How can businesses slowly re-open if schools don't go back?

[trumpisaflump]

I've been thinking about this all day. A few of my friends are taking great delight I think in forecasting that schools won't go back until August (Scotland). And even at that it will be part time classes to allow social distancing. So an I wrong in thinking if this is correct them business will not be able to return as families/parents will have children at home?
It's been going through my mind all day and I don't know how we can have one without the other. Any ideas?

Schools won't be able to open safely to all students all of the time even when the government does decide to reopen them.

I've been wondering this too. I'm incredibly lucky to have been furloughed on full pay but I received an email from my employer stating that they were going to deduct two days leave a month, so that when people return, we don't have lots to take 'particularly over the summer months'. I hope this means my booked leave still stands!!

@BigChocFrenzy I too think schools need to reopen but no schools in other countries have reopened fully with pupils in full time so I can't see us going down that route to be honest.

What happens then? Where does this leave us (parents?) how do we return to work but have our children in full time? I can appreciate working from home was only meant to be for a short time under very special circumstances, however, if these circumstances continue for some time - employers will have to be flexible?

I really can't see how it's going to work at the moment and I have no faith at all that the government do either.

Part time*

With me teaching hat on, again....how the heck is this going to work?

How do we begin to decide who comes in on what day? What about those key worker and vulnerable pupils - do they come in full time? Do we have to do 2 sets of planning? Do we teach to a 2 week timetable with consolidation for the second week?

Actually, Nicola S said yesterday that if the schools can go back before the end of June they will, but she don't know if they will. This contradicts John Swinney's statement that it definitely be August at the earliest.
I do think moving to reopen perhaps in June is the best idea, if the numbers are improving. As many others have said, a lot of other businesses will struggle to open without the childcare provided by schools. Plus the longer the schools are closed the harder it'll be for some people when they reopen. You already see posts here where people (not vulnerable or shielding) are too anxious to leave the house. The sooner we start to move towards going back to normal the better. (Obviously assuming it's relatively safe to do so.)
Saying that, I'm a teacher with nursery aged children and DH and I don't have any local family support so hopefully nurseries would open too or I'm not sure what we will do.

That's without me hoping by June when I want us to go back, we have reduced the rate of infections and have contact testing and tracing in full force.

I'd also love the deaths to have come down considerably so I feel safe at work, even if there is no solid evidence to say that children are or are not super spreaders.

I'm really really wondering if it might have to go back to one parent works and one doesn't if the schools can't keep the kids in eve4ry day. Doesn't mean to say the woman has to be a SAHM but maybe one parent will.

I've been thinking about this too. Wouldn't they link the businesses opening to allowing their kids in school?

So for example if garden centres were allowed to open in 2 weeks then all parents who work at garden centres could take up a place at a school?

I guess a lot won't as the kids might be old enough to stay home and/or there might be another parent at home.

Then if small shops opened their kids could go. So gradually increasing the number of kids allowed to go back? But not a Big Bang obviously.

Schools need to get back for June or ASAP. I work in the NHS in Scotland and hospitals are quiet. What are we waiting for? It looks unlikely we will be able to eradicate the virus and the curve appears to be flattened. The evidence does not justify keeping children at home and families apart for however long a vaccine takes. Especially since there might be a second wave of cases in the autumn and we might need to lock down again. We need to get testing and PPE sorted and then get back. No large gatherings and masks on public transport, WFH where possible but otherwise back to normal. NHS needs to start treating elective stuff as well.

@Hottoddy1 I totally agree. Our hospital in Scotland is running with 160 empty beds every day. Our covid ICU is almost empty. What else are we waiting for?

Doesn't mean to say the woman has to be a SAHM but maybe one parent will.

I think we all know how that would pan out.

There’s also the little matter of children’s education.

I do think moving to reopen perhaps in June is the best idea, if the numbers are improving.

Yes, I wonder if that would be a sensible idea for Scotland anyway: schools back for a few weeks in whatever form, then summer holidays start so you've got a while to look at what the effect of those few weeks has been on infection rates.

