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.

Thank fuck they're starting on the next stage ... softening us up to get back out of our houses and back to work/school. I hope they do years 10 +12, perhaps also yr 7. The sooner the better. Tomorrow would be fine by me. Getting the teachers in might be tricky though, so expect a rowing back on who is vulnerable over the next few weeks. They've pushed it a bit too much on the 'catch it and you'll die' message. Instead maybe ...
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Mine won't go back. We had a 38 day delay where the government could of responded, and didn't, and look where we are now. We are going to be the hardest hit in Europe.

No, I won't be listening to Bojo and chums. I will decide when I think it's safe to let them return. We did home ed years ago, mine are quite happy occupying themselves and neither are itching to go back.

@Notpanic teachers who work for the LEA will be unlikely to be paid to stay at home if in the vulnerable category. Those of us in other government branches such as police, fire service, prison service etc have been advised that if we are not shielding they won't "support" isolation and expect them in. They are if course welcome to take unpaid leave but not indefinitely. If someone else in the household is shielding, special leave with pay is honoured until the 12 week mark but will phase off after that so again it will be come in or take unpaid leave. I can't see why schools would be any different.

I’m interested in how this will help parents get back to work, coupled with keeping the over 70s at home.

Many of our parents work full time, our wraparound care (primary) runs from 7.30am to 6pm and is always booked out. The numbers on our waiting list mean that we easily have demand for double the current number of spaces, but we do not have the physical room to house them (old Victorian building).

Therefore, for most parents the school day runs from 8.45am to 3.15pm. What we see in at least 50% of our families are grandparents picking up and dropping for at least three days of the week. I know by sight the grandparents of all of the children in my class of 31 bar six!

That doesn’t even factor in those of us teachers who can’t afford year round nursery places, so grandparents kindly look after our under fives for us during term time.

I love my job, it’s a vocation for me. I am missing my little eight year old ‘colleagues’ a lot, and we are in frequent contact via an app. Additionally, my toddler and her grandparents are missing their daily time together like mad. However, I want to protect them all. So I don’t know the answer, I just know that there seems to be this idea that schools returning will rescue the entire economy, but it doesn’t seem to be as simple as that....

I feel as though some people never want the schools to reopen , they are failing to grasp that the " stay home" message is only to relieve the pressure on emergency services. They think " stay home for a few months and when we go out again covid will be gone " - that's wrong. It takes decades to eradicate viruses, that's why we still have chicken pox, measles etc reoccurring with regularity.
If you are vulnerable or have a vulnerable person in the family, of course make the right decision for you .
My son needs to get back to normal for his sanity and so do I.

This would also imply a return of normal public transport - my year 12 DS2 commutes by train to school.

@SpudsAreLife84 I agree. We all can t stay off indefinitely.
I was also thinking of people with symptoms. The government advice is stay at home until all your symptoms have gone.
With no testing, schools could be sending staff and children home in the same scenario we were in before lockdown.
It doesn't seem like we've moved on since this happened.

Mine will go back the first day they can. The risk to children is negligible and there is also no evidence that children spread it - it is only assumed but not proven. None of the studies on how outbreaks have spread have found any link to schools. There have been spreads due to conferences, events, churches but not due to children being at school. There is even some German research which queries whether children become infected to any major extent at all, and when they do it is mild symptoms.

Reading the comments on the dm you can see the message has got seriously distorted and out of hand. Most seem to think we are locking down til it's all gone away. Poor Boris. He's got an uphill battle now. There goes his convalescence.

Death by boredom- I agree . It came across like stay home and Instagram a few cupcakes and everything will be alright .
Maybe the government thinks we are all too delicate to know the severity of it - or maybe people are deliberately burying their heads in the sand? I don't know. But covid is here to stay folks we just got to deal with it . Its nasty and horrible, but so is life I'm afraid .

Hurrah, mine will be there.

Well I’m a teacher with health conditions and won’t be going back in three weeks nor will my children. I would rather loose my job. We are still at a point of loosing 800-900 people a day (excluding care homes). This would be totally irresponsible. Kids are super spreaders hence why they get vaccinated against seasonal flu to prevent the community and yet here we are suggesting they go back to help spread Coronavirus even more?!

I'd prefer 1st June. I'd have no choice but to send DS back though if they open as my job isn't possible to do from home so I've had to go on furlough. I need to go back to work asap.

They're not considering that. I'm a critical worker for COVID-19 in the civil service, 3 weeks is not our preferred time scale.

TiredMummyXYZ can I ask what you intend to do? When will you go back?

Am just asking as my son is due to start reception in September. He is not on the official vulnerable list but he has a heart condition which makes me cautious about his health. I intend to send him if schools open but obviously feel a little concerned. Just wondering what teachers or parents to children with health conditions will do. Do they intend to keep them off until a vaccine? It's really confusing.

It's far too early to be sending the back in as the numbers are still rising and I am pretty sure we havwnt seen the peak yet. I have been watching the statistics on Google and there hasn't really been a significant change or drop to show we have seen the peak yet. I also reckon it could flare up again which is also very worrying. I think we are in this for the long haul

I would refuse to send my two primary back. My husband is shielding on gov and nhs advice. He would likely be very very ill if he got it. I can work from home although currently furloughed and therefore sending my children to school will make no difference economically but could make a huge difference to life. If the system chooses to fine those that do not send their children I will de-register and home school for the foreseeable future. Not worth the risk to us personally.

Literally no idea why the UK govt would even be considering this so early.

The NSW govt is, because our rates are way lower, and our death rates are still in double figures. Although they haven't worked out the logistics of it yet - but our schools never completely closed, they have been open for children who have no other care options all the time (think it's the same in the UK?)
So for us, 11th May is reasonable.
For the UK? Insanity.

Even if kids go back in 3 weeks or June or July, I will be sending mine back on either Sept or further on down the end of 2020. My eldest two children out of four in total are vulnerable and so I am being extremely cautious. I do however worry about my 3rd child. He is due to start reception also this September. So I am hoping by then things will be better.

Another concern is that when things do re open such as schools, shopping centres, parks and soft plays and zoos etc, people will carelessly flock in the masses and this will all flare up again. School opening in 3 weeks and letting them go in drips and drabs is still a bad idea. Children and teens don't and can't social distance. It will be impossible especially schools that's have narrow corridors and children going in and out of toilets etc. I think September is the best resort. We are just going to have to be patient and wait and see

Unless they announce it at the 5pm daily update then I take with a pinch of salt

So much distortion of the news and also press just to sell stories. Disgusted by the media as of late.

How on earth can the schools go back in three weeks when there are still nearly 900 people dying every day.

Not to mention social distancing. Which is impossible in schools given our crammed and over populated classrooms.

Utter rubbish.

We are in this for the long haul, and yes, there are going to be more peaks. One at the start of the next academic year in all likelihood, ironically, so the September start back isn't a winner if you were waiting for no coronavirus before sending them back.

I can't see them fining people for not sending their kids in.

Here here minitheminx @mini

I'm in the shielding group, as I would suspect are other teachers - I was told to shield for 12 weeks, how will they manage the staffing?

Totally agree @tired

And why shouldn't families go " flooding" into zoos , shopping centres and soft play ? People have been miserable for long enough . I am genuinely sorry for people that need to sheild ( my uncle on chemo is one of them ) but we need to live not just exist behind a pair of curtains.
On top of that the zoos need to start making money to pay their staff as do the shops and soft play centres.
I will be " carelessly " flooding them all .