Decision on schools closure coming 'imminently'

[mymoonmyman2020]

From Guardian reporting on PMQs -

'Johnson pays tribute to teachers, and thanks them for their work in keeping schools open. He says further decisions will be taken “imminently” on schools, that will square the circle of stopping the spread of the disease, while wanting to relief the pressure on the NHS.'

Scottish news on schools also expected soon apparently.

Scottish and Welsh schools to close by the end of the week

Well done the Welsh assembly!! Come on bozo!

@NeckPainChairSearch okay but that's literally the point! People are much more likely to take it on the chin when it's something they really want to happen. Closing a week ago people would have still taken their children out and about if schools close, if they close them now compliance and being sensible is much more likely as it's 'what the people want'.

Cross post - Oh and Fab for the Scottish if that’s been announced!

Can't wait to see children galore being dragged round the supermarkets next week because that's the future

Empty supermarkets!

They have a very low risk of catching C19 and a tiny risk of becoming seriously ill

I didn't know they were actually at lower risk of catching it. Do you have a link to evidence for that?

You're missing the point entirely. Children are carriers because they rarely show symptoms, they'll spread it everywhere

I didn't know they rarely show symptoms. Thought it was just milder symptoms/less chance of hospitalisation/death. Do you have a link to evidence for that?

Hello - still limping on at school at the moment.

Scottish and Welsh schools are now closing, we are operating on a skeleton staff and kids are getting anxious 😟 it’s not nice.

No news from exam boards about the summer exams and too much

Currently out on duty on the playground - it’s freezing 🥶 xx

I hope they do close our schools

I work in two different schools so in a daily basis I'm in contact with approx 380 children plus staff

My oldest child works in a sports club that has roughly 150 children a day pass through 6 days a week (they have now closed from Friday)

My other to go to a large secondary of over 1500

And my youngest goes to small village school of 120

Plus include the dance, gymnastics, swimming clubs etc.... that's a massive amount of children

Had an email from DS's school, they will remain open until staff numbers cause a problem, or until schools are told to close.

They are prioritising the Year 11s and their exams, and the year 7s, and teachers have prepared work to go on the website they use for homework, along with other stuff. Pretty much in line with official guidance right now.

@TheoriginalLEM My husband who has been quite laid back (even though he works in a supermarket and can see the crazy behaviour with panic buying etc) last night sat and said how it feels apocalyptic. Up until that point he thought I was over reacting about being worried (I'm in a vulnerable group).

Education secretary set to speak in commons at 5pm according to BBC news

Can't wait to see children galore being dragged round the supermarkets next week because that's the future

Why is that the future?

If we go on lockdown, which is highly likely, they won't be allowed in.

Private nurseries haven't been included in Scottish and Welsh announcements, and both have said that schools may have a "new purpose" so I think the delay is that they are going to build a criteria so that schools become a childcare place for children where all adults in the home are key workers - NHS, supermarket deliveries, pharmacists etc

Gavin Williamson is making a statement in the commons at 5pm

It'll announced at this afternoon's breifing apparently.

I'm going to have to ask if my son can repeat the year in September. He's year 9 predicted grade 1-4 GCSE and he will have no chance of catching up now

It almost sounds like in the U.K., they’re bringing forward the Easter term break rather than teaching remotely.

every post I have seen on here from teachers says they are preparign online learning, work packages etc for kids to do at home.
One parent said the kids had a letter outlining an expected day, including that the kids log on to their online learning at 8:30 am.

They are regularly posting statistics as to who is and isn't etc.
Their 'timetable' included exercise and chores!

I’ve got no idea what we are supposed to do for childcare if schools shut. Grandparents who are our normal childcare go to are in the high risk groups and we cannot afford time off work.

If we go on lockdown, which is highly likely, they won't be allowed in

Why wouldn’t kids be allowed in the supermarkets?? what are single parents supposed to do when they need to do a shop!?

Belay the bbc are going to expand their bbc bite size and have lessons for all key stages. Might help? I have a dd sitting first gcse this year so sympathise.

I am praying for shutdown - especially as the latest 'game' is spitting on each other and Coronacoughing in each other's faces...

TheGriffle - you will be able to apply for a mortgage break if that gets you through? but yes you are probably going to have to not work unless there is a childminder nearby who has spaces freed up.

@desperatehousewife21 what I'm saying is supermarkets will have restrictions on the number of people allowed in, so you won't have huge groups of kids around just because they're off school.

Not that children won't be allowed in at all.

I’ve got no idea what we are supposed to do for childcare if schools shut. Grandparents who are our normal childcare go to are in the high risk groups and we cannot afford time off work.

If we go into lockdown I suspect all unnecessary businesses will be forced to shut, so depending on where you work you won't have a choice but to stay home. It'll be the same for millions of other families.

You can apply for a three month mortgage break if necessary, and you can claim Universal Credit and/or SSP to help too.

Had an email from ds' 6th form college - certainly sounds like they are preparing to move online rather than closing altogether - ie closing buildings but not finishing lessons.

Not sure what you do if you have no computer and libraries close and you don't have internet access but I guess most have smartphones at least, especially the demographic of his college.

I hope they do continue to deliver lessons online as it will maintain some structure and actually my video work meetings are going very well and it does help avoid the feeling of isolation.

If I read one more time that we should just test everybody my head is going to explode. Obviously if we could we would because that would solve a whole host of problems. Where are we magicing these fucking tests from?? We simply do not have the capacity to test everyone! Even if we did, the turn around time is 2 days, so by the time the results are through, they're out of date! We are increasing our capacity to test, but it takes time. It's not like a pregnancy test where you can just buy one, piss on a stick and find out there and then what the results are. Theres only so many tests per day that we are able to carry out, so obviously theyve had to narrow the criteria on who gets tested which is why it's now limited to people who are hospitalized. Ideally we should have been testing everyone with symptoms when is first starting breaking out, but back then nobody was taking it seriously. Its only now with hindsight that people are shouting we should have done more. Despite advice given at the time to isolate if you've been to one of the infected regions, people minimized the seriousness and went about their business, playing in football matches for christs sake when they knew there was a good chance they could have it! We live in a culture where we are constantly complaining any time that government implement any sort of policy that limits our life choices, that we are in a nanny state. We were warned. We didnt listen. It has got leaps and bounds ahead of us and now we are trying our best to limit the damage. Testing everyone with symptoms is long gone. We should have done it weeks, arguably months ago. We no longer have the capacity to test this many people.