How/when did the tide turn on schools?

[LaceCurtains]

In the beginning the mood here was almost desperate calling for schools to be closed.

In the last week or so there's been a marked shift to getting them open (from peope here).

Is it the same people who wanted the closed, now calling for them to get back to normal or have the original campaigners gone quiet/new people got louder?

FWIW I always thought schools closed as early as they did because of public pressure and it seems to me that "other" things are getting back to normal more quickly than originally planned/expected (because of DC and the need to distract?) but schools don't seem to be included in that.

I'm at a loss as to why schools are being treated so differently. I'm SLT in school, if that makes a difference and the government guidance is a shambles. Changes daily but doesn't seem to have any clear aim.

It's not just schools remaining closed. Parks and outside places staying closed. Sports for children remain for the majority, closed. Zoos remain closed. Beaches and seaside towns and the countryside keeps saying 'don't come here, we don't want you'. Theme parks and family farms remain closed.

All outdoor activities that children would massively benefit from remain inaccessible to them as well as school.

Year 11s were abandoned in March apart from being told how there exams will be graded.

My year 1 ds could go back. If there is space for him. To sit by himself in a childcare setting. He doesn't need childcare he needs a fucking education.

And I can just about take it on the chin, battle on with homeschooling and try and keep him going educationally until September.

But with the shit show that has been the June 1st opening the government needs to announce now that schools will be back, all schools, all years, full time from 1st September. So that the unions and the teachers and the government can sort the logistics out. With no social distancing and a full time curriculum.

Least they can all meet in the pub to discuss it, go for a game of golf afterwards and maybe call for some new clothes or a tv on the way home tho.

Schools can be opened perfectly safely by going back as normal.

I have read the whole thing and a lot more besides.

Based on what we now know about how this virus spreads, there is no justification for school closures and there never was.

But some people are very invested in lockdown.

I am very angry about the lack of flexibility to look at getting all kids back for some contact time rather than prioritising some years in full time. I never advocated schools closing so early and now feel that many years have been forgotten. It is worrying for education as well as children and parents mental health.

So now The Telegraph reports primary schools 'may not' open by September fully either. I'm sorry what the bejesus is actually going on here?!

I get really tired of the attitude of its was ok for a bit but now it's time to move on and send them back to school' what do people think has changed other than their own sense of lethargy. Yes we need to 'move on' but only with a plan that instills more confidence and assurances.

I never wanted them closed.

I remember picking my kids up that day in March and having a tear in my eye because I knew deep down they wouldn’t set foot in the school again until September. Now it’s looking likely that might still be under review.

My kids were thriving, happy, all had friends. My oldest son who’s 10 is now starting to get panic symptoms like fast HB. This is NOT my anxiety transferring on to him, I’m a MH practitioner and I am fully aware how things pan out.

We are an engaged family, we get out regularly
For exercise (two hours yesterday).

He’s just missing social interaction and probably can’t see an end to this.

Feel sad for my children. Missing out.

Schools can be opened perfectly safely by going back as normal.

Wow. Thanks for that scientific input.

what do people think has changed other than their own sense of lethargy

1. Our knowledge of how the virus spreads

1. Our knowledge about the actual risks of the virus

1. The Imperial Model has not stood up

1. Schools have opened in many other countries will no I'll effects

I can’t understand the thinking behind any of this.

Europe surely is paving the way for us with examples of how to reopen and what happens when they do (nothing), so why the fear and tentativeness here?

The whole situation is a disaster, plans changing daily, too many people and governments making statement and their own decisions, the incredible hypocrisy around the BLM protests, the complete disregard for everyone’s general health with no NHS services and mental health with keeping people under restrictions. You must wear masks but absolutely nobody (round here) is wearing masks. Etc etc there are actually too many shambolic facets to this nightmare to list.

There were no new deaths for a second day in a row in Scotland yesterday and only 18 new cases jn a population of over 5milloon, I would love to know how many people had norovirus or flu or sepsis or meningitis yesterday...

People will mobilise and rise up so quickly over a cause like BLM with just a simple call to action over social media yet we are letting the government suppress us all indefinitely without a word about it? I don’t understand.

[quote Mascotte]@IncrediblySadToo no, they haven't, they say it's "very rare".[/quote]
Try reading more than a headline

My son went back yesterday he is in year 4. Had a call on Friday offering him a place. I was very surprised as he’s not in the usual year group. However I understand why he’s gone in, he struggled settling in (we moved) and has had a bad experience with bullies. Thus he got behind and spent many days at school crying. I think the teacher has seen this as an opportunity to get him up to speed and I’m very grateful. Not only that but the difference in his happiness compared with last week is huge. I’ve told him (in terms he will understand) not to squander this opportunity because there are many kids out there who don’t have the opportunity to spend focused time with a teacher. As soon as I was offered the place I said yes, I’d be stupid not to.

