Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

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

487 replies

AlmostThereKeepMoving · 07/04/2020 21:00

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.

OP posts:
GoldenOmber · 07/04/2020 22:55

Why do people want their children to go back before September.

What do you think's going to happen in September that makes it suddenly safer?

Of course I don't want my children to be at risk (or putting other people at risk which is a much bigger issue, realistically). But at some point, they're going to have to go back before there's a vaccine. So what needs to happen before then? At what point can we feel safe enough that we're happy to send them back in? That's what people are asking. Because if we're not going to do anything different after lockdown, then September's going to be no safer than June.

LavenderLilacTree · 07/04/2020 22:55

It's putting the teachers lives at risk - they won't get PPE.

Forgone90 · 07/04/2020 22:56

People saying they won't as we are not at the peak yet.... How does 1 more week (until peak) somehow translate to another 2 and a half months off school?

Saladmakesmesad · 07/04/2020 22:56

I'm really really scared they'll reopen schools sooner than September. My DH is a teacher and is in the higher risk category (in a couple of ways) but not 'shielding'. He'd have to go back if they reopen as we need to pay our mortgage etc but it would put his life in danger. Sad

I get that we all want this to be over, but I'm so frustrated today about people and employers expecting things can just go back to 'normal' quite soon.

Also, if they reopen schools then be really, really clear that it is throwing social distancing in the bin 100%. Kids do not socially distance. They are rarely hygienic! And the parents will be saying exactly what they were saying before the schools closed - 'Oh might as well do XYZ - they're in school all day anyway'. This nonsense that we could reopen schools but stay home the rest of the time is just bullshit.

disorganisedsecretsquirrel · 07/04/2020 22:57

Can't get my head around all those 'desperately worried how much school they are missing '

Who seriously gives a toss how much education they miss. ? Or how much preparation for next years GCSEs /A levels /other exam' they miss . ? Seriously NONE of this matters if your child or their teacher is dead. !

People need some perspective. Your child isn't MISSING school, There is very little school happening at the moment . Because not all students have access to the internet any work being done now can not advantage children without the same opportunities. (See the latest info about the grading of public exams this year. )

Therefore, the best thing that parents can do is take a leaf out of Sarah510 book.

This is a brilliant attitude to have and in years to come, Sarah510s children will look back on this time as a once in a life time opportunity to spend some genuine, relaxing, quality time with their family . Instead of remembering a time when their parents couldn't wait for it to be over. She wrote ;

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.

GoldenOmber · 07/04/2020 22:57

So you want your kids to go back to school with a death rate of 2-4%?
You understand that mean between 2 and 4 of every 100 in the school will die?

No it doesn't, because the death rate is mostly in the over-60s, not in children. We're keeping kids off schools to stop the virus spreading to those it has a fair chance of kill, not because it's massively dangerous to the children themselves.

Bluntness100 · 07/04/2020 22:57

It’s interesting, because what is the actual peak. Is it the peak of new cases? Or the peak of deaths? Because if it’s the peak of new cases we may have actually hit it. The deaths sadly follow two to three weeks later. But we need everyone to keep complying and as witty said, another week to be sure.

So, yes, Surely it’s the peak of new cases that has to be the driver.

I think schools will need to be partially reopened also, but only for parents who can’t work from home, or won’t have a parent at home. And for kids below a certain age range, Ie below sixteen. Simply to enable everyone to get back to work.

So I think on the 13 th, another three weeks lock down, then restrictions start to lift, including partial schools reopening, but not colleges or sixth forms.

We will have to wait and see but you can’t get the economy operating again without schools partially reopening. And we need to get the economy moving again.

Delatron · 07/04/2020 22:59

Why does everyone think all the teachers and the kids will be perfectly safe in September??

Are we going to magically find a vaccine on August 31st? It’s ridiculous. This is a long term strategy. June may have less cases than September. July may be safer than October. We may have to lockdown in November again.

What we do know is that we need to work out a way for children to go back to school and for us all to go back to work and live our lives with this low level threat. It won’t be gone in September!

HeyPizza · 07/04/2020 22:59

Why September? Those who seem to be outraged at the thought of schools opening before then, are you seriously suggesting we continue lockdown until then?

After all, no point in keeping the kids home unless we continue social distancing throughout society. No restaurants, normal shopping, going out etc - until Sept?

I don't see it personally, especially over summer.

Delatron · 07/04/2020 22:59

The death rate is not 2-4% in children. Jesus.

Iateallthecookies000 · 07/04/2020 23:02

Most teachers will go back. They'll do it for the kids and put themselves and their families second; it's what they already do, it's what they've done for years.

