School re-opening under threat

[jomartin281271]

Headline in the London Evening Standard today that this new surge could threaten re-opening of schools. I'm not surprised. The government know that it's not safe to open schools under their current guidance. Cramming children, teachers and admin staff into those tiny spaces could cause a catastrophe. I feel sorry for teachers. Most of them are really committed to the job and their lives are being put at risk. Scary times.
www.standard.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-second-wave-schools-september-a4511516.html

@cantkeepawayforever

There is no good solution. They’re all crap. None of them work well. It’s the best of a terrible bunch but at least this way it gives parents a hope of returning to work and supporting their families.

Temporarily.

It means that every parent at work, every day, will be at the mercy of a school calling and saying 'your child is ill, please come and get them to take them to be tested' or 'two cases have been detected in your child's bubble, please come and collect them and isolate them for 14 days' or 'sorry, but the school is closing as part of a local lockdown, please come and collect your child, who will be at home for the foreseeable future' or 'sorry, the school isn't open to your child's age group today - too many staff are off and we can't get any supply due to the pandemic'.

This. I feel like we’re just repeating ourselves with the same concerns over and over.

As I said earlier it will differ from region to region. I posted earlier to my regional news where 2 areas are of risk of lockdown and one is now implementing its own borough test and trace as they have no faith in the national programme.

Parents please listen to teachers, we know what schools are like. Personally for MY school I think September will be fine then by October week 2 we’ll be isolating when the long half term kick in, we become run dis. and the winter bugs attack us. This year we can’t soldier on like we’re used to doing - we need to isolate until we’re rested. Yes it may be a day or two but that will be repeated. Schools can’t open without the staff. The week of lockdown we closed to certain years on the Thurs and Fri due to staffing numbers.

I’m quite vocal about safety measures but I will be going back. I’ve taught for 20 years and actually still love it. I’m just under no illusions about the continuity of educational provision and just because the PM says we were open fully doesn’t mean we will remain open fully.

@Jrobhatch29 - I do not understand why the direction matters?

Schools are mostly composed of kids and a fewer adults. Any detect, even if small impact, on the community at large indicates many players involved, so kids must be involved.

Also, studies from Korea and Israel has indicated children are not magically resistant to the virus, and kids over 10 are indistiguishable from adults.

*down not dis (no idea 😆)

Napqueen,

The thing is, I do think that with only half the children in at any time, we could keep going safely - we managed the full half term from June 1st with half class sizes, teaching both in school and online, and with similar community transmission and stayed open. Obviously the winter would be riskier, but we would have a chance of a full half term of half-time schooling, and if that was successful, we could build up towards full time.

I anticipate individual children being sent home will start in week 1 or 2 in September; bubbles popping within a couple of weeks; lack of teachers maybe a week later as bubbles popping all over the town lead to a childcare crisis. i anticipate serious shutdowns by half term.

Would you prefer 2.5 days of absolutely consistent in-school teaching (or week on, week off) for the whole half term - and probably more up to Christmas - or in and out until half term and fully out for the second half term?

Or are you just saying you would like to start off with your 'ideal' and cross your fingers that you will be one of the lucky ones?

The only people I’ve seen talking about muzzling filthy kids are the anti-maskers. I’ve reported and had them removed in the past.

[Sorry, should have been clearer - my second paragraph is with full time all-in opening under current arrangements]

Did anyone read the German study showing 3/4 of mildly /asymptomatic (non hospitalised) had abnormal heart scans. I’m not qualified to interpret this but as a parent it bothers me. We’re pushing to send our kids back to school as normal without a scooby doo what they long term health implications for our kids are. It’s mind boggling really considering the H&S red tape the U.K. normally has 🤯. I am going to give the most brilliant minds in the world a chance to work a bit more out before I rush in thinking I know better.

@cantkeepawayforever that’s fair when you put it like that I suppose it would be a lot easier to work around with employers if you could be certain every other week etc they would be in. Although if still in bubbles there’s no certainty as undoubtably you’d still be isolating/off pending results fairly Frequently anyway. I feel so sad for the kids what an awful time to be a school child.

I suppose it would be a lot easier to work around with employers if you could be certain every other week etc they would be in

This works when you can wfh but (ironically) not for teachers. How many I wonder would not continue due to cc issues?

I’m also thinking about the fact that there were no cases at dc school. It’s strangely low but I do not automatically expect huge disruption in September on the back of those figures

@lifeafter50

I agree with some of your points. There are definitely the ones who ramp up the fear and exaggerate. These are the ones that are holding back the schools getting back to normal. It's sad and perhaps they ought to consider the actual risk rather than perceived risk of schools getting back to normal. Indeed some would have us locked up (with no contact with anyone) or locked down forever.

