My cynical view on why they are making sure they open primary schools ASAP

[DebbieFiderer]

It's simple really - if they get primary school pupils back before the end of the summer term then it is business as usual in terms of childcare and they don't have to keep schools open over the summer holidays for keyworker children. Anyone else think I am right, or am I being overly cynical and they genuinely think it's the right thing to do for the kids?

Why would they be trying to avoid keeping schools open over the summer?

Of course it's to get people back at work. If they were just thinking of the kids then they'd leave the youngest at home and have secondary schools open for at least Y10 and 12, so their exams next year are not completely mucked up. Most kids at that age are mature enough to socially distance and follow hygiene rules. 30 reception age kids will certainly not be able to do this.

Because it would cost money.

I agree OP.

My cynical view is that they are engineering things to start a second wave of infection which will circulate through the primary school population over the summer whilst we have another lockdown.

Then most children will be immune come September and able to go back to school as normal.

Prioritising the economy over health.

Yep, a second peak over the summer would also be a lot better for the NHS than waiting until the autumn/winter, definitely

How effective will it actually be at helping people work though since it's initially likely to be p/t, certain ages & staggered drop offs etc.

It's not a cynical view, its what's happening. That's why they're sending young children back first, so parents can go back to work and have some childcare.

I think they probably want to see the infection spike caused by more people working/shops opening/schools opening & prepare for the winter when its likely to be worse.

It does no-one any good storing this all up until September.

My cynical view is that they are engineering things to start a second wave of infection which will circulate through the primary school population over the summer whilst we have another lockdown

waspfig

How does it benefit the government to deliberately trigger another lockdown? You think they are able to engineer infection rates? Amongst the demographic least likely to get Covid, primary age kids? Lockdown is costing 8 Billion per month. That's on top of an existing benefits bill, excluding pensions of 100 Billion a year. Your idea that the government is engineering infection in the group least likely to catch the virus to trigger another lockdown? That's not 'cynical.' It's laughable

But we need to get the country back open at some point surely, we can't just stay in this state forever.

I'm open to it although think it's going to be more of a pain in the ass juggling logistics & the current guidance seems less pedagogical eg less play, TAs etc.

It does do some good to store it up until Sept. The rate of transmission is obviously heavily dependent on how many actually have it at any one time.

Its not really about childcare though. How many of us who have young children also have another child who is not back at school straight away.

Can I really leave my KS2 child at home?

Kids need to be in school. I think people need to find the correct balance for their families. But closing schools for an indefinite amount of time is not good for many of the children.

They have decided that primary school pupils are lowest risk, which is definitely backed up by the data.

As I have seen others comment, YR / Y1 are absolutely critical in their learning.

But we need to get the country back open at some point surely, we can't just stay in this state forever.

Some one was arguing on another thread that families with both parents who work f/t are quite a small % of the population. Therefore not a barrier to getting most "back to work". In my world virtually everyone is still working.

Of COURSE they want the second wave to happen over the summer. Does anyone disagree with that? Does anyone think there won't be a second wave? We are flattening the curve, not trying to eradicate the disease. We haven't got a hope of eradicating it like New Zealand did, this is damage limitation, it always has been.

Dsil has told me that her school, when children are back will just be supervised doing their on line learning as there is no way to properly teach the children. She’s is a mixed year group class as it is. One teacher and two TA for 31 YR/1 children. Half the class if they’re back won’t be looked after by a teacher anyway.

As I have seen others comment, YR / Y1 are absolutely critical in their learning.

I agree, but how much "learning" will they actually be doing if there is a shortage of staff for example? I think it's very unlikely they will be back f/t until a few weeks & then it's the school holidays.

@Orchidflower1 that's what I've heard from my teacher friends.

We are planning on opening over the summer as opening for the other year groups is being classed as a separate issue. If children come back it will be part time for everyone else so we will need to keep the key workers children in a separate bubble anyway. This is definitely not business as usual.

I did see a point in the guidance saying different schools may be used. I'm not sure what age that is aimed at but won't send them back if so.

foggy yes these are all concerns I have. None of this is ideal.

I only know my young child has struggled with being at home. More so than his elder sibling.

I do plan on sending him back, but I accept that there will be limitations and that he may not return full time.

If I think the limitations are more damaging than good then I will re-evaluate.

For me its not about childcare, it's about doing what I think is best for my child.

We will support his learning from home anyway and have been doing so up until now even though its incredibly tough juggling that and work.

The problem is that no one knows if / when an effective vaccine will be available. If the answer is never or a long time away, then a certain amount of transmission is a good idea (if you believe in herd immunity), or at the very least an inevitable part of rescuing the plummeting economy.

It's not cynical to say that. It's factual.

@Orchidflower1 why can’t they properly teach children? As a parent I am getting stressed out trying to teach my children (while not being qualified to teach the national curriculum) and work. School are doing nothing except throwing resources that are already out there on the website as a link. My children are entitled to and deserve an education, that is a teachers role and what they are being paid to do. Schools will have to work a way around this because Covid is not going away. Otherwise what is the alternative? We continue to do this ourselves at home? That is going to mean a lot of teachers out of a job. It’s ok to work under emergency measures for a while but it can’t go on like that forever.

I'm lucky to be able to WFH for the foreseeable. School in shifts for my DC will make it harder for me to work. That's aside from the concerns I have about the virus spreading.