Social distancing in schools- mental health

[Myfriendanxiety]

Does anyone else feel that they would rather home school their children indefinitely than send them to a school where they have to social distance?

I really worry about the mental health of children if they are forced to sit alone at desks 2m apart from others without any proper play time or interaction. I just can’t see how this type of schooling is going to be beneficial to children and how it will create a positive learning environment.

My DS has another year before he starts school luckily- but if he were starting in September to a school system based on social distancing then I wouldn’t be sending him.

Can we teach outside?

Having been to the hospital twice this week (A&E) I have seen zero social distancing between nurses/receptionist/and staff in general. I had a nurse walk me to exit without mask standing right next to me having a convo about her holiday. They have been grouped together having conversations about life etc. Most without PPE as well. When dealing with a patient on a one to one basis to take obs etc. obviously social distancing is impossible. So if hospital staff are not practising social distancing there is no way on earth that schools will be able to practise it whether forced or not. I will be annoyed if my kids go back to school and have to social distance. However, I’m shit at home schooling and I need to return to work for some sort of sanity. I hope the schools open in September I will literally be throwing mine at the gates

There have been single cases of adults not spreading it too.

Need more research than just one child. Some kids get in and are really poorly. Not hospital but bad enough.

They are also back tracking on the mass gatherings now with looking into Cheltenham etc.

That Viner report also said that school closures could reduce ICU by 23 percent. It was a very inconclusive report though.

I agree that what is exactly right. Just admit social distancing can't happen and go from there.

Can we teach outside?
Rofl. Weather wise, for a few weeks a year I suppose! I do love the idea of going from completely technology based learning to sitting on tree trunks with no computer or whiteboard even. That resignation letter is writing itself..

If they are in smaller groups, by part time schooling or whatever, and they stay in those groups, then once the initial risk has been ridden out, it's low risk again. So small number of children, but they can play with each other as normal.

Staff however would be still, getting full whack of viral load.

Staff however would be still, getting full whack of viral load.

Yes!

There is also some research showing some kids don't develop antibodies bit that doesn't help with re infection and if they were to go for ' herd immunity'

Can we teach outside

I do think some people genuinely must hate teachers!

I'm desperate for mine to go back to school but I do actually want it to be workable for the people who are teaching and caring for my dc.

I will be annoyed if my kids go back to school and have to social distance

Right

They will keep kids in smaller groups.

When lockdown ends, I will be picking a few trusted families and sticking to small 1-1 playdates. Smaller groups--->slower spread. But children must have social interaction with peers. It's an essential part of normal development.

Once lockdown ends, there will be no restriction on people meeting others from different households.

Meaning that, for those who really do not like the idea of "socially distanced school" (or even, "school where kids are constantly being nagged to socially distance"), homeschooling as part of a small group with a couple of others could actually be a better alternative. Would not be appropriate for those shielding, though, unless all families were being incredibly careful about any interactions with any outside the group.

The trouble is people can say the kids will only mix with kids in their own class and have staggered pick up times. It wouldn't work for parents with multiple kids as I would have to stand around in the playground waiting for them all to come out . If it was staggered every half hour then I would be in the playground with my kids already picked up with and hundreds of other parents would be in the same position. Then when they all go home they all mix with their siblings and pass anything on to them and then their classes too.

Good news OP - just tell your schools that the Australian PM said 'there's no need for children to socially distance when they are at school because they do not spread the virus. At all. Ever.'

I’m late to this thread, but I thought I’d add my voice. Like OP, I’m also worried about the MH impact of trying to enforce social distancing in schools, particularly for the little ones who won’t really understand. I’m more worried since I received an email from my DCs’ school this morning about the 10 year olds going back on Monday (not UK). Masks will be obligatory when moving around the school. The usual 2 classes will be divided into 6, pulling in teachers from other classes, including both my children’s teachers (who will be providing less work for their own classes as a result.) They’ll sit 2 metres apart, and play 2 metres apart, and there will be a special teacher’s zone in the classroom that the children aren’t allowed to enter. It’s absolutely not possible for anything like the whole school to go back under that regime. And will be extraordinary for the children

@Balloonsandbunting, I think we all appreciate that it will be a huge change for the children, but what do you propose? They stay off school for 18 months, 2 years?! How is that any better?

Children are incredibly adaptable and resilient, I think given the chance to try they will become comfortable with their "new normal" and be able to learn and foster their friendships with very little difficulty. It likely won't be easy at first and adjusting could take a bit of time, but they will adjust.

They’ll sit 2 metres apart, and play 2 metres apart, and there will be a special teacher’s zone in the classroom that the children aren’t allowed to enter.

People need to realise this is how it is likely to be. Teachers and children have to be protected.