@lifeafter50

1/10 for effort. Sloppy thinking and poorly researched. Try reading around your topic more and not just sticking to concept drilled by your class (or Facebook group). Your conclusions don’t bear the weight of cursory scrutiny and your hypothesis is flawed.

Interestingly, Scotland has pledged £75m for schools to cover the extra costs associated with re-opening, to recruit more teachers and pay for cleaning...England.... some money for 'catch up tutoring', but none for cleaning or adaptations to allow schools to be more covid-safe....

Can someone please link to a source for this and Ireland's extra funding for schools because this merits yet another (unanswered) missive to my MP.

Shocking, safe education only for the rich in England it seems. Absolutely shocking. The other thing i've found pretty sobering is how many EU countries (and in other parts of the world) have far lower class sizes than us as the norm. Normal children are being failed by this government.

Oaktree55
This really concerns me, what is going on inside the bodies of those who have had a 'mild' dose of it? What long term impact will it have on their bodies?

Things we don't know yet and which won't come out for a while yet. More importantly, as children seem less effected, I assume studies will focus more on the impact on adult bodies long term and less on the child meaning it may be longer before we know if there are any issues associated with this for children.

[quote MoreListeningLessChatting]@lifeafter50

I agree with some of your points. There are definitely the ones who ramp up the fear and exaggerate. These are the ones that are holding back the schools getting back to normal. It's sad and perhaps they ought to consider the actual risk rather than perceived risk of schools getting back to normal. Indeed some would have us locked up (with no contact with anyone) or locked down forever.[/quote]
Nobody is 'holding back the schools getting back to normal'.
Nobody is advocating 'locking people up'.
People are pointing out the flaws and risks involved in the current plans.
Including the risks of further lockdowns and school closures meaning more disruption for children who have been out of school since March.
FFS.

Exactly. Hopefully kids will be, as we are assuming, in the main mildly affected but at present that’s an assumption and not one I’m personally willing to gamble on. At the very least there should be more precautions in place, namely masks! It’s actually ridiculous when you take a step back and look at what the U.K. I proposing for schools 🤦🏽‍♀️. People get caught up in the detail, had you asked most people last year would they send their kids in with an unknown pathogen without any safety precautions, most would have laughed.

I must say I am new (ish) back to MN having had a break away.

The old negative attitudes still resonate and the can't do attitude still sings on strong with a large number. Fortunately in RL there are people that do want to make school as 'normal' as possible and don't take every negative in a true dementor fashion.

Note to self - avoid the doom merchants since they always want to bring everyone down to their level

My DC both returned to school when they were able - Yr 6 earlier and then Yr 5 when the school opened up and welcomed more back. We had no cases at all in the school. The hospital locally has no cases and there have been no deaths in our area for over a month. The few deaths in our town were down to the completely wrong and separate issue of sending people from hospital into nursing homes - that needs an inquiry.

Naturally in some areas things are quite different but we are finding here that people pretty much follow the guidelines.

Anyone talking about ‘doom merchants’ makes themselves look a bit silly and very childish.

There were no cases probably due to the location of your school and the fact we’d just come out of lockdown. Simple logic which won’t apply this Autumn/winter I’m afraid except perhaps in remote areas.

MoreListening
You've given yourself away with these phrases:

• negative attitudes (we are the ones who will actually be there, trying to educate, trying to plan for your children)
• can't do attitude (we are the ones who will turn up and try to make this work)
• in RL (ODFOD)
• negative (no just realistic)
• dementor (La La La La no pandemic here no sirree, everything's fine)
• doom merchants (oh purlease)
• bring everyone down to their level (and yet you're trusting us to work with children!)

In short - you're an arse.

👏👏

Fortunately in RL there are people that do want to make school as 'normal' as possible and don't take every negative in a true dementor fashion.

From 1st June, and again from the start of September, I will be there in school, doubling up teaching in school and online when necessary, making school 'normal' and happy for the children, with my 'smiley teacher' mask on.

It doesn't mean that I think the current arrangements are good, or safe, or supported by scientific evidence. it doesn't mean that i like being put at risk so that others can work. But I will do it, for the children - exactly as the Government and others are relying on - teachers' selfless wish to do the best for the children, come what may.

Insufficient listening, one might think.

@DomDoesWotHeWants

Insufficient listening, one might think.

One might very well think that Dom. See also talking out of the wrong orifice