Telegraph reporting primary schools to return 1 June

[MummaGiles]

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/05/02/primary-schools-reopen-june-part-blueprint-unlock-britain/

Sorry it’s behind a paywall.

Just heard about this on the radio. They are suggesting that Johnson will address the country next Sunday (10/5) with the roadmap, part of which will be primary schools returning on 1 June.

Not saying I believe it, just sharing the link.

@Beebityboo Yes that is what it means.

When are schools back in France? I know they've had a far stricter lockdown than us so cases are lower in the first place.

I'd prefer to avoid the dreadful economic disruption of stop, start, stop, start.

They may ask parents to take kids for a test...

Hopefully it's made up. But they are economy driven and someone is really pushing the kids dont spread it line.

Though they could catch it from the teacher.
I expect the calcs show lots of teenagers would die and their teachers but fewer primary kids.

Also they did i think say the 14yo who died actually died of a hwart attack, but then covid does cause clots too.

If they want to reopen i want the
Number of teachers who died
The number of under 20 hospitalised and icu figures
The number of kids with the inflammatory condition

Interested to see if private schools go back...

Yep, half term will be tricky. If they lift lockdown before then, Wales, the Lakes, the west country and all other holiday destinations will be rammed.

Our French niece who is 10 in August is back 25th May.

If it is the date it will be a gradual opening though starting to see how it would work presumably for a wider September opening

I can’t see how it will be much later given those in Europe who don’t end in May/June are going back

I've heard about 5 teachers so far, but I'm sure there will have been more.

French kids go back 11th May in regions with low numbers of cases, but unions are unhappy about it. No break times. 15 kids per class, adults in masks.

I suspect there are leaks aplenty at the moment to gauge people's reactions whilst they try to decide how to relax the lockdown. Presumably these will be taken into account in whatever plan is announced - govt have strong links with both Times and Torygraph so not surprising it comes out here.

I understand why people are nervous about a June return - I'd be inclined to send mine, mainly because it's a short period and then a lay off over the holidays. I do question what people will think will change between now and September - I think it's unlikely to be any safer by then. Given how prone my generally healthy children are to Autumn Term bugs, I'd be much more concerned about them returning then with lower immunity.

I'm not sure it's going to be 'safe' to return until/if there is a vaccine and doubt children will be high up the list to receive it. Which means a massively long time out of school,
doesn't it? I appreciate everyone's circumstances are different but my children would really struggle if out of school
for months.

@Keepdistance Someone said on MN that in the nearest school where they lived 3 teachers and 2 TAs have been very ill with covid 19. I don't know if that is true, but I agree it would be good to know the realities around this.
I know they are pushing the kids don't spread covid 19, but they have no real basis for that. It seems to be based on 1 boy.

Beebityboo

Sorry if I'm being thick, what does "flying a kite" mean in this instance? Trying to gauge public reaction“

Yes, as I understand the expression anyway.

GOOD. Children are very low risk at catching this and transmitting it. Their lives need to get back to normal, we have to find a way to live with this virus.

Thanks Cantory.

I suppose I was hoping they would find an effective treatment by September that would improve outcomes so things would feel a bit safer.
Sending them back in June feels like a scary roll of the dice .

@AnnieAnt What will have changed is much more research and information for a start. We are learning new things all the time. It was only this week British Drs put out an alert about inflammation reactions in kids and I heard the term covid toes.
I like decisions to be evidence based. We need far more evidence. So I want proper thorough research into kids transmission rates to adults. Better research into whether simple things like Vitamin D has a large impact. An understanding of why BME people are far more likely to die. A proper understanding of how many people have already been infected. We still know so little.

I think that if schools go back on June it will only be a matter of time before we see them closing again one by one as Covid infections sweep through the staff to the point that there are so few staff turning up for work that the school is forced to close for safety reasons. Some staff may be OK to return to work a couple of weeks after having Covid-19, but there will be many who won't, leaving a long-term staffing gap. Only then will it presumably dawn on the "Reopen schools asap" brigade that you can order teachers back to work all you like, but those who are too ill to work (or worse) will not turn up.

Surely it would make more sense and be safer for secondary year groups to gradually rezmturn, first

But they will be closing anyway for summer holidays? Surely more disruptive to send them in September with the potential for disruption then.

I appreciate your point, cantory, but would be surprised if we have the answers by September. Then what?

@Fantasisa There has been two pieces of research, one in China and one in Germany that says children catch it at the same rate as adults.

@Beebityboo Yes I hope treatment options would have evolved as well. I read today about two drugs that they have hopes will prove successful to treat it. It feels like a long time, but covid 19 has only been in the UK for a very short space of time.

I suspect this afternoon's emotive comments re the risks of DV were also designed as a cynical move to soften the electorate up to the likelihood of lifting the lockdown and thus opening schools to get people back to work.

It's completely unworkable. Teachers will be sending every DC (who has a parent like Fantasisa that sends them in) home when they sneeze or have a runny nose or a headache or a sore throat or a temperature or an upset tummy or a rash or red blotches - because they are all possible COVID symptoms in DCs.

Between now and September the spread could be contained. In lockdown the virus only has so many people to infect. We would, of course, need to implement checks and quarantine at the airports (like many countries have done) for this to work properly. We also have the advantage of seeing what happens in other countries when their schools go back. So far, for those that have, it's not looking like the best idea to rush it. In January and February we had the same advantage and failed to heed the warning. Let's hope this time round we've learnt a lesson. Including that we are not magically special in the UK and can't just ignore a contagious disease. It won't go away if we do.

We'd also by then have a very good chance of antivirals being available. The trials have been promising (if treatment is given early). And then there's the simple fact that we might know a bit more about Covid. Including any possibly long-term effects.

"Open to all pupils" does not mean open as normal. It could be open to all pupils at selected times.

I imagine key worker children would remain entitled to their full-time places still. That will have to include my DC after schools reopen as both DH and I are teachers. We've been juggling rotas at the moment but once we have to be back full-time, my DC will have to go to school full-time. I just hope they reopen the breakfast and after-school clubs too.

With both parents and DC in a total of three different schools, I can't imagine it will be long before someone in our household goes down with symptoms.

Having been in school with no more than 15 key worker children in a class, I can say that social distancing is impossible in a KS1 classroom.

No child known to have passed COVID-19 to adults, global study finds
The review found children have much less severe symptoms and often do not have any at all.

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-no-child-known-to-have-passed-covid-19-to-adults-global-study-finds-11981111

@AnnieAnt If we can understand childrens transmission rates then we know whether school staff and parents will be put at risk. If they do transmit it at the same rate as adults, then children will put vulnerable school staff at risk. If they don't, then school staff are safe from children.
If we can understand why BME people are at more risk of dying then there is a chance to lower that risk , which should lead to less people dying.

Much as I would love them to go back for the sake of my youngest who has had his last year of primary left in ruins, and needs enhanced transition to high school as he’s autistic, I think this is too soon

“Could be as soon as” 1st June = “certainly not before 1st June”