How long do you reckon the schools will be shut for?

[Forfoxsake29]

and if they are shut for a long time, how will they
Cope with things like children starting school September, gcses, alevels, uni etc

How the heck is that going to work for families & school staff who booked holidays in late July/August. It's the most non-starter idea I've heard yet. As if we weren't all economically shafted enough.

I'm afraid unprecedented times means anything is possible. The last thing we want is everyone going on holiday as soon as lock down restrictions are eased. That would cause a very quick spike again. So an option would be to open schools if the timing is right to stop people going on holiday.

How the heck is that going to work for families & school staff who booked holidays in late July/August.
I doubt anyone is going to be going on holiday in July and August. Definitely not abroad.

The kids need to be reunited with school asap. People need to forget holidays and luxuries this year. The most important thing is keeping everyone well and controlling this virus and adding things back slowly and cautiously. I hope people put their kids before a holiday. But people can't even stay home!

To put this into context the world is experiencing the worst crisis in living memory. We are playing an epic game life. Yes changes will happen to education but the aim of the game is to have children to educate, for those children to have parents, grandparents, doctors and nurses, homes....

Exactly!

If the schools are safe to open then people can go on holiday. You can't say one is ok & the other is unacceptable. FFS

How the heck is that going to work for families & school staff who booked holidays in late July/August. It's the most non-starter idea I've heard yet. As if we weren't all economically shafted enough.

You don't seem to be getting this. Who do you think will be going on holiday this year?
I hope all airlines go bust tbh, the water is beautiful in Italy and dolphins have been seen as well.
We are in this position because of selfish fuckers holidays.

Yes I can because going from country to country is much worse than children going into a local school to be educated. Especially because they should be isolating now and not carrying coronavirus in several weeks when they have been kept seperated from people and places.

All entertainment needs to stay closed. Restaurants, bars, clubs, cinemas, days out, leisure centers, gyms etc.

Going on holiday is stupid ... Airports, planes, public transport, hotels, swimming pools, bars, restaurants, entertainment...... People from all countries in close proximity.

Much riskier than clean schools reopening after isolation. Especially because thank goodness children seem safe in regards to Coronavirus in most cases. As long as they continue to keep away from grandparents, the vunerable and places outside of school then it could be very much safe for schools to return. They can do things as I said like staggered lunches, more outdoor work (summer) handwashing and ensuring they are still catching up with a huge amount of missed work.

Our children being able to continue their lives as school children as soon as safely possible is much more important this year than a sunny beach for a week.

The kids need to be reunited with school asap

In a list of priorities at the moment-that isn’t top of mine.

Well it's one of mine as soon as it is safe to do so. Children belong with other children. They need to live life. Not be trapped away for longer than necessary. Yes they currently need to play their part in slowing the NHS peak. But education is important. Mental health is important. Many children are only fed well at school. Many children have autism and ADHD etc etc. They need routine and support. Many children don't have a happy home. It's so important to slow the virus. Once that's done education for children should be one of the first priorities. Then parents can look into going back to work gradually or concentrating more on work etc. This isn't ideal at all for anyone. Holidays are far from my top priority.

If the schools are safe to open then people can go on holiday. You can't say one is ok & the other is unacceptable
Of course you can. They are unrelated things. The schools may reopen, there may be periods of holiday. I doubt there will be much “going on holiday”.

If school staff person has caravan in Cornwall booked first week in August you're going to make it compulsory they have to lose their deposit to go work in school, instead?

I guess I overlooked the bit in govt bill that will give them powers to enforce that.

No but if schools are shut until September then coronavirus will be an issue into June/July if they are staying off school. So how will it be safe to go on holiday a week after school was supposed to shut for summer on the school calendar.

What I have said is as soon as coronavirus has been slowed by the kids being off and they are able to back ...the school should reopen. First priority after things has settled should be getting the children back to some sort of normality. Other things in life such as holidays, meals out, theatre trips etc should remain closed until the children are settled back at school and coronavirus is under control more.