Surely having the kids in part time will be worse for keyworkers when they are getting looked after Monday to Friday just now. Or will they separate key workers children together ? Then they wouldn't be in with their usual classmates and friends . It's such a tricky one I really don't know how it will be possible . Plus when lockdown is lifted I can't see employers being happy to have all full time staff only working every other day that the kids have school.

I think we all appreciate that it will be a huge change for the children, but what do you propose? They stay off school for 18 months, 2 years?! How is that any better?

If you read what I wrote, you’ll see this is part of my point. There is neither the space, nor the staff, at any school I know, to divide each 2 class year group into 6. It’s not possible for all the children to go back under this regime. I’d love them all to be able to go back safely, but I can’t see how these measures form the basis of that.

Peppafrig I said similar in the thread. It's exactly what happened when we tried to stagger the pick up / drop off before lock down.

We also tried to let the children go at the same time as their siblings. However, that meant the last 30 minutes of the day was spent dismissing children, whilst the rest of the class tried to finish whatever activity they were doing.

Also despite multiple requests it was very difficult to get the parents / carers off the school site before the next pick up time. As they were busy chatting to each other, and letting their children play in the playground.

@Balloons which is why as I've said they will likely make schools an exception to stricter social distancing measures in the same way hospitals, childrens secure units, prisons etc. are. Providing the rest of industry and society are doing what needs to be done, the rates of infection from schools will be mitigated and the overall numbers will be manageable. As I keep saying, lockdown wasnt to keep individuals well, on the contrary a large proportion of us will need to become ill if any sort of immunity is to be achieved, it was simply to make the numbers manageable at any one time. I think those saying they won't go back to work in schools unless they get full PPE are going to be in for a shock, front line workers are not wearing PPE in other close contact professions and have been at work for the duration so schools will be no different I think. I'm not saying that this is right or wrong, just from my experience I think this will be the case.

The other thing is, a lot of children were previously dropped off and picked up by after school clubs. I know previously our local one would pick up a large number of children in sort of a walking bus, they'd all hold hands and especially the little ones would need to hold hands on the way for safety reasons.

They operate from a small room.

I really worry about businesses like this surviving after all of this.

@StatisticallyChallenged
That research is so interesting and does follow some early research on children coming out of China and Iceland.

I’m hoping in the next few weeks we’ll see more evidence whether children spread this illness less and are less contagious.

If we think back, we did lockdown late and closed schools quite late in the day. We had no big outbreaks in schools round here (anecdotal I know before anyone shouts at me). Nor did I read of any. But yes children could have spread it to parents.

I don’t think we can get children to socially distance that I agree with. But I don’t think keeping schools shut until there is a vaccine is the answer either. Some people are able to home school well; compliant children, supportive school, parents have time. Others are really struggling as they work full time etc. This will create huge inequalities. This can’t go on for a year.

We're like that - we have large halls but we do walk the kids back. Doing it with 2m gaps would be ridiculous.

For those insisting that this level of SD will be easy to maintain and that children will adapt, when children return to school, it will be the first time they have seen their friends for weeks; the first time some of them will have left the house for weeks; and the first time they will have had meaningful social with anyone outside their household for weeks. Some of them won't even have seen their friends via video call or spoken to them.

The first thing they will do is seek out physical contact or close proximity with their peers.

You only have to look at the number of people who said 'hug my friends and family' and similar on the 'What will you do first when lock down ends?' (paraphrasing - haven't checked the exact title) thread to see that people are really feeling the lack of human contact.

Children aren't going to experience returning to be with their own friends/teachers any differently.

There are currently threads running stating that people have observed less SD over recent days; people following the guidance in shops and outdoor spaces less.

I don't know why some people think children will manage it more successfully than adults do!

As I keep saying, talk about the return to school but remove the expectation for workable or meaningful SD from the equation.

I don’t think we can get children to socially distance that I agree with. But I don’t think keeping schools shut until there is a vaccine is the answer either. Some people are able to home school well; compliant children, supportive school, parents have time. Others are really struggling as they work full time etc. This will create huge inequalities. This can’t go on for a year.

They can't force teachers to go back in unsafe conditions. I don't know what the solution is but there has to be social distancing or PPE or the teaching unions will just say no. A lot of teachers have underlying health conditions and they have to be protected if they are expected to go back.

@Delatron same experience here re lack of outbreaks, obviously just anecdotal but I'd really be interested to see more research.

Between the possibility of lower infection/contagion to and from children and the likelihood that death rates are much lower than initially estimated (NYC has also now come up with 0.5% as an estimate) then for children especially we are at risk of the cure being much worse than the disease. Especially if there is a school of thought that we expect them to socially distance until there's a vaccine.