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.

Not to be in school for 6 months.

It is disappointing but they would have only been in school for 3.5 months without the closures (and it’s 5.5 months out if they go back in September).

Shame we can't have a protest....

It's scandalous what is happening to our kids. The unions have to take some portion of the blame with their 'its not safe'

Based on what?

Community infection levels are low. Evidence of children spreading it massively? No.

SD needs to be abandoned for kids and get them back to school full time in September

They will have missed almost half a school year by then.

As for teachers 'all working hard and longer days?' Some are, some are definitely not.

The difference between the primary school DS2 goes to and the secondary DS1 is at is huge.

The primary have a real 'can do, will do, work with this' attitude. The secondary have been awful.

DS1 in Y7 has been set plenty of work via an app. Mostly it's powerpoints to teach the info and complete a task. These were already prepped by the teachers - it's presumably a broadly similar curriculum to what Y7 French was last year and the year before etc. And what would have been used in the classroom. Same for all subjects.

So teachers either had or would have prepared those powerpoints anyway. Covid or not.

DS1 has not received any feedback, marks, comments from any teachers for work submitted. Same across other year groups (including Y10).

So what are teachers doing in what would be their classroom time?

@FrippEnos

CrowdedHouseinQuarantine

neu.org.uk/media/10536/view

Note that they are all inline with the DfE guidance

I should hope these have been updated

Social distancing rules are to be relaxed in French pre-schools and nurseries to allow all children to return from 22 June, education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said on Wednesday

This is what is going to be happening across all countries - as more and more of society opens up, distancing will be reduced bit by bit and at each step, more children will be allowed back into school until the point comes when all children are back full time. Yes, it requires a lot more faffing about and rearrangement of things but its a logical way to manage the return and I don't understand why here in the UK we have adopted an all or nothing approach. Its ludicrous and is just prolonging the whole sorry mess.

I'm always amazed at the large amount of teachers on here complaining they work '60 hour weeks' (despite the bulk of their work, you know, actual teaching of a class/marking work now being non-existent for most) due to Covid-19.

Yet you all have the time to jump on here in the middle of your '12 hour' working day to whinge, complain and berate people for being worried about the social and mental welfare of children.

Well done teachers on MN, I do hope you are not representative of the profession at large.

Maybe you can use the opportunity whilst sat at home, to look up research/articles on the importance of socialisation with peers at various ages/stages of development, of structure and routine, social mobility and the importance of education for children outside of purely attainment of good grades.

It amazes me that the oh so vocal teachers on here seem to have no knowledge of the above.

I wonder if everyone on here can agree that a return to school is highly desirable but also impossible (in terms of full-time provision for all year groups) without the relaxation of social distancing in schools, including pupil/teacher bubbles.

The government knows this full well; it's why they dropped the intention to get all primary children back to school before the end of term. Whether or not you believe that Gavin Williamson was "got at" by the unions (and I don't), the current government guidelines as they stand do not enable normal schooling in most settings, even if we were able to magic up an army of retired teachers to help.

There has to be a decision on social distancing in schools.

@DominaShantotto - spectacular post. I'm sorry that you've struggled so much - it's an outrage.

I agree with everything you've said, particularly about unions, and many teachers, losing goodwill. They did have a golden opportunity, and have blown it.

@JanetheObscure

I wonder if everyone on here can agree that a return to school is highly desirable but also impossible (in terms of full-time provision for all year groups) without the relaxation of social distancing in schools, including pupil/teacher bubbles.

The government knows this full well; it's why they dropped the intention to get all primary children back to school before the end of term. Whether or not you believe that Gavin Williamson was "got at" by the unions (and I don't), the current government guidelines as they stand do not enable normal schooling in most settings, even if we were able to magic up an army of retired teachers to help.

There has to be a decision on social distancing in schools.

You are right on this (although I disagree on the union piece but happy to agree to disagree!).

What is the answer other than to lobby our MPs? I have written to Gavin Williamson three times and not had an answer.

Is there something else that I can be doing?

I do think they need to go back without distancing in September assuming the R number stays low but there needs to be other measures in place: staggered starts to temperature check before entry, automatic 2 week exclusion if experiencing a dry continuous cough until negative test is done. And area testing, if a school did become a hotspot then it's shutdown for a few weeks

Mainly you need to fool proof as much as possible for a) the kids whose parents won't realise they may be coming down with something that morning and b) those who don't give a damn and send kids in with infectious sickness like noro and flu and chicken pox anyway.

@DominaShantotto, excellent post.

Domina good post. We are using two schools that couldn’t be more marked in difference too. In every way.

Your description of what some dc face made me sad.

It’s an uphill battle here but finally I’ve found a better method than what the school send which has helped. I’m a sahm though and have the time to sit there just getting into ten year old to work. Older one wouldn’t let me do that but he has school tg. Like yours, now back, a changed person.

The government are dragging their heels regarding making a decision on schools because they are praying that come September there wont be a need to social distance. They can't turn around now and state that this is what will happen though because we just don't know what the situation will be then, equally, if they start prepping for worse case scenario everyone will just run with it and businesses will be making people redundant left, right and centre now because their employee wont be able to return for god knows how long or people will feel forced into handing in their notice.

