Chris Witty "We're at the limits of the contact we can allow"

[confusedandold]

I've been watching the Press conference and I always find Chris Witty the voice of reason. He is saying that we are at the limit of what we can open without the virus spreading further and we may even have to take a step back. So where does this leave the opening of schools in a few weeks time?

There is nothing the Govt can do, the Genie is out the bag after johnson relaxed restrictions to quickly before assessing what the previous easing had done.

Where do parents of children with underlying health conditions stand as regards school in September? Assuming the cases keep going up over the next few weeks. Are they still fining in those circumstances? The thought terrifies me. I've shielded him since March and literally only left the house a handful of times.

@Annierose293
Where do parents of children with underlying health conditions stand as regards school in September?Assuming the cases keep going up over the next few weeks. Are they still fining in those circumstances? The thought terrifies me. I've shielded him since March and literally only left the house a handful of times.

The same here. I am furious at the lack information given to those shielding and their families.

They would either have a KW place

They did. Maybe it will be part time for all. Easier to educate dc equally.

@VettiyaIruken

Tbh I think we're not too far away from Open everything back up and whoever dies, dies.

To be clear, I am not saying that's a good thing or a bad thing. It's not my opinion. It's my prediction.

I think the Govt will inevitably take this line (privately) whilst being vague enough / blaming the NHS / Schools / parents, uncle tom cobbley and all in fact, it is already the case, imo.

Clearly getting kids back to school is essential
but if this is not done in a sustainable way it will cause more educational and employment disruption, MH issues etc

In Scotland parents are being clearly advised that there is a Plan A and an Plan B (blended learning) At least there IS a Plan B !!!

Plus I keep hearing school is not cc on here. Ok, for everyone then.

It’s not easy to organise cc week on week off.

@Annierose293

Where do parents of children with underlying health conditions stand as regards school in September? Assuming the cases keep going up over the next few weeks. Are they still fining in those circumstances? The thought terrifies me. I've shielded him since March and literally only left the house a handful of times.

I'm assuming if there's a local lockdown/tightening then schools will be understanding assuming the child was officially shielding. We're in the same boat, September scared me but I cannot give him an adequate education stick in the house with twin babies

The priorities will be

1)keeping schools and child care open

2)keeping people in work whether at home or not

3)keeping retail open and other businesses

4. other things that are nice but not crucial like visiting family cafes cinemas gyms

without 1) in place 2 &3 are hard to work and 4 is almost impossible

ultimately things can't stay closed there is no money to support anything other than small very localised lockdowns and at some point virus or no virus, vaccine or no vaccine; normality of a kind will have to return like in Sweden, Sweden's excess death rates are well below that of UK and in terms of absolute numbers similar to Scotland population just over 10 million about 5000 deaths Scotland population over 5 million deaths approximately half that at 2500

I always listen closely to Whitty, I also was concerned by that comment. I suggest Boris’ ‘we can all hope to go back to normal by Christmas’ a few weeks ago is a pipe dream and the govt will have further difficult decisions about what measures to tighten to allow schools to return.

I wish the govt had been more realistic and had the foresight to plan for a better return to school for children, be that one week on one week off, using larger spaces like village halls to spread classes out, increase cleaning budget etc.

"Maybe it will be part time for all. Easier to educate dc equally."

Part time for all won't mean dc are educated equally.

I got the impression that school reopening was non negotiable and we'll lose other freedoms well before schools

I can see gyms closing again within the next week or 2.

Part time for all won't mean dc are educated equally.

There’s always one. Closer than school inaccessible to many and ft to others based on job of parent.

And no it’s not ideal at all which is why I have want ft education for all.

The thing is, if there are no attempts to mitigate risks in school and teachers start to become ill or die, they will be closed. Supply teachers won’t want to go near them so who will cover the classes?

Nobody wants schools to close. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen.

DD is reading history at Exeter. The main problem with the Uni not opening is that most of her required reading and sources are not available online. She needs access to the Library.

She and her flatmates have already paid the deposit on their 2nd year flat so they've decided they'll all move in whether the Uni opens the Library or not.

I have said..

@Littleposh

I got the impression that school reopening was non negotiable and we'll lose other freedoms well before schools

Yup, me too

I'm assuming if there's a local lockdown/tightening then schools will be understanding assuming the child was officially shielding.

There shouldn't be enough vagueness in guidelines to hope that a school will be 'understanding'. Our school have already told us, without either a letter from a paediatrician recommending staying home, or official guidance from the govt regarding shielding children...they will issue fines.

If the government are going to go for blended learning (I work in a school and tbh it’s not a bad idea if implemented well), then they are going to need to make huge concessions for next years GCSE’s as the current plans are very minimal changes as they seem to be counting on everyone back in school full time. DS1 is going into Y11 in September and he can’t be expected to sit exams when they have are going to have another disrupted year.

Tbh I think we're not too far away from
Open everything back up and whoever dies, dies
To be clear, I am not saying that's a good thing or a bad thing. It's not my opinion. It's my prediction

A prediction I completely agree with ...

A-levels and university entrance needs to be adjusted too. Dd is y13 and needs to A-level knowledge for her chosen degree course so it's not just about the exam - the teaching matters

@Bupkis Shielding families have received information for children - it is to return to schools unless advised by a consultant not to. Was on a letter a few weeks ago (for England)

I disagree they'll close hospitality and retail to keep schools open if those sectors aren't causing significant spread while also being vital to the economy.

Authorities are signalling the mixing of households is causing the most spread so I'd expect the restrictions announced regarding that for Northern England to be rolled out nationally. Possibly right through the winter including Christmas

I think they're going to be forced in to uturning on schools opening full time for at least the next term and are building up to it.

Another one desperate for schools to go back as planned. I can’t home school my primary aged child whilst watching a 2 year old boy at the same time. I tried and it didn’t work. It’s too difficult. God knows how the people wfh did it.
I haven’t been to the pub, the gym, used public transport or seen family because I hope that by doing my bit it’ll have a cumulative effect to keep numbers low.
Unfortunately I agree that they have opened up too much too soon. Maybe if they reverse a couple more decisions it might help with a September return to school. I’d fully support that way forward.

In all honesty Bupkis I think that schools should follow usual non-attendance procedures from September except in the circumstances that you mention. Issuing fines is an option if children don't attend school other than sickness or authorised absence, but there are other interventions which are more important eg school contacting parents and escalating persistent absence to the LA.

At least one child from what was my Y6 child's class has gone completely off the radar since March. I only know this because his teacher asked if my child had heard from them at all some time into lockdown as they usually would. His school were calling families every day and also visiting to drop off food and learning resources if needed, so were very in touch.

Without absence procedures, there is no way that schools can follow up these children. The children who didn't return to school on 1 June were by and large the most vulnerable, in terms of physical health or social circumstances. I do understand families being worried about the risk of catching covid, but children in the UK are entitled to have a full time education between 5-16 and there need to be systems in place to ensure that as many as possible do.