It’s never going to happen is it?

[MyDcAreMarvel]

The schools are not going to close are they, at all. Just seen on bbc news they are passing emergency legislation so that when teachers go off sick the remaining teachers can teach large class sizes. That and the law to force head teachers to keep schools open.
The government are determined to ensure as many children as possible are infected whilst isolating the elderly.
I wish I lived in a country where I could feel safer.

The schools will have to close (or massively reduce their intake).

Teachers get ill a lot. Most work with coughs and even high temperatures. If they are now meant to self isolate for 7 days because they’ve developed a cough - that could easily be 40% of your workforce.

Is nobody shocked by the fact that our “many loved ones will die” government has given no updates over the weekend. Where is Boris? Even Trump is giving briefings on a Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile our PM is invisible. I have no confidence in the government response.

We are self-isolating. Actually we have a reason to do that which means I am taking this very seriously.

Parents who can withdraw their children are doing absolutely the right thing.
For their children, their familes, the vulnerable, the whole of society, and also they are reducing the risk for the parents who can't.
Fewer children in the classroom reduces load on the teachers, who are also falling ill, reduces risk on the other children who cannot be removed, yet, and subsequently their families.

We ALL should be supportive of those who can and will remove their children for everyone's sake.

Any local authority which chooses to prosecute parents for removing their children in this particular point of history would be insane.
Any headteacher choosing to punish parents for potentially saving lives through removing their children in a time of global crisis would be utterly evil.

I am intending to send emails to the headteachers of my children's schools tomorrow. The emails will state the government guidance about keeping children out of school for 7 days if they have a cough or a temperature.
They will also state that I am keeping my children out of school for 7 days.
I hope the headteachers will grab the lifeline I am throwing, document the absences appropriately, and choose not to make further enquiries. It is potentially their lives, and their families' lives, and their students' lives, and their students' families' lives I am protecting through my aversive action.

I hope they will grasp the opportunity to do the right thing.

I have no doubt, whatsoever, that I am doing the right thing.

Vote with your feet. This government does not care about you!

@Barracker yes! The fewer spread or catch it the better. The NHS is about 20,000 ventilators short. It’s a public service to stay home.

I think teachers and DC are effectively being used to build up herd immunity in the general population.

It will be a case of teachers having their week at home and then being told "right, let's have you back in school on Monday".

I don't know whether this is the right approach, but we'll soon find out.

@110011pi I agree wholeheartedly. Every family must act for themselves.

Certainly in my LA ( for all maintained schools rather than academies) CV is recognised and all registration codes and associated absence policies have been changed to by sympathetic to the current circumstances.

schools should close with childcare for kids of workers in essential services provided instead.

Looked after by whom? What jobs are not necessary? And who doesn’t need paid? If teachers can’t watch kids any more due to elderly relatives or immunosuppressed husbands or whatever- who is looking after “essential workers” kids- whatever essential work is... Accountants for the council? They’re providing the means for money to be dished out where it’s needed, refuse collectors- keeping hygiene levels up, shop assistants, train drivers, drivers for supermarkets, farmers, plumbers... it’s not just NHS staff who are important workers.

Shutting schools is not the right thing at this time- people need to keep working when and where they can and be sensible about their hygiene and staying off IF unwell etc.
Not to mention that for thousands of children school is a lifeline to health and food and care of a level they do not get at home- closing schools could put many children at very significant risk.

My DC's school sent a survey home today asking about the technology available to kids at home, whether we'd struggle to feed the children without FSM, and whether we were a 'key worker' to help with contingency planning.

They also said to keep your kids off if they had any mild cold symptoms at all, but to get in contact if by doing so, we'd not be able to work or they'd be left with vulnerable/ elderly family members.

They're maybe just being thorough, but it certainly sounds as if the plan is to stay open in some capacity for key workers.

I'm coughing. Don't feel well. 'Dry' cough ...
My youngest DD is coughing, but it's chesty. We have DM living here, she's 82.

Do i keep DD home? Do i go out? Rang 111 and they said if i haven't been abroad recently or have been near a 'confirmed case' then i needn't change my routine.

The school have organised a home schooling website for each child in the event of closure, but are still organising big bloody charity get togethers involving the kids next week. sigh

So when all the nurses and doctors have to stay home with children and cant look after the sick patients we are all okay with this?

All that Fining for Absense stuff is mental right now. Essentially they are forcing parents to expose their children. Austria are limiting gatherings to 5 people and you are forced to make your DC mingle with 4 bus loads and 800 other people on a daily basis.

Surely it is best that we reduce those numbers where we can.

I would like to see school closed to stop the spread. Both myself and my DH work in schools and I have 2 DC in schools. However the school I work in is a large 1000+ students plus staff in a very deprived areas. I would seriously worry about the safety and well-being of a large proportion of our students. Those on FSM firstly and the many many kids who come to school to get away from the their families. I would also worry about a huge amount of ASB from bored teenagers who get into enough trouble at the weekends as it is not to mention the increase of alcohol and drug use in a small town where this is already rife.
I would be happy to run small group sessions at school for those children but not sure if that would be allowed if in lock down.

Vote with your feet. This government does not care about you!

I agree

All that Fining for Absense stuff is mental right now.

It's abhorrent at any time, tbh. When I describe this fining BS to my friends back home and in various other countries, they never believe me.

This is really weird. The teaching/school admin staff I know have been talking like their schools would shut in a matter of days.

schools should close with childcare for kids of workers in essential services provided instead.

it's exactly what is happening in other countries. It works.

We will be authorising absence for parents choosing to keep children home. Im pleased as i hate being front line on policies i dont agree with. Now when parents call i can just ask if there child is ill or they are chosing to stay home and then if they are chosing to stay home i can send across the learning packs the teachers have prepared. Theyve done one weeks worth so far. It also means there is actually an accurate picture of temps/coughs v free will rather than some pretend temps in the data.

I think the solution is easy. Keep the schools open, but let parents decide if they send them or not - no fines or other repercussions. I don't know why they haven't done this already.

I am sending mine in until they close or we get a choice in the matter.

@MintySpud
When I describe this weird herd immunity experiment to people in other countries they think it’s the weird British humour that they’re not getting.

My kids are out of school from Monday. You need to take your own decision and not wait for the government to decide. They are not putting you first

I'm taking mine out tomorrow, I have coronovirus symptoms (no idea if it's something else though because they're not testing us...) so I've been self isolating, dd has no symptoms as of yet but it will buy me a week. After that she'll have a cough and after that a fever, then it's the holidays. I was hoping not to have to take her out but if they're forcing schools to stay open then I don't have much choice.

My sil doesn't see the big deal about all this even though her 4 year old has already been admitted to hospital twice with his asthma so he's in a risk group. She's taking zero precautions in any regard with any of her children (all under 4) I don't usually catastrophise but I worry for him.

Infact I haven't spoken to one person in real life that is concerned about this actually. Everyone's very laid back and laa dee dah about it.

My OH is a teacher and isn’t going in tomorrow as started coughing this weekend and been shivering so prob a temp, although we haven’t got anything to test that. As this comes under the isolation advice it’s the best decision.

Exactly what @getrid said. Households with two working parents with no option for working from home may have to then call in grandparents to look after children. You are then potentially exposing the most vulnerable to the virus unnecessarily. For most children and adults the virus if caught at school and brought home could be easily managed and immunity gained - important long term. Obviously if you as a parent are in an at risk group then you may need to act differently. But for the most part whilst people are expected to attend work, schools should absolutely stay open.