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

[quote oldbagface]@Oaktree55 I agree with every post you have made on this thread. Those who can home ed should so so thus lowering the numbers in school. Without having the threat of a fine etc.

This type of flexibility alone will reduce cases.[/quote]
I think this is too simplistic about who will be "home educated" and the standard of "home education " they will receive.

@Timeforanotherusername

People will need to leave their jobs if schools do not open full time in September.

Elderly relatives will be called in for childcare if schools do not open full time in September and you can take a guess on what the outcome will be.

More and more children will be forced into poverty if schools do not open full time in September.

Teachers may catch Covid if schools do go back full time. (And yes i do think some of you on Mumsnet want schools to remain shut even if you do not directly say that)

Children may take virus home to vulnerable relatives.

Its a shit situation and no winners.

And no i would never send a symptomatic child to school.

The thing is, this 'open full time' thing is a mirage. I anticipate that very few children will have 100% school attendance, and even fewer 100% teaching by their own teacher.

Children will be sent home when they show any signs of illness.

Their teacher will be absent.

Their class, year group or school will be closed.

There will be local lockdowns.

Yes, some children in some schools in some areas of the country will be lucky - but if current patterns are followed, it will in fact be the disadvantaged living in disadvantaged communities who will be the most likely to experience chaotic part-time schooling.

@FrippEnos

Far from it. I very strongly believe all kids should return to school full time, face coverings should not be worn and all subjects should be taught.

Other than that I think there are many compromises that have to be made. This is what the guidance covers. I'm not saying it's perfect but nothing is ATM

@OpheliasCrayon

Schools need to open.

I'm a teacher
I'm also vulnerable / on the shielding list.
I will be working and my children will be going (and have been going this half term)

As horrible as covid is, there is , in my opinion no excuse to damage children's education, mental health and social development any further. Enough has been done already. Everyone needs to be back in school in September. If there are children who are extremely at risk from covid then appropriate and rigorous provision needs to be made for them but , unless that's the case children ALL need to be back.

I completely agree. I’ve watched my bouncy happy 9yo GD, usually to be found dangling upside down, or doing a cartwheel, reduced to a sad little girl with no oomph any more. 13yo GD at risk of becoming a bullied wreck (as it’s all relentlessly online) and the only one who’s fared well is my 7yo GD who’s been back in school for three weeks. Parents doing what they can but they’re working ft too. We are at risk of the prevention being worse than the disease.

Oaktree55
School could perhaps provide basic supportive information or class work could be put on line

Yet this is what the vocal few on here have complained about.

@tobee I agree. People think that people choosing to not send their children in will lead to mass home education. You are deluded. It will lead to mass UNeducation.

Out of interest have you read the guidance kitchen?

Is there really nothing to talk about on MN but the reopening of bloody schools.

It's the school holidays and none of us know what will happen between now and September.

For the love of God just give it a bloody rest already.

School could perhaps provide basic supportive information or class work could be put on line

Some people clearly don't understand how long this will take. Even sending a PPT it needs to be edited to be suitable for home use so you can follow it.

@Hercwasonaroll

School could perhaps provide basic supportive information or class work could be put on line

Some people clearly don't understand how long this will take. Even sending a PPT it needs to be edited to be suitable for home use so you can follow it.

I don't know, link to topics on Teach It? Anything but none of us are going back to how things were. Not in the UK with this Government anyway. The economic, societal changes that will result from this Pandemic are huge. Unless there is a massive therapeutic breakthrough or vaccine soon (imagine the logistics of vaccinating 66 million people even if it were tomorrow), then we are all going to have to adapt and that includes the Education Sector. The disruption this Autumn/Winter is going to be phenomenal and our Gov know it, hence trying to push for a big Aug/Sept spend to get the economy going as much as it can before the weather changes and people don't go out this Autumn when community transmission is high again.

School can try and open to everyone normally but it isn't going to work we need to adapt even if that means it's a less than perfect solution.

Teachit looks like a load of teaching resources? You can't just send those home and expect parents to do it. Oak academy is what you're after.

What do you do with the children who do nothing at home?

At what level of virus in the community do people think it will be possible for schools to go back full time? Assuming Covid is always going to be around. What if there’s never a vaccine - that’s it - kids never get a full time education again?

Scotland is going for elimination of the virus. Obviously not eradication. With very low levels of cases and contact tracing/quarantine would it not be possible to keep cases low, especially if SD and other measures to limit spread are kept up elsewhere in society?