Yes coronavirus is winning at the moment. This is so dangerous our lives have all pretty much stopped apart from key workers doing amazingly well to keep us safe and fed etc. But take away coronavirus and all the shit it's causing things like education, getting people slowly back to work should come first. Nobody should be flying anywhere. I'm pretty sure people are not stupid enough to book a holiday at the moment.

None of us know if Boris will decide all kids should resit a year or go up a year. We don't know if in six weeks time he will reopen schools. We don't know if itl be 5 months. But people thinking holidays are a priority over the kids going back to school are clearly not thinking about how much education will have been missed. How much some children will struggle to settle back in and how some children will be extremely anxious about how strange life is now. After a couple of months home (potientally locked down soon) they will be very much needing their friends, schools and opportunities to exercise and learn again. Kids are not supposed be trapped on a house with a little or no garden. We might not be allowed to walk soon because people won't distance themselves. I feel sorry for the kids because the adults are the ones letting them down this weekend by sodding off to the coast.

You don't seem to be getting this. Who do you think will be going on holiday this year?
I hope all airlines go bust tbh, the water is beautiful in Italy and dolphins have been seen as well.
We are in this position because of selfish fuckers holidays.
@Devlesko
I couldn't agree more. Holidays to other countries are not a God given right and taking Jonnie on non essential foreign holidays has contributed to our children been locked away for weeks!!

First priority after things has settled should be getting the children back to some sort of normality. Other things in life such as holidays, meals out, theatre trips etc should remain closed until the children are settled back at school and coronavirus is under control more.

that makes absolutely 0 sense. if it's not safe enough to go out, it's not safe enough to send kids to school.

The day you re-open the school, you are sending the message that it's safe to go back to normal, safe to go on holiday, safe to do anything you want.

You don't need school to give "normality" to the life of a child. They are there to learn, they have their family life for everything else. What kids need for their "normal" is going out, going on holiday, play with their friends, go to sports and clubs.

A couple months. Our school is remote learning this week and will do so after Easter break is over. It will be tricky with more hands on classes like science and DT, but they are doing their best to continue. Children must be appropriately dressed and prepared for each class, attendance will be taken and homework checked via google classrooms.

Well adults need to understand and grasp that just because kids are back in school it doesn't mean everyone should start holidaying and going out drinking etc. It's surely going to be a gradual process to continue to slow the disease.

adults can grow up and accept they can't go out drinking and holidaying. Mind you they can't even walk responsibly.

Normality for most children in the UK is not five months home, no friends, no extended family, no days out and maybe a walk until we get full lockdown. They are used to interacting and learning with peers. Seeing life outside of the house and garden. They learn from eachother. They eat dinner together and run outside together. That's my child's normality. Ofcourse she loves being with us. But realistically I'm not enough. I would be able to do more with her but the countries fully locked down. She will be missing her school life soon. Her best friend Cried Friday through fear of not seeing my child for ages. Ofcourse they will be happy when they go back. It will be a huge relief for kids. Especially the years 6s who would love a chance to say goodbye to primary school.

Also a child may think aghhhh I can be home and doss about. Parents have to work or take care of other siblings etc. The sooner the kids are able to go back the easier it becomes on parents struggling to juggle life.

China are starting to reopen schools now

I think we will need slightly longer maybe 3 months

China is opening schools in provinces that had very few cases eg Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia - about 76 cases in each province.
Given that we are not testing as much as China, tracking contacts or implementing strict quarantine protocols I think it’s going to take longer here.
Dd’s School in Jiangsu closed on 23rd January and possible opening date is 7th April, but needs to be confirmed by local educational authority.

I haven't read the whole thread but the First Minister in Northern Ireland said at least 16 weeks.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-northern-ireland-51881805

Hopefully a clicky link that works

Schools will be shut until at least September. All holidays are cancelled for school staff until further notice. This includes TAs who only have term time contracts and now have to work through the Easter and May holidays.

The majority of people do not seem to grasp how serious and life changing this situation is. Without exaggeration life will never be the same again.

September 2021

I'm almost certain it will be until September.

I think September, hopefully kids can go in for a day in July/August to meet the new teacher though.