Is it really likely the schools will close?

[sqirrelfriends]

I've seen a few comments on other threads about schools and other childcare settings closing indefinitely to prevent the spread of Covid 19. Do you really think it's likely to happen?

@Devlesko so if you're a key worker you send your child to school with the military looking after them, most of who will have little experience with children beyond their own families, and will be sent away from theirs; everyone else can safely pop home, what? Do people really think like this? The military will be utilised for things they are trained in, and yes, there's lots more beyond going to war. They did an amazing job a few years back with Ebola, and have plenty of other skills other than catching Corona whilst babysitting.

Is your employer allowed to ask you what your alternate childcare provisions are ? My guess is no Because unless they are asking EVERYONE it can been seen as discriminatory

Yes by Friday of next week I imagine as they will have no choice. Too little too late.

No, because Boris is smug and complacent.

Please,please take this virus seriously....i live in Italy & none of us thought that we would find ourselves in this situation...schools have been closed for nearly 2 weeks & this afternoon they closed all public parks...we HAVE to stay at home, we can only leave to go food shopping or to the chemist......it is surreal

@Teabag37 most people are, unfortunately they do not have the power to close schools and workplaces.

I think we need more detailed guidance for children who have underlying health conditions.

Ireland is closing them

I withdrew my children from school and nursery today. My son has very weak lungs & is on inhalers and steroids

Though its in the news today that Ireland is closing schools, colleges and other public facilities wef from 18.00 today until 29 March so possibly we will follow

Schools will close next Friday IMO.

echoing other peoples thoughts that the safest thing to do is have an early and maybe a slightly longer Easter especially with kids about to their GCSE exams. Not gonna be great for childcare but I would rather me and the family stayed alive and well than moan about no bog roll/pasta/{insert whatever else we don't have on any shelves}

Lola

You aren't on your own dozens of my family have too. They are going to h.ed until secondary. School don't like it because of SATS but blame the government for not acting properly.
This will have a knock on effect for future targets and predictions for GCSE.

I am surprised they still have not closed schools yet!!! Obviously people lives mean nothing to this government! Loads of EU countries closing schools from today (Irelanad Poland Lithuania to name a few) and UK has had far more deaths already but oh well who cares??!!!!

This is not occurring in the U.K. at this time.

Apparently not... But it wouldn't surprise me at all if this changes in the next week

Butter

leave them at home on their own then, when we eventually close, no skin off my nose.
Or look after them yourself, and key workers will have no childcare then.

It’s not that easy as to say “close schools” - if they close who looks after all the kids whose parents are NHS or social care workers, looking after ill, elderly and housebound people?

Teabags

Some of us are taking it seriously, others aren't, including our government.
Money and the economy is more important, and we live in a consumerist society, compared to some countries
The greed and entitlement is something else.

They will close, probably for whole of summer term to mitigate the 'peak' anticipated in 10 weeks time.

@Devlesko I'm just confused when there's nurses, inventory managers, many trained in driving HGVs even aircraft useful for transporting food etc, crowd control, ICT to support electronic infastructure, builders, pharmacy techs, police, firefighters etc why they would be used in schools instead of for more useful things. I guess there is a bit of a philosophical question about whether they deserve to be in the line of fire of catching it than teachers.

@Windowboxgardener I’m nhs. We’ve been told they will expect us to pool childcare, so we can all still go in. Thankfully mine are too old for childcare now.

Yes my DD’s secondary closed at lunch time today. It should have closed after half term (when a teacher caught CV on a school trip). As it was near an infected area she was encouraged to stay in school for a fortnight and has infected goodness knows how many before going off.

Don’t know if anyone has watched the news after Boris Johnson has the cobra meeting they are going to delay the virus and are not closing schools down if they do they was saying the schools would be closed till summer.