"The only way to open schools fully is for government to remove all restrictions - full classes, no SD, all staff back at work ,- even the shielded and the vulnerable."

This

People can blame teachers all they want, but until the government have the guts^ to do this

• and to take full responsibility for the consequences if it goes wrong -^

there cannot be ft open schools

Currently, the government are too scared of taking the blame for (low risk of) new deaths
so they are sitting back and letting desperate parents blame teachers

If teachers then went on strike or something, only then would teachers & unions be preventing ft schools

Being discussed on LBC now. Very well spoken pediatrician discussing how it is government and the lack of the overview or big plan that is the issue.

@HipTightOnions

But that's just the point - it isn't possible to give you the same level of protection as a supermarket cashier, doctors' receptionist etc - they are different jobs. It is about doing what you can do in the circumstances at hand. And the unions have been absolutely shocking - the 5 point plan was totally unrealistic and talking about snotty kids and spraying kids with disinfectant is ludicrous.

But frankly, I think it is all academic. We will follow the french way and get rid of social distancing in schools by September, thank goodness.

@pennylane83

Yup that is exactly it. But the french have two to three weeks left of term and will be doing full school. If there is no spike, then by mid July there will be evidence and hopefully the numbers will be very low then in the U.K. and we can just say no SD in September, back at school for everyone aside from the shielding. Fingers crossed!!

The purpose of the 'lockdown' was to 'flatten the spike', etc. so the NHS could manage the rate of infections without being overwhelmed. Yet, the NHS was NOT overwhelmed. The Nightingale hospitals have not been used (or hardly). Now the purpose seems to be to stop infections altogether!

How can you argue that the NHS wasn't overwhelmed? It only survived by cancelling practically everything else. If you've got a non Covid medical problem then you're stuffed. I've just had a telephone consultation today with the respiratory service at a big teaching hospital - tests done pre Covid suggest, apparently that I have a worrying either respiratory or cardiac problem. My results are highly abnormal and concerning for someone of my age (exactly the words they told me today). However, no respiratory clinics have been running during lockdown and now they've got Covid patients to deal with too so they have no.idea how long I'll be waiting to be seen - doesn't sound like an NHS that is coping to me.

Er. Just a little thing. It's not the government who will be taking the risk of no distancing etc, it's the staff. Who may die, or have long term health issues after catching it - some already do. No one else has been asked to take this level of risk. Even hospital staff had some PPE. Lovely to think parents hate us so much they want us dead. Thanks.

For comparison to the UK,
I posted this on another thread, describing the process to reopen German schools pt.

The same calm, cooperative process between heads and national & local authorities is
ongoing to open ft after the summer vacation

"...when schools returned pt here on 4 May, it was the result of several weeks planning and discussion,
so the planning was started during the high deaths in early April

Head teachers were given guidelines about distance, hygiene etc and asked to plan for their individual schools, including what resources they needed

• e.g. extra staff, budgets for training, then frequent deep cleans -

and what pt system they thought best suited their schools

This new system had to slide in to replace some of the ongoing online education

They consulted with the local authorities and sent in the final version to be signed off.

It was decided - on the basis of need and ability to SD - that the first students to rotate in should be the final year of primary school and the 2 years at secondary with exams next year.

They agreed the reopening date and planned when to rotate in other forms
Also that PPE would be optional for staff & students, to help reassure those who wanted this secuirty

It was all done on the basis of consultation & information,
no grandstanding or scapegoating by anyone that I could see.

The whole process seemed reassuringly calm and professional, no drama"

• which is as it should be: when relaxing lockdown, kids' education must be priority #1 (not bloody pubs & adult jollies)

@Teateaandmoretea

Most teacher training is on the job these days carrie

It is nothing to do with ‘warm bodies’

Not unsupervised though. PGCE students gradually work up to teaching a class and are under supervision. They aren't just given a class on day 1 and left to get on with it

mumsneedwine Staff should be allowed to buy and wear PPE if they wish
Staff & students do this in Germany; some prefer PPE, some don't

@HipTightOnions

What level of safety do you accept?

It’s not about what school staff accept - we have no say in the matter and schools are working within government guidance. We want to be back too, but we would appreciate a similar level of caution to that deemed appropriate for other workplaces.

well the level of "caution" that I have been working with (untill this monday when it all went a bit mad) was a mask. I have been seeing many different people every week, spending more than 15 mins a room with them. I did have a mask, but was quite happy with this. I'm sure if that is what teachers want to feel safe then they could be provided with masks. (although actually the mask protects others, not you) but as I say this is all I have had for months with no issues, and never considered not being able to go into work.

PS I'm having lunch and loo break. Apologies if this not allowed for teachers. I did start at 7.15am and will probably stop at 6.30pm. But I do need an occasional wee and snack. Sorry I'll go back to work. Always surprised how many people have so much time in the day on MN - could maybe use it better helping their kids 😊. Just a thought

Lovely to think parents hate us so much they want us dead

And this is why there cannot be any sensible discussion about moving forward because it turns from people wanting a plan of action to anyone who believes that there is a way to get kids back to normality wants people to die.