Government reportedly considering schools going back in 3 weeks

[FiveFootTwoEyesOfBlue]

On BBC News 24 now, article in tomorrow's Sunday Times says that ministers are considering schools going back in three weeks time. Plus allowing some shops and social gatherings, but not pubs and clubs.

I'm not making a dig at anyone in particular, it's just my observation and opinion.

Working from home with children is bloody hard and anyone who says it isn't, well I'm not sure I believe them!

Go easy on yourselves. None of us have this worked out!

BertNErnie it makes me sad to read your post. My children are only in reception and year 1, but their teachers are amazing and I know they’d return to school in a heartbeat. They are genuinely missing the children and are worried for them.
Schools do need to go back as soon as possible. But I agree with all the teachers here that it needs to be done in a way that is safe (or as safe as it can be) for everyone.

Some teachers are obviously working more than others, I have 6 friends who are teachers and they have all had more time off than usual, which of course is reasonable. 4 out of the 6 did not mind covering 1-2 days at Easter. 2 complained a lot. Which is a bit off imo.

We are all having to be flexible. My team have never been so stressed, not sleeping, dreading going to work, the emotion around knowing your colleagues are intubated.

We’re in a horrendous situation.

I would be really fucked off if the government says schools can open but teachers won’t do it.

But I’m really hoping that won’t happen at my dcs school at least.

@Mascotte when are you hoping for schools to reopen?

If the daily death rate is still in the hundreds and there is no contact tracing or testing isn't widely available, I don't imagine any teachers going back under those circumstances.

Well, I’m hoping ASAP for my boy’s sake. But what I mean is when the government says to reopen they should

@BertNErnie wider testing is starting this week in the trust I work in.

The staff in my school all hoping the government will be led by the science and will work alongside unions to ensure we do open when it is safe to do so but I think the reality is we all need to accept it won't and can't be a free for all once that happens otherwise we face another peak in infections and more people die.

It's more than just schools need to reopen ASAP. There's no way I'd step foot back in my school if told to tomorrow whilst the death toll is in the high 500s and of you were fucked of about that then I'm sorry but you'd have to be because social distancing can't happen at schools as is and I'm not putting myself right into a potential storm.

@Pomegranatepompom this is really positive.

I'm hoping we go back after the May half term.'it gives sufficient time to get testing capacity up and if we can contact trace and isolate cases, we would stand a better chance at getting things to a manageable level. Hospital admissions also need to come down as well as the daily rate of infections.

And of course deaths.

So @Bertnernie what would make you go back?

Would it affect your judgment if you had no pay?

I don’t, so I cannot wait to get back
To work

Berr I can see where you are coming from. And you are right, it needs to be as safe as it can be. And teachers do need to make a decision when its time about what is best for their families, just like everyone else too.

From the other side though, I am glad a couple of the posters do not teach my kids. Possibly it is just their MN persona, but I look at my DS's teacher especially who says its her vocation. Possibly because she is young, but she is a great teacher and her love for the children shines through and he absolutely adores her. It would be such a shame if that love for her job fades over time.

What has been done to schools over the last decade is criminal.

Of course... by ASAP I don’t mean by 11th May (and I also don’t think that’s on the cards). After half term at the earliest.

Social distancing in a hospital is impossible, ppe is given only when caring directly with COVID + patients.

I really struggle that this is deemed acceptable for nhs staff.

@Pomegranatepompom I’m not sure what that has to do with schools..?

A pp said they’d only go back to school if given ppe

Mascotte

Presumably, your thinking is that if the government says that its safe to go back teachers should go back to work.

Which strangely enough is exactly what has been said by the teachers.

So there would be no need to be "fucked off"

@Mascotte I'd be happy to go back if I was relatively sure the risk to myself and therefore my family was low/lower than it is now.

Nothing in life is risk free but having over 900 pupils and staff in a smallish building with us all on top of one another whilst the virus is not currently controlled is madness to me.

There are a lot of people saying children are not super spreaders and I understand there is no data to confirm or deny this but we have had parent and grandparent deaths and 3 staff taken very ill after being in school on direct contact with pupils who we believe may have been carrying the virus. If there was widespread testing, those cases could either be confirmed or be false and we could all get on with it.

Ah! Well that’s not realistic

@BertNErnie fair enough. But what if you were not being paid?

In primary you can't wear PPE. It's not just possible to teach effectively with your face covered.

I also wouldn't refuse to change a child who has wet or spiked themselves or fell over and needed a cuddle and I'm not prepared to sit 3-5yr olds at a desk, socially distanced either.

Thanks for that post @BertNErnie
It was very comforting.

I am fortunate that I don't have to rely on my salary to survive. I am aware not many other people have that luxury but as I said earlier on today, staff will go off sick with stress if they feel they are being forced to work and it's not safe and this in the long run means we are all fucked.

I need my staff to be at work to ensure the children get the education they deserve. If they go off sick, there are not enough supply teachers to cover classes and we will be forced to close year groups etc.