schools could be closed till September?

342 replies

Turmericpie · 08/01/2021 21:41

I had assumed worse case scenario would be summer term...but it was pointed out to me tonight that if vaccinations are slow in rolling out, it could quite conceivably be September.

Thoughts?

OP posts:
Emeraldshamrock · 13/02/2021 23:12

I really hope not. I respect the teachers and staffs right to safety but selfishly the thoughts of being stuck in this for another 7 months is awful.
Knowing the pace of the vaccine rollout in Ireland it might be Christmas. Shock

Skysblue · 13/02/2021 23:15

@Obbydoo what research sre you referring to? I read that teaching assistants are three times more likely to catch covid than the average worker, and teachers twice as likely.
www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/coronavirus-covid-infection-rates-among-teachers-and-school-support-staff-much-higher-than-among-general-public

Emeraldshamrock · 13/02/2021 23:22

And all of the other people that work in roles with human interface. Retail staff, prison staff, police, manufacturing staff etc
I disagree none of the workers listed are in a room with 30 little people some with bad hygiene for 6 hours.
Teachers, police, prison officers need to be vaccinated after Hcp.

Dinocan · 14/02/2021 07:29

Times is reporting this morning that they will be back on March 8th. Given that through the whole pandemic they have always told the press their plans before public announcement I’m inclined to believe this. Phew.

Sooverthis1 · 14/02/2021 08:16

How are they able to stay open in France and Spain? France all the schools, childcare settings are open ...If it was a case of kids wearing masks then maybe parents would be ok about thta rather than having months and months off ..
I'm in Ireland and the schools were closed March to September last year, absolutely none of them opened in June like in the UK. Also in Ireland there has been no provision for students with sn or key worker kids in schools at all . I've a pessimistic view as we are a population of only 5 million in the Republic and can't understand how vaccines can't be given out quickly here unless its purely down for supply but seeing how our public sector operates of in fact doesn't I think it could be September here for schools ....

Snowsnowglorioussnow · 14/02/2021 08:49

Omg teaching assistants mostly have to sit next to their charge, squashed in, no 2 m distance and even then that would only be safe for a few moments.. No, they have to get close, to interact to help?!. Noisy classroom, mis understanding of various things...

Emeraldshamrock · 14/02/2021 09:43

I think the government underplayed the spread throughout the schools, in Spain France the DC are wearing a mask and washing regularly throughout the day. All teachers in Ireland wear PPE.
The rise in cases was interesting here once the stores restaurants opened for the month of December it skyrocketed.
Also in Ireland there has been no provision for students with sn or key worker kids in schools at all It is awful all those HCP's with no childcare, they've introduced a scheme for an it is far from ideal, home learning provision for 5 hours 2 separate assistant to come in my home for 5 hours per DC at different times starting Monday it is more stress than it is worth.
I'll have to keep the house visitor clean daily now I'm under enough pressure happier with no help than help that creates work for me. Grin

Marypoppins19 · 14/02/2021 09:44

@Obbydoo you are incorrect and I don’t know why you’d think this to be true.
It sounds like you are keen to get your child back to school and sod the safety of the staff

Marypoppins19 · 14/02/2021 09:44

@Snowsnowglorioussnow completely agree.

Sooverthis1 · 14/02/2021 10:16

I actually think maybe parents would be happy to have the choice of their dcs wearing masks if they got back to school. I have family in France and Spain and all below 6 none of the children are wearing masks (which I'm sure is better for v small kids) and they are all in school from 3 years old there, very long days. 4 months closed last year in Ireland , no idea why they didn't reopen in June for primary like in the UK or even partially. I think it could be another 4 months here, that's 8 months of missed school and ecce funding (what's happening with that money?)
We have no online classes or pre recorded lessons at all. Its totally disingenuous to act like homeschooling works for all when everyone's situation is so different, parents trying to work full-time or parents with younger dcs that need to be cared for during the day.
I know a lot of parents of dcs with sn who very much think the attemps by some sn teachers was lip service at most and also did nothing but provide extra pressure on those parents.
Yes, its not the schools fault there is a pandemic and they are closed but putting the responsibility on the parent to work, run a house , look after other kids while teaching multiple children their class curriculum is ridiculous, topped by the fact that our taxes are deducted to fund education which in top of our jobs we are providing. And before someone says the teachers in Ireland are working im sure that's the case but I know that I am covering the lesson plans and schemes of work myself at home on my own, this is a fact, that is our reality

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 14/02/2021 10:23

I don’t think it’s safe to send them back yet, and my dd14 is going mad in lockdown.

We have a different variant that spreads like wildfire. Schools were the biggest driver. The figures are still too high. Kids spread it in the community, but no parent age vaccines yet.

It’ll just escalate again if they open now. And then they’ll close them again.

LegoLegs · 14/02/2021 10:35

@Dinocan

Times is reporting this morning that they will be back on March 8th. Given that through the whole pandemic they have always told the press their plans before public announcement I’m inclined to believe this. Phew.
Ditto! Thank God.
montysma1 · 14/02/2021 10:44

No they will rush to open them again to appease parents plus all manner of other sectors. And then we will have another wave and off it goes again.

Obbydoo · 18/02/2021 06:34

[quote Skysblue]@Obbydoo what research sre you referring to? I read that teaching assistants are three times more likely to catch covid than the average worker, and teachers twice as likely.
www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/coronavirus-covid-infection-rates-among-teachers-and-school-support-staff-much-higher-than-among-general-public[/quote]
The article itself says that Jenny Harries and the other Chief Scientists/Medical officers says there is no evidence. They've been asked the question several times on the live 5 o'clock briefings and every time they've said there's no evidence. I'm more inclined to take the word of an unbiased CMO than an article based on a union's thoughts in a magazine which states they have 'estimated'.

Obbydoo · 18/02/2021 06:35

[quote Marypoppins19]@Obbydoo you are incorrect and I don’t know why you’d think this to be true.
It sounds like you are keen to get your child back to school and sod the safety of the staff[/quote]
What evidence fo you have that I'm incorrect. Our Chief Medical Officers state there is no evidence. Do you know more than them?

Obbydoo · 18/02/2021 06:39

[quote Marypoppins19]@Obbydoo you are incorrect and I don’t know why you’d think this to be true.
It sounds like you are keen to get your child back to school and sod the safety of the staff[/quote]
Sorry, pressed 'post' too soon!

That's a wild assumption on your part and an entirely incorrect one! I don't have school aged kids so from a personal perspective it makes no direct difference to me whether kids go back or not.

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