Schools won't be reoping on 1 June, and if they do, I won't be sending my child

[effingterrified]

Unions will be doing what they exist to do and protecting the health of their members.

Until Boris can provide teachers with a safe workplace ie PPE for all staff, adequate social distancing, etc, unions will be telling members not to go in.

And if they do open, I won't be sending my child in as they wouldn't learn anything in the last few weeks under these conditions, and the health risks not only to the children, but to the teachers and parents, are not worth it.

Plus my child relies on a school bus to get to school and there is zero way of socially distancing on one of them. Or of running 3 school buses, say, per route, at an affordable cost.

Also, my dc is happy as Larry off school, and learning as much or more. Let's face it, how many kids object to longer school holidays? I know there are some eg vulnerable kids, but they can already attend at present.

Fed up of threads pretending all parents can't wait for schools to reopen. Not among the ones I know.

[sundowners]

Nick Ferrari on LBC today spoke to-Amanda Martin head of National Education Union President.
As he challenged her- how many worldwide cases are there of children under the age of 10 passing on Corona virus to an adult- NOT ONE. On the entire planet.

it was on at 9.35am if you can listen back to the interview via the LBC App- worth a listen for anyone in 2 minds.
I'm 100 % not! DS will definitely be going back as soon as his school re-opens.

[Randomschoolworker19]

I work in a school and we have been discussing this non-stop.

The government's advice to parents is totally misleading.

Schools will not be socially distancing. I repeat schools will NOT be socially distancing. There will be no staying 2M apart and staff will not be wearing PPE. This is all across England.

We are being asked to prepare plans for the youngest children to come back to school first from the 1st of June. So Nursery and Reception children. This will likely be in groups of 10-15 children in a new concept of 'Social Bubbles' with 2-3 adults per group depending on ratios for ages.

In social bubbles the same staff and children stay isolated from the rest of the staff and children in the school, but within the bubble there is no social distancing in place.

The bubble would be in school for say a week, and then the classroom and resources they use would be deep cleaned at the end of the week in addition to frequent hand washing and cleaning during the day. The following week another bubble would come in to school with year groups potentially working on a 3 week cycle. 1 week in school, 2 weeks home learning.

The staff working with your children may not be the ones they usually have because of staff shortages and the need for more bubbles. Similarly, we are being asked to remove all soft furnishings and small toys from EYFS settings, and children will be eating their dinner in their bubble's classroom, so school life will be very different.

In addition to this, If you have more than 1 child in school in different year groups, there is no guarantee they will be in at the same time. So how parents are meant to work is beyond me.

Our Head is advising parents of this, but also that there are no fines for parents who keep their children at home. Most staff and Headteachers are against the guidance set out by government, as are the unions.

Basically, we don't think it is safe for children, staff or our parents.

[toolatetooearly]

Fantastic, amazing, brilliant, hurrah for you. I'm hoping every parent who isn't planning to send their children back to school can start a brand new thread telling us all about their great decision, I'm very much looking forward to reading them all.

[OneDayIWillBeOrganised]

@sundowners if that's the case why are there so many restrictions? Small groups, same adult, remove resources etc etc

[Biscuit0110]

I think they will be opening, and it is a matter for you whether your send your child in. I am not sure you have your child's best interests at heart, they will fall even further behind than they are already, and all for what?! The risk is almost zero.

Still you do you.

[OneDayIWillBeOrganised]

@randomschoolworker19 I think there should be some honesty around this. If they're saying it's safe then back to business as usual. If they're not then be honest that they want schools to step up with more childcare as safely as possible.

[sundowners]

@OneDayIWillBeOrganised likely more for teacher-teacher transmission.

The research is there- there has not been a single reported instance of a child under 10 transmitting the virus, even in contact tracing carried out by WHO.

[Terriblehairdontcare]

Randomschoolworker I'm not sure why you're saying that the government are misleading us?

I'm well aware of everything that you have said. Not only have a read the guidelines, but I predicted the 1/2 class social bubble thing weeks ago, I also predict that school will look that way for possibly some time.

[Nettleskeins]

It is one of the safer ways to provide children with social interaction with their peers. ADULTS will need less interaction with adults compared to normal social events, as you have in schools one adult to 15'children. And within that bubble they are not (the kids I mean) socially distancing. The temptation for adults to start seeing friends and family for their kids sake is going to increase. School interaction kids to kids, will take that pressure off and lower the likely community transmission once rules start being broken/tweaked.
It is heartbreaking to observe children longing to play with others. Someone is going to start breaking the rules, visiting friends and cousins quite soon otherwise.

[OneDayIWillBeOrganised]

@sundowners so why not the same advice re facemasks in enclosed places for teachers as for other places? Teachers don't need to protect themselves and other adults?

[LindainLockdown]

Well that is your choice OP. My kids won't get the chance to go back to school this year so I don't even have the choice, but if they could return on June 1 they would be. For all the parents saying they won't send their kids back there are loads more who would love to but are being denied the opportunity.

[Quartz2208]

Personally I do think the Government are rushing something which shouldnt be rushed and I suspect some tweaking of either the dates of the number of years (or both) will happen between now and the 1st of June.

