Email from school: We have decided to stay open, BUT...

I work aside our local council, the plan is controlled spread if symptomatic self-isolate, if not normal activity.

We are aware of over hundereds of cases here in the NE, I give up on the UK figures, they are a shambles.

It's up to Public Health England and not the school.

The event on Tuesday night was attended by about a quarter of the school - around 300 pupils, staff and parents, all in very close proximity for several hours.

I brought this up a while back that in my mind schools would be better ditching assembly and larger gatherings

Was told that it’s not possible...really

But like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted

Tbh I think schools have been foolish in continuing with life in school as it was and not adapting and cancelling some event

But I think Cheltenham races was also very foolish

The government closed Nadine Dorries' office and deep cleaned it before putting it back into use, so the school is not following the government's example.

It's been over two weeks and there's not been a single new case confirmed in the secondary school or in our local area.

No one being tested unless they are admitted to hospital means cases aren’t being confirmed, clever manipulation of figures

There is no evidence that 'herd immunity' develops with the coronavirus - this is, at best, wishful thinking.
Kids may not be at much risk themselves but they contribute to the spread, even more so because it may be asymptomatic.
Also, most secondary schools don't even have the facilities for them all to wash their hands as often as advised.

Actually, LEA schools will have to follow government advice but since thousands of schools were forcibly academised, they are able to follow the academy trusts advice since they are effectively private companies. This could mean shutting earlier than advice or just carrying on despite it. Which could be a real issue for staff and pupils.

Not to mention private schools - who can do what they want and are already doing so.

Keep him home he is your responsibility. From next week I'm keeping my boy off even though theres no cases around here. I'm going to ring the school monday and tell the receptionist that I'm not listening to bojo I'm listening to the WHO and if the ed authority want to take me to court over protecting my child then I dont give a rats ass...will be my exact words

@ivykaty44 actually as it was two weeks ago and there were less cases, a large number of people who had been in direct contact with the person were tested.

I’d keep my child home in that situation. The idea of “controlled spread” is ridiculous. If illnesses were that easy to control we wouldn’t be in this situation. We can, however, try to limit spread as much as possible.

I’d also assume my child might have it and so self-isolate and not expose vulnerable relatives or members of the public.

MissEliza They haven’t been testing people that haven’t returned from abroad, so many people have had the virus even two three weeks ago but haven’t been able to get tested

Brodrick why would you have to be a dick to the person answering your call? It's not as if she's going to be the one who made the decision to stay open.

I would keep him home. Exams are important, of course they are, but not that important. Ds1 had a difficult last two years of school resulting in poor exam results. He went to college for a year before going to university and has now graduated and has a great job. The academic side can all be sorted out. People cannot be replaced.

Just keep your child off if you feel that way.

Most people want schools to remain open as normal actually.

However, if you do take your child out of school, you ought to isolate them at home: no trips out whatsoever.

Don’t send him.

People should rebel against our government

I hope the teachers strike

I'm going to ring the school monday and tell the receptionist that I'm not listening to bojo I'm listening to the WHO and if the ed authority want to take me to court over protecting my child then I dont give a rats ass...will be my exact words

Why can’t your exact words be you’re worried your child will become infected so you’re keeping them off? Why deliberately be an arse?

OP this policy is at our school too. I received an email from school stating "There is no need for a whole family to self-isolate if one family member has those symptoms". Kids will be free to bring the virus to school. This leaves families with "underlying health conditions" at risk. I withdrew my kids yesterday, spoke to head, he agreed with me. They'll send work home until schools close for everyone. On it goes. I am urging my friends with similar health issues which could see us in hospital or dead or with 2 parents in hospital with no one available to look after kids, to remove kids now. Singapore has a covid19 dashboard, check out the ages of people who are hospitalised. It's not all 80 year olds. experience.arcgis.com/experience/7e30edc490a5441a874f9efe67bd8b89
If you wouldn't sign yourself up for a medical experiment, then don't put up with this.

I'm going to ring the school monday and tell the receptionist that I'm not listening to bojo I'm listening to the WHO and if the ed authority want to take me to court over protecting my child then I dont give a rats ass...will be my exact words

Why can't you just explain the reasons for your child's absence without being rude to the poor receptionist? If you want to keep your child off, keep them off but there's no need to be deliberately confrontational before anyone has even challenged your decision!

Absolutely agree pp. our receptionists are having a hard enough time as it is at the moment fielding slightly ill students and dealing with anxious parents.

How long would you expect the schools to close for?

A vaccine is at least 18 months away.

Can you keep your kids isolated for nearly 2 years?

I'm going to ring the school monday and tell the receptionist that I'm not listening to bojo I'm listening to the WHO and if the ed authority want to take me to court over protecting my child then I dont give a rats ass...will be my exact words

Just ring and say your child is isolating as has a temperature . That buys you a week to start with and things may well be looking different this time next week. Don’t make more work for school staff who are doing their best to cope in difficult circumstances.

Our secondary is staying open, we got a text around 8 last night, after a meeting I suspect.

However, they issued advice to wash hands. The problem is that as my ds says, there is no soap in the boys' loos and the loos are generally in a very poor state. I am going to give them a ring but they do tend to get defensive about things like this. If we have to send our children, do meet us half way or tell us to send our own soaps/hand wash.

Same in Asda, staff have not provided with sanitizers etc and have brought in their own. Have some respect for your staff and customers please.

China got over the worst of it in 4 months. I would home school / wfh for that long if it meant I could avoid pneumonia. If you have a high risk of complications, and have been through cancer chemo etc, then staying home, well, for 4 months is a very small price to pay. I know for people who will just get a cough or no symptoms, that's a whole other mindset and difficult to understand. But it is exactly how I feel. No holidays to Dorset either!

" there's not been a single new case confirmed in the secondary school or in our local area."

They're refusing to test unless someone's in hospital no new confirmed case doesn't really mean anything.

@ElsieMc - same at our school. The kids hat DO want to wash their hands have no soap, it is disgusting. My dc never use them and have learned to 'save it up' till they get home. Fighting a losing battle trying to teach kids, when the schools dont provide the basics.
Even the staff loos have no hot water ATM