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.

[quote pigeon999]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/[/quote]
As I thought, just speculation.

This article, more recent than yours, says end of July

amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/17/mixed-messages-over-ending-coronavirus-shielding-in-england-create-confusion?amp_js_v=a3&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#aoh=15924680508837&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fuk-news%2F2020%2Fjun%2F17%2Fmixed-messages-over-ending-coronavirus-shielding-in-england-create-confusion

Again, just speculation because government haven't announced anything so it's very premature of you to be announcing it as definite, much like all the other things you are presenting as fact, when it's just your opinion.

And fwiw we are making plans to be ft from September though the government also wants plans for other scenarios too.

I can't wait to be back working in school with the children.
Teaching remotely is not what I signed up for. And being the it teacher at school means I now have a huge job currently overseeing all of the home learning. When I return to school - I'm not in a bubble as I must wfh as medically vulnerable (not shielding) but more importantly I am of more use overseeing the home learning, especially from the tech side and my broadband and it equipment at hone is much better than at school.

It has always been a concern, from the word go, for the vulnerable children.
never mind September, they need to go back now.
I heard someone mention turning libraries into schools, that would be a start.

The newspapers kept saying what was going to happen in schools and when they were ‘reopening’, they were pretty much wrong in every case. There were rumours that pubs were going to open on 22nd June, again wrong. Lots of articles about social bubbles, again wrong.

pigeon999

we know the truth.

Well you are certainly pushing your truth, no matter how much of it is made up.

We can see what you are doing

Pigeon, do you honestly think that teachers are somehow plotting with unions to stop schools opening? Seriously?

hear I would imagine most teachers are not shielding, so it is kind of irrelevant.

@CrowdedHouseinQuarantine vulnerable children have been eligible to go into school right from when schools ‘closed’

We will now see the thread being taken over by teachers that have nothing better to do than argue their case for indefinite school closure, whilst the rest of us now crack on with doing YOUR job.

Checking out.

@pigeon999 I am not sharing the blame, I am sharing the responsibility. To name one other service, where are social services in regards to vulnerable children? Yet this is a reason pushed for opening schools further. It is not solely down to schools to support vulnerable children

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'.

So if you've been on a bus or train you know how to contact the passengers you sat or stood next to?

Also government's tracing system has only been able to contact a very small percentage of people. If the infected person knows the contact details how come government can't contact them?

Teaching remotely is harder on teachers (as pp says) and children, but many schools are not doing this, nor marking or contact even.

Many of those children are struggling without the motivating contact.

@pigeon999

Do stop frothing and making things up. You are looking more and more ridiculous.

You don’t like it when PP disagree with you and question your facts @pigeon999

The government has disavowed that 'end if Juiy' story.

But has kept the shielded community hanging on for the announcement of the future of shielding that has been trailed as coming 'shortly' for over a week now. It is really very shoddy treatment, especially when combined an attempt to signpost us - even children - to Age UK for support services (age isn't a shielding criterion at all!)

Shielded DC should not have to go through the same frustrating waiting game . Announcements about education should be made in ways which tell all families at the same time what the arrangements are for their DC, even though those arrangements may not be the same.

It makes a mockery of the idea that these moves should be expedited to preserve not just the education but also the social contacts and MH of children if you are prepared to cast the exceptionally vulnerable and most isolated adrift.

Bring it all together, different solutions will probably be necessary, but they can all be announced on the same day

@CrowdedHouseinQuarantine other services can also support vulnerable children but no one is mentioning them are they? It isn’t solely down to schools to support these pupils. Regarding using ‘community spaces’ for schools overflow the DFE have told schools not to use other spaces, in fact they suggest using other schools who have spare classrooms, but not village halls etc. These places are not secure places, have you seen the security involved in a school (particularly primary)? They will also need staffing and equipment etc so whilst a possible option it’s not an overnight solution

[quote Nighttimefreedom]@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.[/quote]
But for many schools the number of vulnerable teachers mean that they can't open, they don't have enough staff. This is part of the problem. 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. Do you think we are in the place to do this yet?

@pigeon999

hear I would imagine most teachers are not shielding, so it is kind of irrelevant.

What's irrelevant? Do you mean you misrepresenting the facts?

I think that's very relevant seeing as much of what you are saying isn't true.

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras so how does the current track and trace system contact those people you don’t know who you were in contact with on trains and buses?

Anyway I need to do some work now as I’ve been working constantly since lockdown started and it is also home teaching time, My year 10 is at his PC saying nothing has been downloaded for him to do so here we go again. Another day of utopia.

"where are social services in regards to vulnerable children? Yet this is a reason pushed for opening schools further. It is not solely down to schools to support"

But it is up to the schools to educate all those whose parents have opted to use state schools.

And social services support can be dire - shielded children were not necessarily known to SS before, and it has been the adult teams doing the "COVID calls" which actually have not happened universally. That patchiness is another reason why it is important that shielded DC must not be overlooked for schooling/education. Not be out of sight out of mind with the shitty end of the stick again.

This of course in no way impedes the provision of schooling for others.

It does however require the same level of attention in finding a solution for every child, not just lip service

It's a disgrace what we have done to our children.

I pray that this is taken very seriously.

They need to be back at school

That’s why you have to wear a face covering on public transport, to get round the test and trace checks. Obviously if we had a working app it would be so much better!

[quote twinnywinny14]@Hearhoovesthinkzebras so how does the current track and trace system contact those people you don’t know who you were in contact with on trains and buses?[/quote]
They don't because there's no way of identifying them. It's just ridiculous.

Totally agree @twinnywinny14 , they need to be researching this, reassuring parents and teachers if it is safe.

I'm just so frustrated with it all. I want a plan, a "this is what we're aiming for" "this is worst case" kind of plan, rather than everyone being left to guess. We're in a fortunate place that I'm free to help DS2 with his school work as I'm at home, but I don't want him at home long term, missing his education and being with his peers. He's already missed huge chunks of school time a few years ago due to ill health, he can't afford to miss much more.