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

[Turmericpie]

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?

They weren't reopened last Summer when infections/deaths were pretty low in May onwards. Everyone expected them open after the spring bank holiday, end of May, but the re-opening was a half hearted matter with only some pupils going back. I seem to remember Boris saying they'd reopen but the teaching unions stopped it. I suspect the same will happen again until everyone is vaccinated as the unions will again kick up a fuss.

As a teacher and with a year 11 DC I am hopeful for March, a staggered return.
I think after Feb half term is very unlikely and our SLT have issued guidance/rotas based on the current system into March.

The DFE needs to be making some robust plans as to ensure the safe reopening of schools to all pupils. The guidance this time isn't called closure, its titled, restricted attendance.
Surely all members of staff can be issued see through masks? So students can see our mouths but we have some level of PPE?
That doesn't help with the student's being vectors of the disease. Numbers are going to have to be considerably low before anyone can sensibly suggest that 100s/1000s of households mixing is a good idea

@Covidasaurus

Speak to any NHS or local authority staff and they are not expecting return before September. Might just be worst-case planning, but...

Nhs staff don't have any more information about schools opening than anyone else. Why are you lying?

I am pissed off about how many 'keyworkers' kids are going in. If the disease spreads in schools and this increases community spread then only NHS staff children should be going in. If our bins don't get emptied for a few weeks and the supermarkets reduce opening hours then so what? It's completely ridiculous that so many people are taking advantage with some schools at 75% capacity!

I think it's possible. It depends on so many things.

I think there's a good chance primaries will go back as planned after the February half term. I have a feeling secondaries will be treated differently this time round though and they'll continue remote learning for longer.

@Kazzyhoward

They weren't reopened last Summer when infections/deaths were pretty low in May onwards. Everyone expected them open after the spring bank holiday, end of May, but the re-opening was a half hearted matter with only some pupils going back. I seem to remember Boris saying they'd reopen but the teaching unions stopped it. I suspect the same will happen again until everyone is vaccinated as the unions will again kick up a fuss.

The unions have had literally NO POWER until the recent S44 down to the massive uptick in school transmission and new variant. The government have played you if you think the unions had any say in what happened in lockdown 1. The government just bin letters from our unions without a backward glance.

@MrsMiaWallis

I am pissed off about how many 'keyworkers' kids are going in. If the disease spreads in schools and this increases community spread then only NHS staff children should be going in. If our bins don't get emptied for a few weeks and the supermarkets reduce opening hours then so what? It's completely ridiculous that so many people are taking advantage with some schools at 75% capacity!

There are a lot more essential workers than just NHS. You have no idea.

There are a lot more essential workers than just NHS. You have no idea

Of course I do!

Listen to the head teacher on the tv yesterday saying parents qre abusing the system if you don't believe me.

• Most teachers and school staff won't be vaccinated until,the summer holidays so I think it's highly likely, yes.  The older/vulnerable teachers will have been vaccinated, so no reason why the schools should stay closed.*

I am older and in a vulnerable group, my Gp says it'll be July or august before I get the vaccine, so does the online vaccine calculator.

@parkpoolplunge I think school staff will be back in before they are vaccinated tbh.

The headteacher of my dd’s secondary school has asked parents to donate laptops.
Apparently, many families have been unable to access on line learning because they don’t have the technology.
I hope that schools will be back in February

@parkpoolplunge in fact many many school staff are in now.

@MrsMiaWallis

There are a lot more essential workers than just NHS. You have no idea

Of course I do!

Listen to the head teacher on the tv yesterday saying parents qre abusing the system if you don't believe me.

You're suggesting only NHS workers go to work. Clearly you have no idea.

[quote Monkeytennis97]@parkpoolplunge I think school staff will be back in before they are vaccinated tbh.[/quote]
They will because to the government we are expendable

Oh god I hope not. My two have sen and that would have a massive impact on them.

I hope with lockdown that cases will reduce like last summer and the roll out of vaccinations they will be able to get back. There was zero cases in my children’s school last term. I know the cases have risen dramatically but I really hope that they can open again even just for a couple months!

[quote Monkeytennis97]@parkpoolplunge in fact many many school staff are in now.[/quote]
I know, I am in full time each day.

A couple of my friends work for the NHS (one frontline, one admin). Both say that while they understand the reticence to believe a word Johnson says, they think people will be surprised at the speed of the rollout. Both say that having the army on logistics is a game changer.

And of course the more people who volunteer to help rollout the vaccine, the better still. So if you can, volunteer.

I think groups 1 to 4 by mid Feb. Then once they've done the over 65s and seen a reduction in hospital admissions things can begin to open up. Easter doesn't feel totally unrealistic.

I live in an area with a high proportion of 80+s and everyone I know has had two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Hopeful times

Easter I reckon but really really hoping for earlier. Depends on vaccine roll out I think. Cases are just going up and up.
Boris has been quite clear that the first thing to open will be schools so am holding him to that

I think after half term they will slowly start to let some children return part time, possibly youngest first as least able to learn from home. By Easter I’d imagine most children/YP will be back in some form. I think it’s unlikely they’ll be off until September.

Johnson is a lying, crawling toad (apologies to toads), so we can virtually guarantee that any words that fall from his lips are a lie. There’s also a pattern of everything always being worse, and later, than the Government says it will be. We don’t have any means of holding him to account until 2024; all we can do is harass our own MPs.

Also, if he gave a damn about education Williamson would be on the back benches.

@parkpoolplunge thank you x it just winds me up when people say schools are closed as although millions of children are now home there are millions still going in. I didn't realise you were school staff x

Article in the Times today said school restrictions were led by Whitty, Gove and Hancock. Boris agreed but wanted to keep exam years in. Williamson wasn't even in the room.

It doesn't matter who you've spoken to, what your sources are etc because no one knows- least of all Gavin Williamson. I think the cancelling of exams is very telling though. If schools were to return at Feb half term, that would mean they'd have a hell of a long time left in school where some sort of exam, even a reduced version, would be possible. My cash is on Easter but no one knows.