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.

I've kept mine off because the kids were getting increasingly anxious picking up on the atmosphere in there - Head just sent an email out saying she's as baffled as we all are about why the Govt is forcing them to stay open and how they're beginning to hurt for staffing now. I can't see us seeing out the week to be honest. Head sounded absolutely like she was reeling from it when I spoke to her yesterday - other reason I've kept mine off is to reduce the number of kids the school has to cope with at present.

The behaviour of secondary kids in my local school at home time has been awful - teens hooting with laughter and coughing on each other and roaring "CORONA!"

The local schools I am involved with, both Primary and Secondary, have work plans sorted for teaching pupils if schools close early. Not sure how far in advance these have been planned.

My DDs school is asking which parents are keyworkers and grocery store staff. We have all been set up on Seesaw app for home schooling.

I suspect they will have a limited opening for keyworkers children only from Friday. Which is fine by me (am not a keyworker) so I will be teaching and working from home at the same time. Currently setting up a mini desk area in my home office cum spare bedroom for her.

Omg Nicola sturgeon just said they may be closing in Scotland until September.

Will that be the case for UK too?

I feel that's too long. That's going to have a huge impact on children and their friendships, confidence and education. Not to mention they will be bored and climbing the walls.

The behaviour of secondary kids in my local school at home time has been awful - teens hooting with laughter and coughing on each other and roaring "CORONA!"

They're just dealing with stress the way kids do. They shouldn't be coughing on each other, no, but don't presume they don't care just because they're messing about and showing a bit of bravado. Kids that age have their ways of processing things.

I might faint. Until Sept??? Not in Scotland but still that is a drastic move.

I’m in rural Ireland.
Our school's closed last week and the advice is to NOT use GP’s as childcare.
I went shopping today and there were no children in the supermarket, (mine was sat in the car on his iPad) and the shelves were fully stocked apart from a limited choice of hand wash. The cheaper brands were out of stock. Plenty of toilet rolls though.

Wonder what will happen with exams?

its now coming to the crux i hope people are preapared to stay in for a long time with their dc even possibly till the next school year

The Taoiseach (Irish PM) definitely inferred in his address on TV last night that this new normal could last for months.

We should not close schools in my view. it is a step too far particularly as it is not just until after the Easter holidays (which would be just about tolerable)

Keeping kids away from life for that long is really bad. They can't expect reception kids to just go into year one and cope with the new classroom and teacher. It's a horrible thought. By September they won't even remember there friends. It sure won't happen. X

They're just dealing with stress the way kids do

Exactly this. Kids’ dark humour is brilliant.

My son's sixth form college has already moved to "remote learning for the purposes of social distancing." Haed insists college is not closed but all students are at home using Team MS (which crashed on Monday). They had a lot of staff absence in the past few weeks, few lessons he went in for actually took place. He is meant to be sitting A levels in June, which I guess will be postponed. That woud serious knock on effects for UNis who in turn may have to delay the start of their year.

25% of children are off at our local school. I'm hoping it's due to parents keeping their children at home and a few colds, tummy bugs, rather than C19 symptons.

It certainly will happen.

Locally I’ve heard of some closing to lower years, one small primary sending all those with siblings home and others closing but allowing kids on FSM in for lunch

Not heard anything from DD1’s secondary school yet other than cancelling all extra events like options evening, and they’re setting the kids up with online learning stuff anyway it seems.

DS is still home educated anyway so it won’t be an issue for us for either childcare or academic stuff, but my main concern is that those who work in NHS etc still can, and vulnerable children still get support somehow - so many of DD’s new friends (she only started school last term after also being HE) seem to have pretty shit home lives. It’s the same at the council run play service my DSD works at in a deprived area. Kids need them :( it’s so difficult

@Alsohuman Yeah right, thinking it is a laugh to purposefully cough in others faces is "dark humour" it is vile regardless of the current situation

@Puddleduck42 Sorry kids friendships do not override attempts to prevents 10,000s deaths.

It's not that they'll be closed until September by active choice, it's just that they may not open before the summer holidays. Scottish schools finish for the summer in the last week of June, that's 14 weeks away. If we are not back to normal by then, which doesn't seem likely, then the kids won't be due back to school until the end of the holidays in August.

Gav's making an announcement at 5pm...

I've posted this on another thread, but it fits here too

I run a volunteer playscheme, afterschool care and breakfast club and was approached 2 weeks ago to see if, in the case of schools closing, would be be willing to run for longer hours and for more days (we normally run 10-4 for a week at Easter). We could, we don't have the volunteer capacity for that. I assume other people/places were also approached.

I'm assuming the "Schools will have a new purpose" mentioned by both Scottish and Welsh announcements will be arrangements to care for children of key workers.

• we couldn't as we don't have the volunteer capacity

That’s me stuffed then, I’m frontline nhs looks like I’ll be off for months then