3 week plateau, 3 week falling, then schools open?

[AlmostThereKeepMoving]

The figures being released are promising.

I’ve said all along that there is absolutely no chance the schools will keep closed until the end of July!

I think it’s looking like they will reopen after May half term.

[Squaddiemum7]

Initially there was outcry because the schools weren't shut sooner, now people can't wait for them to re-open. It's just laughable really. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[Sarah510]

They've already cancelled GCSE and ALevels so I really cant see schools opening before September. I'm happy lol! I don't like the stress of school. Kids are happy at home and for once in their lives they can just really really relax properly and think and play and just be themselves, and be bored so they can discover what they actually like doing rather than being in such strict routines they hardly have time to think. I can wfh so it's ok. I realise I'm lucky though not having to go out to work.

[Daffodil101]

I hope they let y10 back in, they are suffering from lack of teaching for their GCSEs.

[Siameasy]

Exactly Squaddie people were keeping their kids at home here before the closures and going on so much about it. I was gutted for DD when school closed but she isn’t even bothered and is in her element as she can now have 100% attention

[kazzer2867]

@rabbitsnose. Totally agree. I find the attitudes of some parents mind boggling. No concern of the risk to teachers in their rush to send their children back to school.

[SabineSchmetterling]

I’m a teacher. I’d love to get back in late June and have a few weeks with the kids before the summer. That is more hope than expectation though. I think there is a chance we could be back late June, but I’d be amazed if it’s any earlier than that.

[Sennetti]

maybe the secondary could go back,but primary and infants? i wouldn't be working with them. not fair to expose staff

[Sennetti]

why, exactly,are parents wanting the kids gone?

[Mysocalledlifexx]

I also wouldnt put my children back until after summer. I doubt schools will open before september.

[atotalshambles]

I guess they will watch other countries ahead of the curve and see how they manage schools opening . I think the problem is that so many businesses will fail in the next few months if unable to trade and I can’t see the furlough being extended as even the 3 months of support are going to affect us all for years to come in terms of increased taxation / potential austerity . Not many jobs can be carried out long term at home and lots of those which do ( book keeper etc.) are dependent on those who don’t work at home . Tough call to balance the pandemic and the economy.

[HPLikecraft]

If schools open again before summer I won’t be sending my DD in. DH and I are older parents and have a few health concerns. We’d be worried for our lives, frankly.

Perhaps if there was a staggered return, those who wanted to go back first could choose to.

[ChickLitLover]

maybe the secondary could go back

No thanks. Teens aren’t great at social distancing you know.

[SleepingStandingUp]

Why are people so obsessed with wanting kids to go back ASAP? I want my kids safe

Some parents seem desperate to see the back of their kids, even if it potentially costs some of their lives! Bizarre.

That's nonsense. No one is saying ooh it's still dangerous, let send the kdis back. They're saying won't it be safe soon so life can return to normal. No one wants to send their kid to school to kill off a few, they want this crap to be over.

[duffeldaisy]

Just read this today (in the Guardian Live section). If they've got it right, (and I so hope they haven't and that this is just the very worst case scenario) then it'd be insane for kids to go back before September. I keep wanting to hear more middle-ground, positive things, but there seems to be nothing between 'it's improving and will be over in a few weeks' or 'things are getting really terrible'.

"The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in Seattle predicts 66,000 UK deaths from Covid-19 by August, with a peak of nearly 3,000 a day, based on a steep climb in daily deaths early in the outbreak."

[greenlynx]

Yes, the figures are indeed promising. The amount of new cases are increasing but slower than before. We’re testing only those who are taking to hospital, people are taking to hospital after at least 9-10 days and symptoms are appearing after 5-7 days. So basically we are dealing now with people who contracted the virus 2 weeks ago just after the lockdown was introduced.
My conclusion is that the figures look better because schools are closed and we all (mostly) are staying at home so we’ll better to keep it this way. If lockdown was lifted before the numbers are actually well down a new wave would surge higher than ever because it will start from a high number on already existing infections.

[GoldenOmber]

There won't be a vaccine by September either and it's pretty unlikely schools will be off for the 12+ months until there is a vaccine, so at some point we'll have to adjust to how we get schools up and running with the virus still around.

Best case scenario I suppose is that we have very low cases plus really good testing and contact tracing in place at that point, like South Korea/China. So it depends on how long it takes to get that in place.

[Davincitoad]

Nice to read some parents care about their kids. I wrote a long post on a another thread but anyone who thinks their kids would be safe in schools is having a laugh. They will open because of the economy. In a secondary of 1500 quite simply it is not possible to maintain social distance. I could have 8 kids in my room. They would take hours to get into the building. Not to mention issues with staff getting sick.

[Youneverknowwhatyourgonnaget]

I’m hoping they get the last half term back at school but I am also hoping this virus will be massively under control with a possible treatment by then.i know this is probably wish full thinking but that is what I am hoping for. I’m more than happy to keep my children home but worry about their social skills and as much as I’m trying to keep structure I don’t want them to become lazy.if I wasn’t happy it was safe I wouldn’t send them. Know one knows let’s just stay in and see how this pans out!

[CKBJ]

Why did the government cancel the GCSES and A’levels if they thought there was a possibility of schools reopening in this academic year? Surely they could have just adjusted them to be taken in June and early July.

[Followthelight99]

I feel for the Year 6 children and hope they get some sort of closure from primary school. Otherwise the transition to high school is going to be extra hard (I have a Y6 child).

[feebeecat]

I have two yr 10 dc, so missing part of their GCSE year, I really hope they are not back until September. Yes, it’s disruptive to their education and they are getting bored, but better that. Adjustments will have to be made next year.
The one thing the government are saying is working is social distancing - in a school of over 800 kids? Even if they just start with years 10 and 12, how to safely fit them in a ‘standard’ classroom?
I’m a key worker and knowing that my dc are safe at home is one less thing to worry about.

[Cam77]

“Can I still go on my holiday? Can I still go to this concert? Can I still go to friends for Barbeque? When can kids go back to school? Can kids go to sleepover? Can we go to our picnic in the park”

This whole mindset is costing lives and risks turning difficulty weeks into difficult months.

[SleepingStandingUp]

why, exactly,are parents wanting the kids gone? they want life back to normal, for people to not be dying in the hundreds day on day, for businesses to survive, to see their loved ones. Why, exactly, is it so hard to understand that people want this to be done?

[refraction]

From a link on another thread. For those that may have misinterpreted the article.

[Davincitoad]

Because if we go back before it’s done, then it’s not done. We will have hundreds of thousands of kids mingling and spreading the virus. Teachers dropping like flies. Families of kids getting sick.