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.

fripps you are one of the teachers supporting the schools being closed, you have been all along.

@Weepinggreenwillow whilst incredibly sad, schools not being open for all is not the sole reason for this though. There are many other services that need to play a part in these children and young people’s lives

hear please see link attached, 2 million shielding to end in two weeks time:

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/06/16/two-million-shielding-people-will-no-longer-need-self-isolate/

pigeon999
In all of this the one thing we can be certain about:

that your clear bias is shining through

The teaching unions could not care less about the children,

could we have some proof of this and less hyperbole.

they are simply paid to ensure the schools stay shut for as long as humanly possible.

They are paid to look after their members.

If are allowed to continue then the same will happen again in September, we will then be looking at 2021 or beyond.

Hyperbole

How were they ever allowed to do such a thing?

They haven't

How do the teachers feel about paying the union to harm children like this?

Wow that is just drivel, Point your ire at the government where it belongs.

The shielded (at least 2.5 million people, any age) and the vulnerable, many more millions plus all the over 70s) should not be overlooked in this. They are not expendable, and even if only 1% of them died, you are syptill looking at hundreds of thousand of deaths (assuming the estimates that only about 20% of the i population have had it)

But even if you do think it is acceptable to discount the vulnerable and the effect of household mixing through schools on the wider population, then at least there needs to be a proper answer to the social and educational needs of shielded DC

The solution might not be the same, but it needs to be announced exactly in step with those for healthy DC. No child shout ft behind.

It wouid be utterly unacceptable to leave them in the unpleasant limbo of 'announcements will be made shortly'. They matter just as much, and if people are genuinely concerned about all children, then it's easy to see why plans/announcements need to happen at the same time

twinny nope, the only services we use or have access to are schools. Stop trying to spread the blame.

pigeon999
you are one of the teachers supporting the schools being closed, you have been all along.

Really! That is good to know.

Wrong, but good to know all the same.

And how do you know shielding is going to end completely?

@pigeon999

rick Nope. The infection rate is going down regardless of all the protests, raves and parties. It is perfectly safe to open schools.

It's so strange because the scientists that run the ZOE study are being far more cautious. They are predicting a second wave and are particularly worried about it happening in the autumn. Yet you seem to know far more about what's going to happen than the scientists who are actually studying all of the data around this.

I'm intrigued to know how you know we are all going back to.normal in two weeks time too, particularly with regards the shielded and then pubs, restaurants, cinemas etc. Where has it been said that these are opening, as normal, in two weeks time?

fripps you are fond of the word hyperbole aren't you. I can't see any content in your post that is worthy of a response.

@pigeon999 that was one source from a dodgy leak. It's not been confirmed and even in the leak it said shielding to end At the end of July
Being a shielding person, I will know as I'll receive a letter and likely a consultant phone call
No decisions made yet, it was meant to be this week it is announced

pigeon999

Yet you posted a response.

I can cope with schools being closed to the majority until September. I have a ds in year 1 and a dd in year 11. Furloughed for the foreseeable so can cope.

Homeschooling has been shite for ds. Absolutely non existent for dd but we have been fine. Ds is struggling a little bit behaviour wise and has gone slightly feral.

Both dcs schools have ample outside space they could have utilised for teaching over the summer. They could have hired gazebos. They could have just marked out squares on the grass and taught the little ones outside in bubbles. Am sure local or national companies that provide the structures for the county shows and weddings would have helped out, even if it's just for the positive publicity.

Teenagers should have been contacted weekly. 1 phonecall I have had for dd and they didn't even ask to speak to her just asked me if she was OK. I'm due to start uni is September and have had more communication from uni by than both schools combined.

It's the fault of the government and the unions and in our case the individual schools. I've always rated both our schools highly. Both consistently ranked as good. But am extremely disappointed. Ds head rang when Y1s were to go back and said if I didn't need school for childcare keep ds at home.