@tobee and @Hercwasonaroll Perhaps too simplistic. However, our school know that I am more than capable of ensuring my child is educated to a good standard at home. They know the family well as have old DC who have since left the same school.

I'm not sure what the answers are bit I think there must be more flexibility and decisions such as this should be at the discretion of the headteachers and not the government.

Just popped over to active threads for you felicis. 40 to choose from, none about schools! A very wide range, actually, for you to pick from to make you happier.

To be honest, you must have been looking quite hard to find us and tell us off for literally talking about our jobs and livelihood and/ or our children's futures...

@oldbagface What headteacher is going to sanction some parents as being fine to homeschooling and others not? It just won't happen.

I’m in Scotland and our DCs go back to school in three weeks. My oldest DD is nearly 13 and can’t socialise with peers according to guidance. It’s honestly terrifying me that they are saying it isn’t safe for her to socialise with friends but in just three weeks time she will be mixing with hundreds of children every day. I think it’s a huge mistake to resume at full capacity. Whilst I am worried about the affect on their wellbeing and education, this is the way to go about a second spike and schools closing again, which won’t be much better for them.

@SengaStrawberry

At what level of virus in the community do people think it will be possible for schools to go back full time? Assuming Covid is always going to be around. What if there’s never a vaccine - that’s it - kids never get a full time education again?

Scotland is going for elimination of the virus. Obviously not eradication. With very low levels of cases and contact tracing/quarantine would it not be possible to keep cases low, especially if SD and other measures to limit spread are kept up elsewhere in society?

I would suggest that the World Health Organisations requirements are a good place to start. They talk of having a good efficient, working track and trace system running to keep Community Transmission low. We don't have that yet in the UK and as soon as numbers grown the system will collapse.

Personally I feel this is a new virus the most brilliant minds in the world don't yet understand. I personally will not feel confident sending my children in until the Government have a working system in place to manage cases and more is known about the virus. Yes there may never be a vaccine but I can guarantee in a few months there will be a better understanding of it. I'd just like more to be known and understood. Given in the past I've had to sign god knows how much paperwork relating to my child's safety at school for trips and sports etc, I don't think I am being neurotic.

Exactly AshenQueen. I feel like I did in February when the aibu threads were predicting this virus would hit us hard but the government were not acting swiftly enough to contain it.

I agree that if we go back fully in schools it could cause a second wave. I also feared that the virus would be here after half term in February due to people travelling around. I'm concerned about the fact that some people will be travelling abroad and around the UK and spreading the virus around during the school holidays. Anyone with kids knows that bugs get spread around after a break when kids return to school at the best of times, let alone in the middle of a pandemic. I hope I'm wrong.

@Hercwasonaroll none of us have the perfect solution. I'm just throwing ideas about. The idea of what's planned fills me with dread.

Teachers, kids and parents have been thrown under the covid bus. This is NOT hyperbole. Come autumn we will know. I hope my worries are unfounded. Time will tell.

The only thing I know for certain is that schools absolutely have to avoid the meltdown that happened in the week before the last lockdown.

There are solutions that don't make HTs judge and jury on which parents can home school and which ones can't. Surely you can see the problems with that?!

I'd be happy with more funding for cleaning and handwashing. A blended approach is not good

It was a huge missed opportunity not to fully reopen schools in the summer. We could have learnt a lot. Had much more outdoors learning. Put systems in place as required over summer holidays.

Instead children will now be going back in time for autumn winter flu season. Plus we know there's increased transmission indoors.

I really think BoJo should have stood firm against the unions and reopened when he initially said.

@Hercwasonaroll

There are solutions that don't make HTs judge and jury on which parents can home school and which ones can't. Surely you can see the problems with that?!

I'd be happy with more funding for cleaning and handwashing. A blended approach is not good

I can't recall the exact figures but if you look up the latest research fomite transmission is thought now to be a minor transmission route. What has changed is the growing knowledge that this is aerosolised (to a degree), this is possibly a greater form of transmission than droplet.

All this "washing hands" will only go so far.

I really think BoJo should have stood firm against the unions and reopened when he initially said.

It wasn’t the unions that scuppered the full re-opening of primary schools, it was Boris Johnson’s own guidelines for the re-opening of primary schools.

It was a huge missed opportunity not to fully reopen schools in the summer. We could have learnt a lot. Had much more outdoors learning. Put systems in place as required over summer holidays

Will you please stop talking as though you have any fucking idea about how schools work?

Thanks.