Emergency powers to force schools to stay open to be rolled out next week

[StillbreathingStillhere]

So over 1 million teachers and support staff to be at risk as we dont get the option to work from home as hundreds of businesses tell staff to work from home. Will certainly help Bojo and his desire to infect as many people as possible for his herd immunity. I guess that 3% of risk to the GDP is pretty crucial

[Lepetitpiggy]

I see Eton has closed..

[StillbreathingStillhere]

Eton????????

[Hippywannabe]

Apparently an Eton abroad!

And I think we should shut schools and people should stay inside as much as possible! All other countries are managing to shut schools and keep hospitals open.

[CoronaToner]

Link?

[Loppy10]

The Eton thing is a FB/WhatsApp fake news.

But keeping schools open is a psychopathic thing for our government to do. They are deliberately trying to ensure as many people get infected as possible

[Lepetitpiggy]

Dammit - I got sucked in..Sorry!!!!!!!

[GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat]

Eton hasn’t closed?? They are on a long weekend break but will be back on Tuesday.

[SapphireSalute]

they cant force the kids to go in though

doubt attendance officers will be on parents case

[Minesabecks]

What's the source for this please

[OhDearWhyAmIFatterly]

I don't see how they can force them?
Unless they make it a criminal offence....

[Rainbowunicat]

Where is this coming from?

[Exochord]

How do they propose to force teachers to go in? They will just go on strike rather than risk their lives.

[f1fan2015]

@Lepetitpiggy fake news

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/uk-news/coronavirus-live-news-latest-cancelled-17815350

'Eton College NOT closed for coronavirus
Famous boarding school Eton has not been closed due to coronavirus.

The name of the exclusive college, where parents pay more than £40,000 a year, has been trending on Twitter in the UK, where a rumour has spread that it has shut its doors to protect students from infection.

This rumour provoked some controversy, as state schools are currently not being allowed by government to close.

One angry Twitter user wrote: “Eton College has closed, but State schools must stay open. “Herd immunity” is fine, if you’re not one of the herd, right?”

However, the rumour is false - it appears an American school of the same name has closed, but the college in Windsor is operating as usual.'

[DoubleAction]

How can this possibly be true? If staff are sick schools will have to close. If they're not, there's no reason to close until the government decides it's time.

[Popl]

I totally get where you're coming from, but schools and teachers are pretty essential to society really.
Okay we could get into that whole argument 'school isn't childcare' - but to the thousands of healthcare workers that are going to be dealing with the brunt of this, where the hell are their kids going to go when they're working all hours godsend to deal with it? Same with other childcare settings too.
Over two thirds of the NHS workforce are parents. If there's nowhere for their children to go what do you think will happen?
I honestly cannot believe the panic and abject terror I'm reading, unless you're 80 years of age, have asthma or severely inmunocompromised the risk is negligible.
You will just have to get on with it, like the other essential cogs of society have to.
Jesus

[OhDearWhyAmIFatterly]

You can't make anyone go to work. It's not illegal to not go in.
I guess you could sack someone of they don't come in but the school would have to prove they were not self isolating?

[StormyClouds]

What is happening is that the government is going to prohibit schools closing based on unscientific decisions by individual headteachers.

Schools WILL CLOSE at some point- the question of when is a very difficult and complex one that has to be based on scientific and medical evidence. Teachers are not medical professionals nor are they scientists, so it is vital that these key decisions are taken by the experts.

[MarshaBradyo]

You need to link as it is just rumour atm

[OhDearWhyAmIFatterly]

I agree stormy, I'm just not sure how you can stop anyone from just saying they are isolating? Not just teachers, any job

[Rainbowunicat]

I can't find this anywhere.

[generalh]

On Twitter tonight.
twitter.com/NEUnion/status/1238811296272916480

[generalh]

Not official but a teaching union asking for clarification.

[Redinthefacegirl]

Thank you @popl

And no I cant refuse to look after a covid patient, its against the NMC code of conduct @ohdear

Of course I don't think teachers should be sacrificed and they are aloud to look after their own health but find this a challenging op to read.

[Redinthefacegirl]

We are all scared. We need to pull together (2 metres apart) as a community.

[practicallyperfectwithprosecco]

Schools are closing for Easter in a couple of weeks anyway. What will people being doing for childcare then? Holiday clubs can't be made to run as they aren't controlled by government