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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think schools just won’t be able to stay open in the medium term

428 replies

Schoolgrand · 07/09/2021 18:13

In the medium term we are having thousands of people mixing from different households at a time of high community transmission and now we are hearing reports of an October lockdown. Aibu to think schools in their current form with no mitigation’s just can’t stay open in the medium term.

OP posts:
Peteycat · 08/09/2021 10:05

09:58herecomesthsun

Peteycat

manifestly the argument isn't over smile

Well no, because posters like you keep bringing masks up over and over again.

.. and most people are still wearing them in indoor crowded places

... and some children are still going to school in them (my son's notthe only one in his class in a FFP2)

No they are not. Most people aren't wearing them, especially this week with this hot weather. Even less.

FreakinFrankNFurter · 08/09/2021 10:05

yes a few weeks, less than 5% of their entire in person school education to save thousands of lives. It’s not really a huge sacrifice to make.

Perhaps @MyDcAreMarvel you needed to spend more time in school, because 4 months last year and 1.5 months (i think) this year are certainly not a 'few weeks.'

You don't get to decide if 5% of someone else's, not yours, in person learning is little sacrifice. I personally think it is a big sacrifice for our children to make

Fancy donating 5‰ of your savings to a charity of my choice? How about donating 5% of your organs, maybe a kidney, to someone you don't know?
Working an extra 5% of the week?

No, thought not. 5% is not insignificant

Peteycat · 08/09/2021 10:06

"10:03ElvisPresleyHadABaby

2020in2020

If the parents who don’t work and are merrily testing their primary school aged children every other day and giggling about LFT’s filling up their recycling don’t stop testing their children who show no signs of illness, ours won’t even make it to October half term. I am sick to death of it. I’ll join any protest if they attempt to close schools. DD7 told me about her lesson today - it was something I sat and learned with her last year in lockdown so she’s not even learning anything new. I’m fucking sick of the shitshow my children’s education has become, sacrificed at the altar of covid.

So you don't even want them to test? You want them to go undetected positive and put teachers and other students at risk? WTF?"

So when do you suggest testing stops? If that's correct what I just read above that it costs £20 per pcr, we need to stop mindlessly testing right now so that money can be spent on actually treating people.

MarshaBradyo · 08/09/2021 10:07

@FreakinFrankNFurter

yes a few weeks, less than 5% of their entire in person school education to save thousands of lives. It’s not really a huge sacrifice to make.

Perhaps @MyDcAreMarvel you needed to spend more time in school, because 4 months last year and 1.5 months (i think) this year are certainly not a 'few weeks.'

You don't get to decide if 5% of someone else's, not yours, in person learning is little sacrifice. I personally think it is a big sacrifice for our children to make

Fancy donating 5‰ of your savings to a charity of my choice? How about donating 5% of your organs, maybe a kidney, to someone you don't know?
Working an extra 5% of the week?

No, thought not. 5% is not insignificant

It is a daft claim the 5% and shows the lengths some go to minimise, worse that they do it for children.
Peteycat · 08/09/2021 10:08

Not everyone tests their children either. Some refuse. Rightly so. It can't go on forever and I've always had an issue with testing children. I'm sure ill get slated for saying that but I really don't like it at all.

MarshaBradyo · 08/09/2021 10:11

So you don't even want them to test? You want them to go undetected positive and put teachers and other students at risk? WTF?

That post was for primary age. It’s not a requirement anyway.

BroccoliFloret · 08/09/2021 10:11

I won't be slating you @Peteycat, I don't test my kids either. If they have symptoms obviously I'd get them a PCR. But not standard routine testing. DH and I don't do it either.

herecomesthsun · 08/09/2021 10:12

@Peteycat

09:58herecomesthsun

Peteycat

manifestly the argument isn't over smile

Well no, because posters like you keep bringing masks up over and over again.

.. and most people are still wearing them in indoor crowded places

... and some children are still going to school in them (my son's notthe only one in his class in a FFP2)

No they are not. Most people aren't wearing them, especially this week with this hot weather. Even less.

They most definitely are where I live, the vast vast majority (90-95%)

I'm just off to the local hairdresser, which is run like a very glamorous operating theatre, except with beautiful blowdries in place of surgical caps, and loads of coffee and biscuits on the side.

[probably wrong thread to compare mask-wearing percentages though Smile ]

sirfredfredgeorge · 08/09/2021 10:12

That post was for primary age. It’s not a requirement anyway

Even more than not required, the tests are not validated in primary aged students.

stayathomer · 08/09/2021 10:13

There was a superspreader event (wedding)here recently, most people okay, a man in his 80s on a respirator (but came out of it) and a 7 yo (Not an asthma sufferer)went in with breathing difficulties but okay after. I'm getting so many texts from people saying they had to go in for a test and sre achy and tired and worried for their parents as they were with them recently. I don't know why we even have these threads, there's no easy answer. But I don't think it's the schools that are the problem- here communions are starting up and the parents are pushing for more people to attend. Its things like this and parties doing the real damage. Saying that if things continue getting worse I don't know that I wouldn't support schools closing, maybe people might rein it all in a bit (but our family would probably break, 4 kids, I work in retail, husband works long hours)

borntobequiet · 08/09/2021 10:15

Yes I'm comparing the situation to England, rates in Scotland are soaring although could be to do with the never ending testing!

