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

@generalh thanks for finding the link. I don't agree that there's any new information there. People are speculating. Presenting it as fact (as the OP has in the thread title) is very dangerous.

Well as I don`t have any school age children - all adults - I can go into work and will do so unless told no or catch the bloody thing myself! If necessary just have KS4 pupils in to get them to their exams [if possible]

I feel more empathy for the frontline NHS staff than teachers I'm sorry. You'll be off for Easter soon and there's a lot of people keeping children home already. Your risk is no higher than mine and I work in a supermarket so can't work from home either.

They are now saying that if schools shut down, children of key workers will still go in and be looked after by a skeleton staff.

But keeping schools open is a psychopathic thing for our government to do

You can disagree with it, but all the outraged posters on here are presumably privileged enough that they wouldn't be cast below the poverty line by more than 4 weeks of closures, or a GDP drop of 5% (which is what is modelled for the 12-13 week school closure that would be needed to make a difference). Many many people would.

I voted for Corbyn, and share concerns about lack of urgency - but am really tired of seeing people dismiss the economy as 'just money'. Tell that to the kids of a single mum on a zero hour contract in a retail shop, who currently depends on free school meals...

They're prioritizing the economy over those at risks' health.

Is anyone really surprised?

This outbreak could go on all year. People will get the virus, go sick, get better and go back to work. But they won’t all do it at the same time, so denying a education to millions of children doesn’t make sense.

Plus children are safer, better fed and more engaged while they are at school. The thought of an extra week off might appeal but 10 weeks? Or 12? Think how parents are always keen to get to the end of the summer holidays.

Schools can stay open but if parents just keep the kids off the schools will just be empty.

There are way too many single parent essential workers to shut schools.

I think they will come up with a halfway house, school remain open but just for the children of essential workers. The impact on the nhs would be too severe otherwise ( and care homes and grocery shops and care homes.....

I think they should be telling parents that if they are in a position to they should keep their kids at home. If there's less kids there's less spread.