Schools Reopening?

[ClimbDad]

A major, peer reviewed study into transmission in South Korea has established that tweens and teenagers spread the SARSCOV2 virus more than any other age group.

The study involved more than 65,000 people and used South Korea’s exceptionally effective contact tracing system to look at who brought the virus into households. Tweens and teenagers were the highest index case age group. Younger children transmitted at the same rate as 20-somethings.

This is a large scale, rigorous piece of research that proves children are effective at transmitting the virus. It was conducted in a country that implements strict social distancing and mask wearing among children. The authors say the rate of transmission would have been higher if children weren’t subjected to those measures.

Plans to reopen schools more or less as normal in September will place many lives at risk, and increase the likelihood schools will have to close again. The government needs to acknowledge schools will be highly efficient vectors of viral transmission and change its reopening plans.

Published Paper:
wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/10/20-1315_article

Article on the paper:

www.bloombergquint.com/business/covid-19-spread-fastest-by-teens-and-tweens-korea-study-finds

@Hercwasonaroll

But if you can't afford yo feed yourself/your children if you don't work then I can understand why you wouldn't want to be off.

It's be lovely to live in a utopia where personal responsibility around corona is the top of the list. However affording food comes first.

No, it doesn't. The health of those in the school community comes first. What a selfish attitude.

It would be immoral and antisocial to send an ill child into school. The child would be isolated and you would be summoned to collect him/her immediately. If you didn't then SS would be informed. That's what my boss used to do to parents who took the piss.

Schools need to open in September. And I'm speaking as a secondary school teacher.
My school is operating as year group 'bubbles' (big old bubbles!). We have four separate buildings and 5 year groups; two years will be housed on the top and bottom floors of the largest building, the other 3 in the other 3 buildings.
No social distancing or masks withing year groups. Staggered breaks & lunches to keep groups separate. Teachers to move to classrooms after kids have moved & to maintain 2m distance from children & other staff, but no masks.
Staff are definitely the most vulnerable in this situation, and if I get it I'll probably pop my clogs, as a middle aged, fat smoker. But I don't really see an alternative to opening.

@DomDoesWotHeWants I can see your point re sending ill kids in. My argument was more about track and trace leading to isolation. If you can't afford to be off work even on SSP then you can't afford to isolate.

@Oaktree55 Do they not predict there were far more infected in February than they knew about? I've had friends test positive to antibody test who were ill over new year. Reality is we don't actually know how many winter 'flu' deaths may have been covid in jan/Feb and even March.

Nobody, absolutely nobody is saying schools should stay shut. All we are saying is that as a minimum basic precautions should be taken which are taken absolutely everywhere else in similar circumstances. Or maybe we could look to see what other countries are doing, and do even better than the minimum.
Aka masks, funding for enhanced cleaning, funding for extra temporary washing stations and loo blocks, and what appears to be the moon on a stick - reduced class sizes on a rota basis to accommodate social distancing better.

You can though. You have universal credit to fall back on. If you’re in a low paid no sick pay job you’re likely already on universal credit which tops up the shitty salary. You can’t say well I’d rather risk the lives of my community than live on universal credit.

How can you do staggered breaks and lunches when teachers teach across all year groups? The lessons must start and finish at the same time for timetabling surely? Or do you have a lot of extra staff?

@WhyNotMe40

How can you do staggered breaks and lunches when teachers teach across all year groups? The lessons must start and finish at the same time for timetabling surely? Or do you have a lot of extra staff?

Pupils have an hour lunch but this has been reduced to 20 for staff so in order to facilities duties and the teach across the different key stage timetable.

[quote Hercwasonaroll]@Oaktree55 Do they not predict there were far more infected in February than they knew about? I've had friends test positive to antibody test who were ill over new year. Reality is we don't actually know how many winter 'flu' deaths may have been covid in jan/Feb and even March.[/quote]
They can trace the phylogenetics, which has been done. If you google the cases are pretty well documented and traceable.

Ever tried living off universal credit? Or dealing with the 5 week backlog in getting the money even once you've applied?

There are lots of people out there who don't claim universal credit, yet two or 3 periods of SSP would cripple them financially especially following lockdown.

I don't blame people who don't isolate because they can't afford not to.

The cases they knew about....