@Sameold2020

Schools closed themselves down initially before the government said to. We had no staff left and were already opening to one year only by the time school closures was announced. Also parents had stopped sending their kids in.

Same here. So many kids and staff off ill. Secondary had 2/3 staff and 1/2 kids off. Dd3 in primary was down to a class of 10 & no teacher. Timing was right here. Primary hasn’t closed and has aimed to open to all that need it and as many as they can beyond that. About half kids are staying off until September though so that’s the only reason they can carry on opening.

I have been surprised how much my 10 year old has been affected by not going to school. We’re relatively lucky (nice garden, I’m wfh part time so I can help him with home schooling, he has two siblings to play with) but he has been regularly sobbing about being in lockdown

It doesn’t affect all children in the same way - my other two have been fine. But I do think schools need to reopen, and I definitely feel more strongly about this than I did a few weeks ago as I see the toll it is taking on my 10yo.

@themurk everything you said. Exactly that.

Also people saying 'I never wanted them closed'. It wasn't about what any of us wanted. None of wanted any of this. Not the people who supported a lockdown, not the people who work in schools, nobody wanted this.

While evidence remains unclear about how children spread the virus, we need planning in place to reduce the risk. We need a plan.

People have grown bored of this virus and desensitised to the destruction of lives (I'm not just talking about deaths I'm talking about the 'mild' cases where people have developed a chronic illness from it)

It isn't a case of 'oh yeah we're bored of lockdown now, let's just send them all back to school, it'll be fine'

I want them back to school BUT I'm not stupid enough to think we can just shove them all back in without a careful plan which requires investment from the government and instills public confidence.

Not commenting on whether schools should or shouldn’t open as not sure how I feel about it. But the bit about asymptotic people not spreading it doesn’t tally with what happened at Weston Hospital where it is thought at the moment that the spread in the hospital has been in a large part due to asymptomatic staff spreading it and allegedly Taunton now starting to have similar issue.

I also think it’s not clear cut to say children don’t spread it - doesn’t it depend on age? We’re going to have to wait for antibody test to know for sure but something with Covid symptoms spread through all 4 of us in our household in March after DS caught it following the return of his teacher from Venice plus a school ski trip. I had a very shit 6 weeks and still not entirely right.

He is a teen though and I think I recall having seen there is a split in ages and spread. It has gone through friend’s household too following her youngest DD bringing it back after her friend was admitted to hospital with it. Again need antibody test to confirm as weren’t tested but her eldest has Covid toe so unlikely not to be Covid.

@Nihiloxica

Schools have opened in many other countries will no I'll effects

For the love of Christ. What other countries have done that had much lower rates of Infection/death isn't relevant.

Have you looked at the places that have had to re close schools due to the spread of CV.

I am shocked at how many people thought schools would just be closed for a couple of weeks, we knew in March that Wuhan had been in lockdown for a couple of months already. Why anyone thought we'd be any different I'm not sure. I'm actually surprised my Y6 has gone back at all

Lockdown in Wuhan was 7 weeks and it had already started to ease as we went into lockdown so why would anyone have expected our lockdown to need to be three times as long? Oh I know, we weren't barricaded into our homes, but that was about control, not risk.

I thought they would at least prioritise Y10s and 12s here and get them back into school after May half term. I can also understand prioritising YRs and 1s as they are the youngest and most vulnerable.

I’ve flipped. I wanted schools to close, and when they announced reopening I thought they were rushing it, probably because primary teachers I know were very vocal about how they thought it wasn’t safe. I’ve since listened to more viewpoints, especially from medical professions and I decided the risk to kids missing school is far greater than the virus and we need to get them back in school ASAP. No one is sticking to the lockdown ‘rules’. I’ve seen kids from dc who aren’t in school but are playing in the park with 2/3 other families. It’s ridiculous. I’m so worried about children from abusive and disadvantaged homes. This will undoubtedly affect their life chances. Although I appreciate lots of staff are concerned, as it’s them that will be more at risk of the virus than the children.

It’s government advice to embed past topics rather than starting new work.

www.medscape.com/viewarticle/931984

First result on google. Plenty of others

Also people saying 'I never wanted them closed'. It wasn't about what any of us wanted. None of wanted any of this. Not the people who supported a lockdown, not the people who work in schools, nobody wanted this

Oh they really did. The weather had just changed after a terribly windy and wet winter and there were plenty of parents thinking they could have a nice extended holiday with their kids in the sunshine - and then lockdown came and there was nothing to do. Lets not rewrite history here.

Now you have the anxious who don't want their kids to go back ever ever ever unless there's a vaccine and another category who are now stressed out of their minds trying to "home-school" and work at the same time.

@Angelonia

Same.
It’s really taking its toll on my 10 year old. My other two (8 & 5) are fine.

Feel so sad for him.

@IncrediblySadToo I've read the whole thing 🙄