May half term or September?

[Ricekrispie22]

Of course, nobody can say for sure, but if you had to hedge your bets, based on what other countries are doing, do you think schools will be re-opening and the end of May or September?

I'll eat my hat if it's as late as September. Working parents with young children will not survive until then.

And the impact to education and vulnerable families will be too great

@ChrissieKeller61

My point is more that we all need to catch it eventually in order to develop herd immunity - the point of the lockdown was just to space it out.

Those of us with no underlying health conditions need to step up to the plate to catch the virus and contribute to herd immunity.

I have real issues with the idea that people think its ok just to lock themselves away unnecessarily while the rest of us take one for the team.

You'll no doubt be happy to benefit from the herd immunity we create, kind of selfish not to contribute to it yourself, no?

Reminds me of the dickhead anti-vaxx bunch...

End of may.

@DCOkeford they’ve no idea if herd immunity is the answer so yes if you want to throw you and yours into the fray you crack on. My life has been set up to ensure I won’t be forced to make decisions I’m sure you’d rather not make given a choice. Soz

It would be wonderful if infection rates were dramatically reduced by the end of May and widespread testing was in place. I would love schools to reopen if that were the case and my children would be very happy to go back to a school they love. My children will only return to school in that scenario and I find it difficult to contemplate at all when so many hundreds of people are dying every single day.

@Longwhiskers14 what like the NHS inions won’t let the staff work without PPE ? Unions have no teeth these days and if teachers don’t provide childcare they’ll be lynched by Tory voters

I can’t see it will be after May half term, otherwise why would they have cancelled all the exams? I’m a teacher as is DH and we would be very cross if we were sent back what seems like too early and the exams could have happened.

@ChrissieKeller61

Herd immunity has always been the end goal, there has just been some controversy as to how we get there.

We have been in lockdown in order to flatten the curve, the area under the curve (number of cases) has always been the same.

You sound like part of the problem tbh; another one of those people who have misunderstood the whole point of lockdown.

Well this thread got personal quickly.

I don't care what "THE" point of the lock down is, MY point is I don't want to catch it, I don't want my kids to catch it, so I'll just do me thank you.

Possibly June, but my kids' school finishes at the end of June (independent), so I am not sure whether they would open just for 3 or 4 weeks? So probably September for us...

@ChrissieKeller61

Where do you think we would be if everyone had that attitude?

Hopefully no later than may half term - that is another 7 weeks

I’m really hoping for after may half term. I don’t mind having my kids at home at all, mostly I love it they get along great (most of the time). BUT I can’t teach them, the 6yr old is suspected dyslexic and nearly a year behind her peers as it is. I’m expected to work from home which I am usually doing in the evenings and I feel completely burnt out. They are also desperately missing their friends and teachers. I hope they go back even if part time to finish off the school year.

@DCOkeford literally don’t care as long as we survive

"Interested to hear what actual medical professional say, would you send your own kids back?"

Virtually the only kids in at our school are children of medical professionals. They're there at the moment!

We're classed as key workers but haven't sent the kids in as we can just about cope without doing so at the moment and feel strongly during "lockdown" NHS kids have priority.

However we cannot continue with kids at home the way we are for long. Essential work is not getting done or is making life unbearably stressful. We can cope like this for a few weeks but not a few months. I v much hope that if over the summer schools aren't open we can source other childcare eg Nanny or nursery

I think may half term but I think they should wait until September. I think public pressure means they will open early.

Can I just remind some posters that not the whole country runs the same school system. So this generic ‘year 6s need to go back for secondary transition’ etc is bog all use to areas like ours where it’s year 4s and year 8s who will be transitioning. They’ll either all have to be back, or none.

@ChrissieKeller61

Nice.

Nicola Sturgeon has indicated August, as did our HT - our P7s had a leaving do (of sorts) on the last day before school closed so I don't see Scottish schools going back before the summer holidays start (28th June here).

They cancelled exams as they didn’t want the uncertainty hanging over students. It’s not an indication that they won’t go back in May just that it couldn’t be guaranteed.

I think after half term so beginning of June.

I think May half term especially as the German schools start going back on May 4th for their exam years and also the final year of primary.

And because I want them to. Interestingly ds isn't sure and said wouldn't that be a bit too early. I said it was about 7 weeks away and a lot can happen in that time.

(that is for England & Wales, I suspect NI and Scotland will be August)

If they say after half term then they will have to let schools know in advance.
It’s not just a case of opening the doors again. There will need to be planning, routines and organisation.