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?

@Longwhiskers14 - you're right, given the number of accidents my children have had at school they don't even keep an eye on them

The teaching unions are one of the most active and powerful that exist, probably on a par with the RMT that regularly calls out Tube drivers to strike. So yes, they absolutely would stop their members working if they thought it was unsafe

How can it be anything over than unsafe, teaching is a contact sport.

ChrissieKeller61

I could try to rationalise with you, ask if you have ever tried to teach a class of 30 kids or accompany them on a school trip and point out it's a physical impossibility to keep your eyes on each child individually, but I won't, because clearly you are one of THOSE parents who likes to lord over their children's teachers. You'll have a nickname in the staff room, for sure. Who-does-she-think-she-is would be my guess.

@Longwhiskers14 - I don't give a monkey's if I have a name, I have one for them "useless" sums up all but two in my kids school ... I've been on schooltrips over many years of parenting, it's not impossible at all. And I taught 3-4 year olds. Very little went wrong on my watch. A certainly not due to lack of supervision.

Secondary - 1 June. Lower numbers due to no y11/13 and some families will keep kids at home. Possibly part time to accommodate low staff numbers - this to be decided by school.

Exam cancellations are because they couldn’t guarantee it would be fair to all students.

@Longwhiskers14 - see you're not filling anyone with confidence - if you're saying you can't adequately supervise on a day to day basis, social distancing will be out of the question.

ChrissieKeller61

I'm not a teacher. I'm a parent who can see how ridiculous it would be to open schools and try to enforce social distancing. My partner is also a primary school teacher who every day has to deal with entitled parents who think it's okay to be abusive to teachers when usually it's questionable parenting that has made their DC a nightmare to teach.

If you think teachers are so useless, why give up? Why not show them how it's done if you were so good at it?

Thanks CallmeAngelina. I shouldn't rise to it but parents like her who think teachers are there for them to abuse make my blood boil. Because of course I bet her DC are perfect angels.

Frankly, it will be worth getting deleted.

CallmeAngelina

@CallmeAngelina if trays your idea of trolling you won’t last long on here me dear.

If schools don't open until Sept, what is going to make them safer then for staff and vulnerable children to be in than June given no vaccine will be available and there may be an autumn peak? Is it that works could be done over summer to assist social distancing (temp classrooms, screens etc?)or more temp teachers recruited? Or is the assumption medical advances may throw up some new testing/treatment before sept meaning teachers could be better tested and isolated if vulnerable - but schools would need more teaching resources to cover those gaps at least until a vaccine is up and running I assume?

@Longwhiskers14 yes my children are Angels actually. Never put a foot wrong because they’d have me to deal with if they did. As for abusing teachers I give them the respect they deserve which is varying in degrees depending on the individual. It’s like the ridiculous claims all nurses are kind. Some are utter cunts.

I think that's the million-dollar question Mazarinegreen! I guess, as you suggest, reconfiguring schools for social distancing or ramping up testing and checking for antibodies would be one way to ensuring it is safe. But that's a massive undertaking and seeing how shit we've been at testing NHS staff, I can't see it happening. You also can't teach behind a screen – teachers need to move around the class to check work, supervise play times, etc.

Chrissie, I've been posting here on MN since 2006, and lurking since the very beginning when Justine and Carrie started up.
I'm not worried.

Secondary - 1 June. Lower numbers due to no y11/13 and some families will keep kids at home. Possibly part time to accommodate low staff numbers - this to be decided by school.

We will still have 1000 in without y11.

Also teachers saying secondary kids are easier to keep apart have no met a class of teenagers with their stubborn mind, non compliance and the need to touch each other all of the time even if it's a slap. Not to mention they become like wild animals in corridors.

Darn, missed what you said!

CallmeAngelina Resorted to nasty name-calling, so I reported.

Something that has made me not expect schools to go back (fully at least) soon is that the BBC are providing loads of new content from 20th April - lessons every day, a tv channel, new podcasts. I feel like they wouldn't do all that if schools were to open fully after May half term.

I do think schools may open for more pupils after the 12 week shielding period is over but maybe just certain year groups or different year groups on different days or perhaps just for children whose parents can't work from home. I think it is also possible that schools may have to close again in the winter.

Yeah, but the bbc have to have made those resources some time ago, before these "calls" for opening sooner started circling.

No one thinks there will be social distancing surely whether may, june or sept - it’s a case of try and get life moving again so we are not bankrupt by sept surely.

I sincerely hope that there is no return to school until testing is widely available for both the children and the many adults who work with them in schools.

If we are in lockdown til June won’t the chance of spread be very low? Who will be carrying the virus then? Surely far lower numbers than in Feb/March.