Is anyone not sending their secondary school child back initially?

[lastkisstoo]

I've decided to keep my 15 year old home, probably until the October hols to see what happens.

We are in Scotland. What just happened in the pubs in Aberdeen is exactly what I see happening in schools. Mostly young adults, enclosed space, no social distancing.

My child has asthma, and while not on the list for sheltering I still feel is vulnerable enough that I don't want to see him being used as a guinea pig while the government assess just how big the uptick in cases will be on schools re-opening.

our blazers are good. They are trutex material ones thst can be bunged in the machine!

Me too!!

Our blazers take an age to dry :(
Uniform apparently will be compulsory at our school from what we have been told.
Social distancing is a major factor in controlling the spread of Covid19, so if this is compromised, it will be a big worry. ...The last few months anyone...?!!

I'm up reading all the headlines about getting the kids back in come what may. As a disabled woman who is overweight I am completely petrified I won't survive this winter. I feel it is inevitable I will catch this once my eldest goes back to secondary and it now seems as though my only options are put them in an unsafe environment or give up their much loved schools. I can't stop crying.
I done want to deprive my DC's of a quality education but I just want to keep us all safe .

So has your son been shielding then and still not met up with friends since this started?

@Twinkle19

So has your son been shielding then and still not met up with friends since this started?

1000+ people indoors with no social distancing = perfect virus spreading conditions!

Not sure why it would matter if someone had met a small group of friends outside and maintained social distance.

I'm also Scotland and either the guidance is the same most places or neveradullmoment99 is in the same authority area.

We've been told try for school colours but don't worry so I've got a couple of generic jumpers (without stripe) and will deal with blazer/tie, proper jumpers and logo polos once we are out of it or at least once we're at school.

I think encouraging distancing rather than enforcing it strictly is worth a try - less likely to have pupils using it to cause more disruption in class. The youngest S1s won't be used to distancing as not required to by age.

We haven't had an uptick in cases from U11s not being required to distance at all (and I'd guess that included 12+13 year olds at least if they look young). The recent increase in clusters has been largely fuelled by pubs - which I guess will be closed ahead of schools.

After the shitshow that has been exam results this year I think they will be pulling out all the stops to give the exam years the best chance they can - probably involving lots of objective testing and evidence gathering throughout the year!

The amount of big groups of teenagers I’ve seen where I live and I mean big groups 50+ no social distancing so dont think going back to school will harm them when they are all meeting up anyway.

I'm sending all my 3 DCs back to school, college and uni, as per guidance in Sept. We will get fined if I do not. I don't have a lot of faith they will be safe social distancing and accept there are risks they will catch it. Two are moderate asthmatics. I'm extremely vulnerable shielding group. It will likely seriously hurt me if I catch it as I'm in and out of A&E and hospital as it is without coronavirus! I'll be one of the statistics, even at my relative young age.

But what is the choice? Ruin my DCs future? They have to return to school and life goes on at some stage, there will be some (if not enough) precautions and government will lockdown local areas if infections start to rage.

Everyone is talking about an increase in numbers after easing of lockdown. The number of people dying or seriously ill in hospital is still very low, it is the number of people testing positive that is high and we are testing a lot more. Viruses mutate and can become less deadly, I am hoping this is the case with covid.

Beebityboo it must be such a worry for you. Hopefully your children's school will do everything to keep everyone safe and things will be ok. I know how stressful it must be for you though. I have a condition that amongst other things, results in my immune system being compromised. Both me and one of my children are also asthmatic. Other than that, we are in good health, but these things are enough to make me worry.
Twinkle19 I have teenagers and they have not been meeting up with large groups of friends. They have been following guidelines and doing everything to keep themselves and others safe, as have most young people who live around our area. I know my children's friends have also been doing what they are supposed to do, following guidelines. If there are some who have ignored the guidelines, maybe they think the rules don't apply to them then, and they will be putting themselves and others in danger.

@Twinkle19

The amount of big groups of teenagers I’ve seen where I live and I mean big groups 50+ no social distancing so dont think going back to school will harm them when they are all meeting up anyway.

It will potentially harm them as they'll be indoors not outdoors. The virus spreads much more indoors.

Also will harm children and families of those being more careful, with health concerns, and of course teachers.

@Thewordgame

Everyone is talking about an increase in numbers after easing of lockdown. The number of people dying or seriously ill in hospital is still very low, it is the number of people testing positive that is high and we are testing a lot more. Viruses mutate and can become less deadly, I am hoping this is the case with covid.

There is no scientific evidence the virus is mutating.

Hospital admissions are down because it is younger people catching it now.

The worry here is not ICU and possible death, but longer term covid symptoms.

Plus they'll drag it back home to older relatives.

There is some science to support he idea that the virus does less harm in the summer than the winter. Not because it's mutating but I guess to do with the difference in initial viral load bw summer and winter infections. Unfortunately we will soon be heading back into winter.