The fact posters are openly suggesting people should willingly become unemployed really shows how far the government scare campaign went. They have a huge huge job to reverse the damage done

Totally agree. Teaching staff ( of which I am one) are going to be like lambs to the slaughter. At least in retail masks are to be worn, we can’t wear masks in school because it would be very difficult for lots of the children to follow/ hear/ understand/ pick up on cues ( especially younger ones and SEN). And , currently, it’s not permitted anyway 🙄! With the very best will in the world it is Completely impossible for children to social distance ( let alone not sneeze or cough over you!) I think the bottom line is that the majority of children DO really need to be in school ( for social and emotional reasons, not just academic) and that children themselves are not USUALLY too badly affected. I love what I do, so I won’t be leaving ( I’m hoping I’ve already had it from being in over past 10 weeks!!) but I do wish it would just be acknowledged it’s part of the herd immunity strategy, and that we are probably going to go down in numbers similar to care workers. I would give anything for a reliable antibody test , as frankly, I’m terrified that if I do get it ( especially in winter) my odds are not great. I just hate the hypocrisy and duplicity around “ keeping classrooms well ventilated and washing hands regularly” being touted as some magic trick which will save us all!! If you’re a sympathetic parent , the best you can do for all of us is spend time in Summer reinforcing coughing and sneezing into arms ( not hands) and frequent and THOROUGH hand washing! It’s a start!

government scare campaign
Really?

FFS.

@CallmeAngelina did you really not know? sAGE used behavioural science to scare us into complying. It's not a secret. Trouble is it worked too well!

We already have only 40 minutes for lunch which is effectively 30 minutes once you get out stragglers and lock the door and arrive 5 minutes early when the first bell goes. In reality you have a ton of urgent emails to read and behaviour follow up logging points on systems and contacting pastoral teams. I can generally fit in a wee and a drink but never bother eating at school as I’d feel sick trying to wolf something down whilst on the run like that.

I’d love a one hour lunch break. For those losing theirs I’m sorry. It makes the whole day such a hectic whirlwind. Ours were shortened due to bad behaviour at lunchtime and lack of will to address that so lunch got slashed and the day reduced by 20minutes.

Our lunch is over at 11.45 so not really lunch anyway. This apparently because they were worried about kids who don’t get breakfast waiting to eat till lunchtime.

Do wish we’d directly address shit parents who don’t feed their kids or ensure they sleep rather than us having to work round it. We seem to have higher expectations of dog owners than parents and I’m sickened by the idea that society’s only answer to abused children is to stick them in school for 6 hours a day.

The fact posters are openly suggesting people should willingly become unemployed

Are you talking about your posts where you tell teachers to resign rather than give them safer working conditions?

@noblegiraffe there is a difference between acknowledging we all have the right to consider the options available to us. Versus saying someone should willingly lose their job for the good of the community. Never mind they can't feed their kids and could lose their home...

I really hope you can see that

I don't think I'd feel able to go back to school without masks and and social distancing. I'm so glad I'm retired.

I know some who are already stressed almost beyond endurance and I expect there will be several off with stress unless the government does more to protect adults in schools. I don't understand why they don't.

Teachers are every bit as important as hairdressers and supermarket staff.

I wish some of the parents would be more supportive instead of whining about not wanting masks and staggered starts. It's important to keep children and staff safe or school will close by the third week.

And yes I have dealt with universal credit and am in fact on it. I’m a single parent with health issues and teach part time.

I can’t believe you think it’s legitimate to send a symptomatic child into school risking a whole community if the alternative is perhaps needing universal credit.

This highlights just how many parents will feel the same and risk other people’s lives.

I'm a short lunch fan to be honest. Means you can't do anything in the middle of the day and everyone knows it. An hour ends up wasted. I'd rather finish early and crack on. I'm probably in the minority but hour lunches at a previous school were just huge time wasters.

Telling people to quit their jobs is fine when it’s you doing it, even if that teacher may then not be able to feed their kids and could lose their home.

Got it, kitchen

I’m finding the total inability to empathise with teachers gobsmacking, from posters who want to tell us exact what “must” happen.

@DomDoesWotHeWants Absolutely. DS has his hair cut last week. DH wore a mask, he did, barber had a visor, one customer in at one time, prices increased but I did. It begrudge that at all as it was he needed to be safe and keep his business viable.

Why can’t I be afforded the same level of protection?

@Hercwasonaroll I’ll be working 8-4 with a 20 minute lunch. My day hasn’t been shortened, it’s been extended.