It's an absolute disgrace. Also NHS dentists are the same. Had a veneer come off a couple of weeks ago. NHS dentist won't see me at all cos Corona. Got an appointment booked for Wednesday at a private clinic. Dh was ill for 8 weeks (probably CV), obviously couldn't get a GP appointment. Prescribed ABs over phone. Twice. DMs serious ongoing medical conditions just ignored. And fil discharged from hospital with CV to a nursing home where he died 3 days later despite hospital saying he was fit enough to leave.

It seems that everything that we are paying for via taxes is slowly being taken away in drips and drabs with the tagline 'cos Corona'.

Now we need to acknowledge that the risk in the community is minimal and get things back to normal. The track and trace needs to be up and working and in the absence of a government one surely everyone knows who they have had face to face contact with for 15 mins and can do their own bloody phonecalls to say 'I'm ill, please self isolate'.

But at least private schools and private dentists are available, football and primark are back and we can go for a round of golf.

In Wales our children will be back in school from the 29th,in our school all year groups will be able to go back for a maximum of 3 days before the summer holidays for more of a wellbeing and catchup, I can't understand how across the border you can travel all over the country yet all year groups won't be going back.

mw* exactly, everything will be open but schools.

But almost every single school in Europe is open op

But this isn't true. Most are bit open full time to all children just yet. Most still have restrictions on place and most still have guidelines and stricter measures in place. Not that many are back to normal, with full classes of 30, for all children of all ages and all teachers.

Nor are they in many places across the world.

My friend works in a school in China, at primary level. They've only just gone back. All full time and no masks or SD, though other measures are in place. They were away from school for 20 weeks in total. We are on week 13 (3 of those were normal School holidays) at the moment.

I am happy for you in Wales, that your children will have some sense of normality again, and I am sure you appreciate the efforts being made for the children.

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras

But there are vulnerable adults working in schools - should they be compelled to work in conditions that might well be harmful to them?

Of course not. Teachers who do not fall into this category can go back to work in schools though.

@FrippEnos I’m with you

Under the 2m time we can fit about 8 in our classrooms. However we don't have to follow that too much as primary. We have between 10 and 15 in our bubbles.
Every room is being used. We don't have spare rooms. We have a concrete yard on a slope and no field whatsoever so no room for marquees there plus each bubble has an outside area currently too as that is recommended. Each class has two members of staff in - so the staff can actually have a toilet break at some point. Almost all staff are now FT in school unless wfh due to medical reasons.

Under a 1m rule we can still only fit about 15-20 max children. It would still be a tight to go above 15. There would be no SD at all for anyone.

When it's normally 30 it is really tight normally. We don't have the luxury of large open rooms and big playing fields.

It's okay saying children don't get too ill with it normally. Children aren't the only people in school buildings. Many school staff are now young 20 somethings with no underlying health concerns I'm afraid.

Private schools follow the same guidance as state schools. Some private schools haven’t opened at all as they are mainly boarding schools.

DS goes to a private school, he is in Y10. He has been offered 2 hours a week in school. They have also opened the Primary School to the eligible years. Not all pupils have gone in, as not all parents want their children back in the actual classroom.

@pigeon999 - you haven't a clue. Teachers are working longer days from home.

Going from 2m to 1m won't make any changes in the schools set up either.

Worst case, if this carries on untill 2021 just get the kids to repeat the year.

Talk of failing a generation is total bullshit. Get over yourself

The union could not have done this without majority support from the teachers, so this is precisely what happened. They dug in, and made it impossible for schools to reopen after half term.

The teaching unions could not care less about the children, they are simply paid to ensure the schools stay shut for as long as humanly possible

You are just making it up as you go along.

@FrippEnos I’m with you

And this is why our schools are closed.

As much as you would like to blame the government for this situation being 'mishandled', we know the truth. There is only one source of income for the unions, and it is from teachers like you.

It is clear as day. Back in April there were threads on MN from teachers saying I can't see us being back before Jan 21 at the earliest, maybe not even then. Some of you may have forgotten what you have posted, but I remember those threads, and the teachers trying to play on parents fears and keep the schools closed.

Now you are going for the part time schooling strategy, many are still running with the hopes of 2021 reopening.

It won't work. We can see what you are doing, and the damage being caused.