@Beebityboo

I'm up reading all the headlines about getting the kids back in come what may. As a disabled woman who is overweight I am completely petrified I won't survive this winter. I feel it is inevitable I will catch this once my eldest goes back to secondary and it now seems as though my only options are put them in an unsafe environment or give up their much loved schools. I can't stop crying. I done want to deprive my DC's of a quality education but I just want to keep us all safe .

You won’t need to give up there places. I really honestly believe that. Protect your mental, physical health and happiness and that’s the best you can do. Do your best with their education and keeping up with friends safely. Things will get better. Take care, such a crap time - massive understatement!

@Thewordgame @labyrinthloafer and viral load must be loads lower if you catch it outside. There’s a reason why other bugs are worse come autumn / winter.

I would love if it mutates into something less nasty but we can’t assume that until we’ve seen how it behaves when the weather turns. So glad we’ve had a decent summer for a change!

@Porcupineinwaiting

There is some science to support he idea that the virus does less harm in the summer than the winter. Not because it's mutating but I guess to do with the difference in initial viral load bw summer and winter infections. Unfortunately we will soon be heading back into winter.

Missed this 🤦🏻‍♀️

@Porcupineinwaiting

There is some science to support he idea that the virus does less harm in the summer than the winter. Not because it's mutating but I guess to do with the difference in initial viral load bw summer and winter infections. Unfortunately we will soon be heading back into winter.

Agree, all corona viruses, flu strains etc take hold in the winter. They thrive in cool damp environments, also cold air aggrevates airways.

DC is primary but we have de registered until Spring.

Happy he will get everything he needs and school have one less to try to keep safe. Win win.

I hope I am proved wrong but I imagine there will be a spike come the winter. Its complex with schools (and some children need or miss them more than others, ditto working parents) but I can't see how they will not play a role in household transmission.

@Beebityboo

I'm up reading all the headlines about getting the kids back in come what may. As a disabled woman who is overweight I am completely petrified I won't survive this winter. I feel it is inevitable I will catch this once my eldest goes back to secondary and it now seems as though my only options are put them in an unsafe environment or give up their much loved schools. I can't stop crying. I done want to deprive my DC's of a quality education but I just want to keep us all safe .

@beebityboo can you do anything about your weight? I am obese, and have never succeeded in losing weight and keeping it off, but this has really inspired me. I don't want to die this winter either. I have lost 2 stone in the last 3 months. I am still obese though, which tells you how bad the situation was to start with.

I would love if it mutates into something less nasty but we can’t assume that until we’ve seen how it behaves when the weather turns. So glad we’ve had a decent summer for a change!

it doesn't work like that I am afraid.

if it mutates into something less nasty, that will only happen in one person, and only affect people directly infected from that persons chain of infection, leaving the other nastier virus strains still circulating in the population.

But if it mutates into something nastier, then we have something more to worry about.

@mosquitofeast I am trying and have lost a stone in lockdown but due to my disability exercise is really hard so I have to lose it through calories alone. I'm doing intermittent fasting and hoping to lose another stone by September.

I feel like I'm in a nightmare. We moved to where we are now to get my eldest into the secondary she attends. She was horribly bullied in primary and it took us such a long time to find a secondary that meets her needs (aspergers) and that she felt safe at, and now I'm facing potentially having to give that place up or lose my life. Her head is being very supportive and sympathetic but if the LEA wants to fine/prosecute parents I'm not sure what he can do. It just feels like a bad dream. Disabled students and parents should be given a choice, there is excuse for bullying us this way.

Right well having listened to r4 and read articles in broadsheets from health experts the last few days I've decided not to send my kids into a building with no social distancing and no ventilation so they're not going back. Isolate for two weeks because one has symptoms, isolate another two weeks because the other has symptoms, then another two weeks because I have symptoms. That's October half term, they'll definitely be closed by then and we as a family won't be responsible for the rise in cases.

Good luck everyone!

[quote Beebityboo]@mosquitofeast I am trying and have lost a stone in lockdown but due to my disability exercise is really hard so I have to lose it through calories alone. I'm doing intermittent fasting and hoping to lose another stone by September.

I feel like I'm in a nightmare. We moved to where we are now to get my eldest into the secondary she attends. She was horribly bullied in primary and it took us such a long time to find a secondary that meets her needs (aspergers) and that she felt safe at, and now I'm facing potentially having to give that place up or lose my life. Her head is being very supportive and sympathetic but if the LEA wants to fine/prosecute parents I'm not sure what he can do. It just feels like a bad dream. Disabled students and parents should be given a choice, there is excuse for bullying us this way.[/quote]
congratulations on your weigh loss. Keep going!

Best wishes for the new term. Keep posting here and let us know how you are doing. Maybe start your own thread so we can find you? You will have to put up with a few idiots posting rubbish on it, but we can ignore them

@TheKarenWhoKnocks

Right well having listened to r4 and read articles in broadsheets from health experts the last few days I've decided not to send my kids into a building with no social distancing and no ventilation so they're not going back. Isolate for two weeks because one has symptoms, isolate another two weeks because the other has symptoms, then another two weeks because I have symptoms. That's October half term, they'll definitely be closed by then and we as a family won't be responsible for the rise in cases.

Good luck everyone!

This is pretty much where we are on the topic.