But I am strongly in favour of some level of Primary school return this half term under sensible controlled conditions

[TerrapinStation]

Those who are terrified of this virus can continue to hide & ignore the actual fact hardly anyone under 45 has died

According to the ONS fewer than 2,500 people of working age had died up to 20 April, yes, it has been kept low by lockdown but the facts don't lead to the hysterical reaction by many on here that even going anywhere near another person is an automatic death sentence.

[maria860]

Sick of seeing these posts calling parents that want to send kids back selfish and killing people it's ridiculous. You do know nurses doctors etc are still sending their children to school ? Their the highest risk group of spreading it and hardly any cases in children ?
My son is on the list to go back he's in year 6 and wants to see his friends one last time. Sending the kids back going into winter with zero immune system being shut inside for so long makes sense (not)
If you don't want to send your child that's your choice some of us will take the chance my sons were there when the R rate was above 1 anyway so they had more chance of bringing it home in March as it stands.

[OneDayIWillBeOrganised]

@terriblehairdon'tcare If transmission between children so small why do we need to remove resources? Why not classes as normal and limit the adults the children come to contact with? If children aren't spreaders then how is 2 adults with 15 better than 2 adults with 30?

[Randomschoolworker19]

@maria860

The R rate is a complex issue. It may be lower than 1 down south but where our school is located (North West), we don't actually know the figure as it hasn't been released. We suspect it is above 1 though as cases in the North West are behind the curve compared to places like London.

[mrpumblechook]

I would send my child back if they do open as I don't want them to get behind but I think it would be better for schools to stay closed for longer as almost certainly cases and deaths will rise dramatically once they do go back then we will have a second peak. People seem very blasé about the risk to children but while they are not likely to die they could infect their parents, many of whom will be over 50 so at higher risk of death and potentially future ill-health if they become seriously ill. Although younger people don't usually die they are sometimes seriously ill and that may continue to affect them in the future as well.

[Barbie222]

I'm genuinely on the fence about children and transmission. Lots of studies say we don't know yet. If it was the case that children don't transmit, why does the latest ONS data show that teachers have the same rate of deaths as business workers, given that their working pattern means their contact with other adults is lower than in a typical office?

Jury is still definitely out but there are a lot of people cherry picking research to suit their personal agendas.

[excitedmumtobe87]

Some studies believe children can’t infect, but equally some believe they can.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/30/coronavirus-scientists-caution-against-reopening-schools

No one knows yet. No one is anywhere near sure.

It’s hard to measure whether the child or adult brought it into the household if the child had no symptoms or mild symptoms that they wouldn’t get a test for.

I support everyone’s right to make their own decision over this but calling each other right or wrong over this is not wise because none of us have a clue. Even the experts aren’t agreed or sure yet.

Let’s all just make our own decisions without saying we’re more right than others with cherry picked info.

[mrpumblechook]

Sick of seeing these posts calling parents that want to send kids back selfish and killing people it's ridiculous. You do know nurses doctors etc are still sending their children to school ? Their the highest risk group of spreading it and hardly any cases in children ?

As there are only a few children in each school they will be able to keep them some distance apart though. That won't happen if all children go back.

[Nettleskeins]

It isnt just about parents getting back to work, it is about the capacity of parents to cope with multiple children, supervise often the learning, and exercise and health of multiple children with no access to adequate outdoor space, play facilities, parental TIME (even most devoted homeschool parent will tell you they rely on input from other families, locations, experiences to give them some headspace or TIME).
You are condemning these kids and these families to a grim three months, and why would the situation be any better by September?? School for all its risks would be a safer healthier place for these children

[iamapixie]

That might end up being the solution.
I think if everyone who felt the same would just deregister their child and put home education in place, that might give the unions a reason - fewer children - to stop being so unhelpful, and the government would like it because they could see a way of cutting costs eventually by getting rid of a load of unnecessary teachers, so that might make them feel more inclined to try and find a workable compromise shorter term. Everyone ends up 'happy'.
Pie in the sky idea I'm sure but actually we're at such an impasse that it's worth a go.
I have no idea though how deregistration could be encouraged, though surely considering how terribly anxious some parents seem, they are at least looking into it.

[maria860]

I'm in birmingham so we're one of the hotspots and highest number of deaths in our trust. The R rate is below one nationally according to the briefing so community transmission has gone down slightly.
I am concerned but I don't think September will be a magical time of the virus being gone and the kids immune system will be lowered with all the sanitising and hand washing and not mixing I have a bad feeling kids will be worse off in winter catching this virus.

[OneDayIWillBeOrganised]

@mrpumblechook Your child won't be getting taught in the way you expect so no guarantee he'll be any better off than those receiving homeschooling. This will be more like childcare than education. Very tricky to try to teach under the circumstances they are going back.

[TheSultanofPingu]

I know it was at the beginning of this thread, but what's with all this 'schools can't even contain a nit outbreak' crap. Nit nurses no longer exist. Isn't it the job of parents to control a nit outbreak?
When more children return to school, I'm certain school staff will do all in their power to keep them safe, as they are already doing with the children of key workers. Please don't compare this to a nit outbreak in a school.