1600 paediatricians have written to the prime minister

[havefunpeleton]

Demanding schools reopen or risk scarring a generation. Reported in Times today.

I am hoping this will be the push needed to ensure this madness ends and all our children can go back to school full time in September.

letter available to read here:
www.rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2020-06/open_letter_re_schools_reopening_2020-06-17.pdf

Fantatsic that they have done it, but sadly the government has already ignored the hindreds of child and adolescent psychologists who have written experessing concerns. Here's hopeing they start to listen soon though.

Prince of Wales also speaking out about the damage this is having on young people:
www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2020/06/17/prince-charles-mustprevent-crisis-defining-prospects-generation/

Thank goodness finally some sense

This is good

Thanks @Weepinggreenwillow

I completely agree this needs decisive leadership from the top now.

Well it did all along but hey!

Let’s watch them bury this again at today’s briefing.

Well thank fuck for that.

It’s not even in the BBC headlines ! What is going on! I heard it yesterday so maybe old news but it’s a massive story I think (Ex journo). So frustrating I’ve just watched a piece about how desperate people are for hairdressers to reopen - really? Compared to schools ?!!

M0ck sadly I fear your predictions will be correct. The letter was written yesterday, it was even mentioned (briefly) in a journalist question at the briefing, yet somehow the asnwer that was given managed to totally ignore schools and get back to discussing f**ing football!!

tooty half the problem with this is the media lack of coverage of this issue. The letter was written yesterday. Mentioned fleetingly in a question from a journalist at the daily briefing and glossed over to get back to discussing the important things in life, such as football.

I’m actually going to have to pull my finger out and write to my MP now referencing the letter. Campaigning charities are always trying to get people to write to their MP so if we all do it it must help

@Weepinggreenwillow I totally agree. All through this the journos, esp on that daily briefing, have been absolutely hopeless

absolutely tooty I have written to my MP, and Gavin Williamson. Had no response. I wrote again yesterday and sent them a link to the letter. We all need to be fighting for this however we can.

Let's hope they take some notice.
There was a post on here last week about writing to local MP about same thing, does anyone have the link?

"we risk failing a generation"

Yes .

I think a letter to our MP is needed too. This cannot go on.

If the govt can reduce social distancing for pubs & restaurants, which they are obviously considering, and people are allowed to fly, then they must open schools.

@ILoveYoghurts

Let's hope they take some notice. There was a post on here last week about writing to local MP about same thing, does anyone have the link?

I posted a thread about writing to your MP - here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3931348-Those-concerned-about-ongoing-lack-of-education-in-Spetember-and-onwards

I would urge everyone to do this. Also there is a campaig being run here:
www.usforthem.co.uk/

and a petition here:
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/305525

I think they wanted local councils and individual schools to reopen within their guidelines. As it's a very controversial decision to make. However it's obvious this isn't going to work. So they need to bite the bullet and just announce all schools will reopen in September.

Good. The position is becoming more ludicrous by the day. You’ve got threads on here with people advising those needed back at work to use holiday clubs, Childminders, rotas ofvfriends and family etc to look after their DC. Many say holiday clubs are opening in their areas. Yet children can’t go to school or apparently into shops, (though zoos ok.)

The mental and other health impacts of this for children are enormous and we urgently need reassurance there’s a plan for full time return in September.

Might be worth also tweeting individual journos to raise the issue more

We need some more celebrities campaigning for the kids. Like that footballer who became a hero with school meal vouchers.

The press love a 'sleb

@havefunpeleton

We need some more celebrities campaigning for the kids. Like that footballer who became a hero with school meal vouchers.

The press love a 'sleb

totally agree. It seems that thousands of parents, leading child and adolescent psychologists, and paediatricians can all be ignored, but get a footballer to speak up - and job done!!

Also a load of stories from the children themselves. What it's like not to go to school, see teachers and friends etc. Plus the teenagers worried about their future.

If you would like to look at the biggest killer in children aged 5-19? It is suicide. And you wonder why parents are worried???

The school closures have tipped millions of healthy children over the edge, and that is why there is such feeling surrounding the pointless damage being done to children every single day and for months longer because the schools are closed without good reason. An entire generation day after day being put at unnecessary risk, losing an education, mental and physical wellbeing, in some cases vital food and emotional support and will starve without schools. It is shocking. Absolutely shocking.

I shall personally never forgive them for it, I will never ever forget this awful period when the very places that were supposed to care for children, in fact abandoned them.

All credit to the teachers that are balancing live teaching and childcare, I do not include them in this, but for the rest.....

It is an outrageous infliction of damage to the most vulnerable in our society, because they have no voice, and one that will live on long after CoVid.