We are currently just about managing to cope both WFH with primary- and nursery-age DC, but it is really really impossibly hard. I do not think we can continue like this for months unless schools or childcare open in some form, and we can't pay the mortgage unless we both have jobs.

I keep going round in circles with this, my parents provide the majority of preschool care and wraparound care to my school age children. They're both over 70, with health conditions, although healthy and perfectly capable of childcare in normal circumstances.
While the children aren't at school, I feel relatively safe handing them back to my parents if everyone is observing social distancing. The chances of any of us having anything are pretty remote, DP can wfh almost entirely, I would probably wfh most of the time and am part of a small team, so when I had to visit the office, it could be organised safely.
As soon as the children are back to school, even part time, I don't want them anywhere near my parents. Even with limited numbers I don't see how schools can be safe.

This is already the case for those of us trying to wfh AND home school at the same time. Not sustainable 😕

@DamnYouAutocucumber yes I don't think we should be asking over 70s to look after our children whether they are at school or not. Unfortunately for lots of us our patents or PIL look provide childcare so it's going to be so difficult!

I think the point is this not being flu and being so contagious with only 5% maybe now immune that we will go straight to another peak. After all only that many flights of italy returners caused this in 4w

And we obviously have more cases than than now. So the aim is to avoid lurching from lockdown to lockdown.
If kids are in half a week then thats only 3w of learning anyway.

Yes, we are all aware it is very contagious and worse than flu, thanks.

Where I work only 2 staff members out of 5 dont have kids.

Not sure when 2 of us are part time and three full time shift how on earth shifts will be covered.

Company being really good so far with furlough and topping up wages but when we are open if I get given a split shift I need at least for the 9 year old to be back. I mainly work evening but do also do day shifts in school hours sometimes. Cant afford to lose my job it's what pays for all the kids clothes and school trips and the tv license and water.

My options for the day shift would he grandparents who are in the vulnerable group or I leave the 9 yr old with the e3 yr old. Dp main wage earner and self employed so him taking the time off is not an option.

13 yr old

My df, whonis in 70s provides me with childcare so i can work in the hub, when i am at home i home school and teVh my classes. It means my kid are left alone to cope until 3/4pm. I am here but they know not available.
I hope schools are back soon, however things may change and parents need to be prepared for whatever changes there are. In my roll the adults and kids work in very close proximity, we couldn't use ppe even if we wanted to. We are down staff, shielding, from a smal team. We need to work out how we can go bck safely, not from the virus but from assault. So yes we need tobtalk about how we open schools but we need the groundwork in place to ensure we can keep pupils and staff safe in all circumstances and try to ensure continuity for our kids.
The only changes i can think of might be cleaning, we don't get great cleans, there is no budget and no bleaches allowed so this may change. Sickness, schools may refuse to take unwell children who would normally be accommodated and ill children would be expected to be collected very quickly due to lack of staff to supervise, safe spaces to keep them apart from others. Parents may not be allowed in buildings and it my be only 1 adult to bring a child to school, or it may be none if these and we may get back to Normal 🤞.
To be honest wfh sucks, my job us 10x harder and my working hours are more plus my kids can't do their work as i am on the laptop doung school work. I want back with my team and the kids asap with a better risk assessment in place than the pathetic excuse of one produced for hubs.

I suppose parents who are going back to work should have a school place for their DC. I don’t think schools could be opened safely for all children but certainly for limited numbers.

@greenlynx in some schools that may be around 80% of a class (it is in my children's classes) which would mean 24 pupils in a class.

Some posters have mentioned schools in other countries operating a limited number of pupils in. The above wouldn't be workable if we took the same stance as we wouldn't be allowed 24 in at the same time.

It's a logistical nightmare. Schools fight for spaces on a normal day, let alone in the middle of a pandemic.

I am aware I don't have any answers - I just wish this virus would bloody buffer off!

I'm thinking they might reopen schools in June, then the break of summer will provide another break to slow the spread.

I'm sure they'd rather have the second peak in summer than September right at the start of flu season.

But ultimately in an economy where everything is geared to having both parents working we need schools and nurseries open.
How the heck you social distance 2 & 3 year olds is beyond me.