Scientists say not safe to open schools 1st June

[Plaidortartan]

Sorry if there are already threads on this - couldn’t see one when I looked.

Headline news on the Guardian - Sage says 1st June opening is a ‘dangerous decision’ . Surely the government can’t go against this very clear advice?

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/may/22/scientists-warn-1-june-too-early-schools-reopen-england-coronavirus-track-trace?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

I would trust 'independent sage' 100 times more than I trust 'government appointed' sage

How politically motivated are the Independent Sage group though? Two members of the group here;

"Susan Michie, Communist Party member and ex-wife of one of Jeremy Corbyn’s closest advisers, donated £14,000 to Corbyn’s Labour Party, according to Electoral Commission records."

www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/the-londoner-communists-14k-labour-donation-a3905511.html

"NHS for a People's Vote is run by Professor Martin McKee (Programme Director)"

www.nhsforpv.co.uk/core_team

How can we argue with science? How can we risk it with so many uncertainties because children 'probably won't die'? and the teachers? Well forget the teachers, they're only shouting because they want more holidays and they don't care about kids anyway. Their safety concerns are irrelevant and at best hysterical right?

People continuing to compare us to Denmark need to do their research before they start spouting it as a logical argument.

Streamingbannersofdawn. I'm going to be making a checklist of all the cleaning I need to do in my bubble and then tick them off each time they're done. Like you, I worry that I'm going feel guilty if a child in my group tests positive, so the list will reassure me (and prove to everyone else) that I followed all the hygiene rules.

The dfe policies for schools will be as affective as Boris's 'wash your hands and you'll be fine' stance.

There simply isn't enough evidence to assure anyone that "schools are safe."
More research is needed. But unfortunately, I think Reception, Yrs 1and 6 are the research. If you have children in those year groups, then good luck.

My dd is going back 2days a week on the 11th June, she is at a special needs school and is absolutely overjoyed to be going back even for just a couple of days.

@FrameByFrame I feel concerned that you feel the buck stops with you for not cleaning properly. The issue is not in cleaning but in the contact and lack of PPE. The government don't get to transfer the blame onto teachers when their policies are so poor... though undoubtably that would be what would happen. I can see the local rag headlines now...

Nowhere is ever going to be safe. Nothing is risk free. In the UK, three children under 15 have died because of coronavirus. Last year 48 children under 15 died in traffic accidents but we didn’t put the whole of society on hold as a result.

But we could use the argument of 'nothing is ever going to be risk free' for anything. It's about managing the risk and everything points to the fact that June 1st is not the safest time.

Depends if Cabinet Ministers send their kids back to school. With this lot it's usually private school so they generally aren't doing it.
Risks are for plebs to worry about.

Independent SAGE seem to be a group of self-appointed important people...

I know.

And calling themselves "Independent" SAGE rather than Random Bunch of Self-Publicists.

It will be difficult whatever happens.
School will not be back to five days 9-3 with wrap around care for sometime yet.
Working parents will struggle even with children back.

My main concerns at the moment are not that I think dd will get sick, it is the risk of her bringing the virus home to vulnerable family members.

It would have been far better to slowly open school places in line with demand and asking those who can to keep children at home, with home learning provided.

With this lot it's usually private school so they generally aren't doing it.

Preps and pre-preps opening up near me.

Twinklelittlestar1 I don't think I'd be blamed, as such. It's more for my own peace of mind, and just in case questions were raised. I can imagine some parents might query our hygiene practice/adherence to social distancing rules if their child show symptoms and tests positive right after going back to school.

Private day schools are opening here. It is only boarding schools not opening.

our school is opening 9-3 every day with yr 6 (junior school)

So some are opening normal hours.

It’s pretty clear there are minimal risks to the children themselves in returning to school. It’s asking a bit much of parents to weigh up the risks to society as a whole. How are the hell are we supposed to know when even the experts who have studied this stuff for their entire careers can’t agree??

Childcare will remain very difficult for some time yet.

Many nursery staff / school staff cannot go back to work as they are in the 'shielding' category, or have asthma, diabetes, etc. There will definitely be staffing issues. Schools will not be offering the same level of afterschool clubs and childcare as they did before.

Oh yes and in all the studies about how children can transmit the virus, they didn't really take into account that if a child is ill, a parent will need to administer medicines, feed, wash the child, be in close contact with them, it's not the same as when a teenager is ill and they can look after themselves. So I think that by default, it's likely that the child will transmit the virus to a parent. That's with a 'human behaviour' hat that I'm saying that, I'm not a virologist but I am a parent.

People are aware that you can't catch 'traffic accident,' right?

I think it will end up with people who need to send their DC to school because they cannot work from home sending them back, and needing to. People need to work away from home. Others can stay at home and state employees get paid whatever.

There is the huge problem that government fully funded furlough will end. Companies are drawing up redundancy plans. People who cannot return to work due to no childcare will be made redundant. Their jobs won’t be needed, because they haven’t been for 8 weeks, and then they are not present in the future to do them either. So why would a firm keep those jobs open?

Schools could operate in smaller numbers from church halls, museums, theatres and open spaces. Other countries are doing this. The DC don’t all return to the same building. They spread out. We need a bit more flexibility.

Some scientists are saying it's not safe, others are saying it is. A scientist from Oxford was saying all schoolchildren could safely come back tomorrow. It depends on what evidence you give more weight to. 'Independent SAGE' have fairly clearly set themselves up as a counterweight to real SAGE so it's hardly surprising they are saying something different.

My girls are at a private school and the prep school is planning to open to Nursery, Reception, Y1 and Y6 on 2nd June. The senior school is not opening but offering contact days for Y10 and Y12. Boarding houses are closed but boarders are all Senior school anyway.

Numbers have just come in at the primary school my kids attend. 6 out of a possible 30 are going back between reception and yr 1. 10 out of 15 are going back in yr6. I don't have children eligible to go back.

@Wisteria

People are aware that you can't catch 'traffic accident,' right?

People are aware that every time they get in to a car there is a risk.... right? Would they walk just incase? Would the get there bus? After all, they don’t need to go in a car. They could walk everywhere, get deliveries?

Nothing is risk free. We can’t live our lives on the back of wanting everything 100 risk free.

France is reopening schools.

And fewer than 20% of children have gone back according to the News yesterday.