Scottish schools went back weeks before English ones.

Sweetpeasaremadeforbees · 08/09/2021 10:17

I think LFTs have a role to play even if they aren't that reliable but I do think PCRs are being overused, especially since they aren't necessarily reliable during early infection pre symptoms and so may need to be repeated with a few days interval.

HipTightOnions · 08/09/2021 10:17

But I don't think it's the schools that are the problem- here communions are starting up and the parents are pushing for more people to attend. Its things like this and parties doing the real damage

Why do you think this? Why do you think coronavirus spreads at parties and communions but not at school, where there are hundreds of us sardined together for hours? Is it the magic tape? (Even that’s gone now though.)

user78231 · 08/09/2021 10:26

What about other workplaces OP, or do you think people in schools deserve more protection than those in e.g. shops, offices. hospitals?

Did you accept your 2 vaccines OP?

Maybe it would be more constructive and humane to lobby the government to vaccinate all 12-15 year olds ASAP and to give a second vaccine to all 16-17 year olds, rather than calling for pupils to be locked up at home this winter.

user78231 · 08/09/2021 10:28

And how are you more qualified than the experts at the WHO OP?

WHO have advised all countries in Europe (yes, we haven't actually changed continent) to keep their schools open this winter.

stayathomer · 08/09/2021 10:28

HipTightOnions I honestly think it stems from other places, last year when schools were open but restrictions on things weren't as bad

FfrothiCoffi · 08/09/2021 10:30

So you don't even want them to test? You want them to go undetected positive and put teachers and other students at risk? WTF?

I don’t test my asymptomatic primary and pre school aged children, no.

Peteycat · 08/09/2021 10:31

10:11BroccoliFloret

"I won't be slating you @Peteycat, I don't test my kids either. If they have symptoms obviously I'd get them a PCR. But not standard routine testing. DH and I don't do it either"

Thank you for that. There is literally no need to keep testing children for no reason at all. I agree with the other posters who say it's not done in primary schools. High schools have only ever advised, it's not mandatory. I think some posters get too caught up in the testing and masks and don't realise they aren't mandatory.

HipTightOnions · 08/09/2021 10:32

@stayathomer

HipTightOnions I honestly think it stems from other places, last year when schools were open but restrictions on things weren't as bad
Things were getting pretty bad in schools by the time we broke up.

If people genuinely believe it does not spread in schools, I would love to hear their reasoning.

Peteycat · 08/09/2021 10:34

"10:28user78231

And how are you more qualified than the experts at the WHO OP?"

Because unfortunately, the posters that like to display outrage at the possibility of a somewhat normal life, pick and choose when they are willing to agree or accept the data or decisions of scientists or experts. When it doesn't suit their agenda, they oppose it.

WHO have advised all countries in Europe (yes, we haven't actually changed continent) to keep their schools open this winter.

lifeinlimbo2020 · 08/09/2021 10:35

@toots111

If they stop my kids from going to school again I will take my kids to Downing Street and let Boris look after them. My kids have been out of school too much over the last 18 months. They have isolated multiple times. And they have had Covid with literally not a single symptom. They have done everything that has been asked of them for a virus that has no impact on them. I am not a key worker and my young kids have to basically look after themselves whilst I work a really stressful job full time from home. It is not fair, not acceptable, that they have to sacrifice any more.
@toots111 100% agree. We need to get in the mindset that we have to live with this as we do with flu. Stop reporting every single figure and accept it's going to sweep through the population. We will look back on this and think how outrageous it's all been. So many people love the drama and being locked down and told what to do though.
HipTightOnions · 08/09/2021 10:35

WHO have advised all countries in Europe (yes, we haven't actually changed continent) to keep their schools open this winter.

We all want this.

What is the best way to achieve it? Cross fingers?

2020in2020 · 08/09/2021 10:35

Yes, to clarify I checked the guidance and Primary are to be tested only when symptomatic, so no I’m not forcing my 7 year old and 5 year old to have invasive tests that make them cry when there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them. We don’t mix at the school gate, where all the covid drama queens stand for ages in no masks trying to outdo each other by telling everyone how many £20 cost to the NHS tests they have stockpiled , we don’t go anywhere other than the supermarket or the children’s activities. We and all our family are double jabbed.

ElvisPresleyHadABaby · 08/09/2021 10:36

Not testing in Primary is fine, but for secondary it's hardly unnecessary, I'm very surprised that there are some obvious experts on this thread who feel as though their annoyance with conscientious testing qualifies them to ignore scientific advice. Local woman to us died at 43, was a teacher and left behind two daughters, one a preteen. She caught it at work, no underlying conditions and not even old. If a test catches an asymptomatic case that could prevent transmission, then it's worthwhile.

Peteycat · 08/09/2021 10:36

"If people genuinely believe it does not spread in schools, I would love to hear their reasoning"

It spreads everywhere. What do you want, to shut everywhere again? Not gonna work or happen. What this poster is saying is that it's not just schools, so stop demonising the children. It's really dangerous to keep blaming a generation of children you know. There could be implications in the future. I don't know what some of you want honestly.