The exit plan and schools.

[NeverGuessWho]

I know this whole thread will be hearsay, but I’m just interested in hearing people’s opinions of where schools are likely to fit in to the exit plan?

A friend thinks they will be opened early on, as this will free up more people to work, and hence enable furloughed workers to return to work. This will crucially save money.

IMHO, schools will be one of the last restrictions to be lifted. Once schools are opened, there will effectively be multiple mass gatherings in every town and city, all at the same time. Surely this will result in a surge of cases of the virus.

Unless of course, they pursue the antibodies/certified passport route?

What do people think?

And the point of my previous post was that I have been in a sort of similar situation, where I nearly lost a child to a school-acquired infection. Thank god I didn't, and of course that makes my situation very different from the parents of the poor child who did die. But after my son was so ill, I was of course terrified for a while that something else would happen to him, and I don't think that feeling ever fully goes. But I would not expect the education system to be run according to my own heightened feelings of fear. All I was ever saying was that although I wouldn't want schools to go back until they are safer than they are now, they will never be perfectly safe, so there will have to be a judgment call about the degree of risk. My husband's a teacher, so it's not as if I don't have reasons to be concerned.

Sounds like a good plan to me. Pity they had to cancel all those GCSEs and A levels - big mistake.

Bit vague ‘ministers’ could be stirring. They print anything these days based on any old report.

I suppose they have to keep talking about CV and not much new to say when CMO etc have been clear they are waiting to see numbers.

I can’t see how schools can reopen when we haven’t even hit our peak yet

Yep anc Johnson will probably still be out of action, hard to say everything is fine.

I wouldn’t rely on the DM.

Don’t think anything should be put out there until a concrete decision is announced. Speculation isn’t doing anymore any good

Anyone

So zero point in cancelling exams then.😡 How are they going to socially distance and keep safe cramped classes of 30 kids?

Xenia,

Can I just clarify - that what you are expecting is that all teachers return to work after Easter

• Regardless of infection within their own family (it was the 14 day family isolation that caused the acute staffing crisis in the last week schools were open)

• Regardless of health status

• Regardless of absence of PPE and sufficient washing materials

• With class sizes as normal, so no social distancing

• With school transport as normal, so no social distancing on public transport or school transport

• Regardless of inevitable COVID cases within each school's community, ie with no quarantine of a class or school once a pupil is ill?

• Regardless of family circumstances e.g. for children living with highly or exceptionally vulnerable adults or children?

• For all school pupils, including those who are highly vulnerable ie in 12 week shielding or other vulnerable group?

Do you think that all of those are acceptable risks - ie as low a risk as a Tesco delivery driver following the current protocols?

Auto don’t take what the DM says as read.

This is extremely unlikely.

More screwy ‘journalism’ based on one flawed study.

Cancelling GCSEs and A levels which would have started on a few weeks was extremely sensible. There is no way these could happen.

@DownstairsMixUp

That is the most contradictory article I’ve ever read.

So the draconian measures will not be lifted or revised on Monday, but schools may open in another week?

So everyone must stay in and only exercise once a day, unless you’re a child and then you can go to school, so parents can work, but parents can’t work, because the draconian measures are not being lifted...😳

Great article! 🤪 and Xenia, I’m not surprised you are happy with that. Get the kids back ASAP at any cost eh?

And more to the point how are they going to keep staff who will be more at risk safe?

We’re really low on new CV content and it still sells so one report with no relation to what ministers are actually saying prompts a rash of articles.

Let’s see what happens with numbers. I’m glad they are using that to make decisions. It’s all so speculative.

Obviously schools will open after Easter. They’re not going to open before Easter are they...there’s two days left.

However, June and September are both after Easter.

The article is actually very accurate I guess.

I am, as I have said, completely fine with the idea of going back to school - despite being an asthmatic, so more vulnerable than the majority - IF this is in a way that takes into account and manages risks for all in the school community (pupils, staff, parents and carers) through a set of sensible universal protocols.

I am not fine with it being in a way that takes no account of, and takes no actions to mitigate, the associated risks.

Yes.

However, June and September are both after Easter. The article is actually very accurate I guess.

Brilliant 😂

Maybe they'll ignore the summer holiday and restart lessons during that time. Avoiding another peak in autumn whilst enabling children to catch up a little. I know teachers aren't contracted during that time but tbh nothings set in stone right now.

These answers re straight away are making me glad we have Chris Whitty leading the team with good advice.