I think you'll find a fair few who are devoted to their job but will still tell you to fuck right off. It is a potentially life threatening situation for them/their loved ones.

This. The teachers won’t put your families above their own.

MargotB7 · 07/04/2020 23:02

GoldenOmber

Honestly, as a Mum who suffers from anxiety due to losing a sibling at a young age. September sounds far away. I know it isn't. I just don't understand why a loving parent would want their child to go back early. When September comes I will probably be very sad.

HeyPizza · 07/04/2020 23:02

Also people continuing to work from home, or on furlough, etc - until Sept?

Whatever is decided for the schools, cannot happen in isolation.

Herpesfreesince03 · 07/04/2020 23:02

I’m in the northwest and all four of my local schools have told parents today that they will be closed for another 21 weeks

Forgone90 · 07/04/2020 23:02

@MargotB7 hence tthe increase in ventilators and extra hospitals etc... The slowing the spread is the the NHS can prepare to have more people with the virus in hospitals and on ventilators... Eventually they will want to people to start getting it again just at a slower rate.. Schools and small shops will likely be first... Then bigger shops and non essential businesses then I suspect foreign travel by the end of the summer... Money makes the world go round and they will want the tourism industry open again ASAP!

CaroleFuckinBaskin · 07/04/2020 23:03

I'm keen for the schools to go back as soon as they can (I work in a school) but that 'research' is ridiculous.

Have those people ever actually been in a school? Imagine thinking that you could enforce social distancing by getting the kids to stay 2m from each other and banning playtimes? WTF?!

GarlicSoup · 07/04/2020 23:04

I don’t think the schools should go back until this pandemic is under control. I imagine September at the earliest. Very happy for my DC to be off as long as needs be.

GoldenOmber · 07/04/2020 23:04

I just don't understand why a loving parent would want their child to go back early.

Can't we assume that nobody here wants their children to be at risk? Of course we don't. But we can't keep the entire country in lockdown for 18 months either, at some point they'll have to go back to school.

Candodad · 07/04/2020 23:05

And only children go to school? There are at least 200 staff at my daughters secondary so there’s 4 lives gone at a conservative estimate and yes plenty of staff are older. Then there’s the adults kids take it home to share. And then those kids that are susceptible to it on top. Oh and yes the 2-4% is of those diagnosed as infected so could in reality be worse.

SnoozyLou · 07/04/2020 23:06

And yet teachers keep saying September.

Iateallthecookies000 · 07/04/2020 23:06

It won’t be 18 months but it won’t be over the next few months either.

Quartz2208 · 07/04/2020 23:06

@Candodad firstly no one actually knows the mortality rate yet of this and the case fatality risk is much lower for children so no it doesnt mean that at all.

The problem is this, once we have flatten this peak we have no choice to restart, once the infection rate drops below 1 we have to get back to some kind of normality. Because what difference will they be between June/September/January in terms of CV risk but the difference between getting started sooner in terms of all other risks is massive.

China have started the process of school coming back with temperatures taken and staggered starts and they have today have no deaths reported.

We will have to go back at some point with measures in place and knowing that it could start back up again. The timing is crucial and I suspect June may well be chosen (given that the two currently in pole positions Raab and Sunak will be economy driven).

We cannot and will not shutdown until a vaccine is in place because at some point the danger of being in lockdown outweighs the benefits of doing so. I would imagine another 6-8 weeks we reach that tipping point.

We are going to have to live with this shadow for awhile I think but live with it in some way we must in order to have something to go back to.

I suspect in June we may start a staggered approach (perhaps some years do 3 days some do 2) with temperatures taken and strict time off if symptomatic. Testing will need to be done and contact tracing agreed to via an app. Antibody testing will also help. We will also look to what happens in China (will there be a resurgence) and Europe

Lookingforwardtomyeastereggs · 07/04/2020 23:07

Will people stop accusing people of being unloving parents, seriously get a grip.

I love my children just as much as you love yours.

But shouting about September isn't going to make the risk of the virus go away.

Delatron · 07/04/2020 23:07

What’s ‘under control?’

Do you understand how pandemics work? You have a first wave, then cases drop then a second wave then maybe a third wave.

We may be in and out of some kid of lockdown for a very long time. ‘Under control’ means nothing. The government will not keep us in lockdown for 12-18 months.

You will have to send your kids back to school and go out in public while there is still risk from this virus.

GarlicSoup · 07/04/2020 23:07

If the schools open before I am happy it is safe then I will be pulling them out. My dc's life may just be a number on a graph to those making the decisions, but not to me. So I'll make my own decisions accordingly.

Completely agree with @Rocketmam on this.