This is the senior school reality.

[Morfin]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-53759662/students-from-georgia-school-district-in-viral-photo-speak-out

I've posted before about how our media post misleading images of SD in schools. This is a fair reflection of what our senior schools will look like . Would you be happy being one of those people in the picture, with no mask?

The plans for our school seem to be very well thought out. They have obviously done a huge amount of work on re-timetabling, to minimise movement between classes, and each year group will be located in different areas of the school. Lunchtimes and break are staggered, as are drop off and pick up, and each year also has it's own entrance and exit, and one way systems everywhere. They have also put in additional basins for handwashing in corridors, as well as hand sanitiser.

Most of DD's year are already having parties in each others houses and with the local boys school, so most have already given up SD anyway. I must admit, I am pretty annoyed with parents allowing this.......

The plans for our school seem to be very well thought out

My school looks like this, on paper. Anyone who works at the school, however, is aware that the really important things - overcrowding in classrooms and corridors, non-cooperation by students, lack of protection for vulnerable students and staff - are not addressed, because they can’t be under the guidelines, which are full of “as far as possible”s.

I support Hannah's right to publish those pictures of her Georgia school, her free speech rights to explain her concerns (which was especially on Twitter). Am glad that she is no longer excluded from the school. But her pics haven't changed my mind about wanting my own DC back in their schools. The sooner the better.

You might be interested to learn that in Australia schools - open in most states, apart from Victoria - suffer from shutdowns on a regular basis due to COVID breakouts. The most recent has been the Tangara school in Sydney. Teachers, students and families have been affected.

My child is deaf. A mask will make life extremely difficult (it's already tough enough). I think we have to take the risk now, their schooling as suffered so much.

Ds school is doing bubbles of 300+ pupils entering school at 5 minute intervals, most will travel to school crammed on public transport as bus companies have refused to put on extra buses, school are still insisting that any pupil late for school will be put in detention/on report. School was built for 1800 pupils but has 2180 crammed in since getting academy status, classes are 33 minimum pupil size, any staff who left last year aren't being replaced so some class sizes will be over 33 pupils. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

What I'm frustrated with is the ramrod approach to all our northing. We will see a lot of local closers, I know our school has been preparing more online teaching material for this eventuality.

But honestly if they had been able to prepare a part time teaching plan, with less students in at a time. To reduce student numbers maybe this would help reduce possible spread.

We are bubbling year groups but that's still over 200 students in each bubble. And with the size of the school I'm sure we'll have some cross over.

On the mask point, children can wear them to and from school and public transport but are asked to remove them at school.

It's interesting reading other threads, the majority think that if someone drives through France only stopping to refuel then they should definitely quarrantine as they could be infected. But as above 200/300+ people in close indoor contact is fine.

We cannot put life on hold indefinitely.

I really don't know why people are worrying about this. The government are basically trying to implement the impossible. As happened with march, we will get the odd outbreak and individual schools will be shut. This will slowly escalate and the general numbers and deaths in the community will start to rise. Then the government will start closing everything other than schools until finally by October/November, it becomes bleeding obvious that this isn't going to work.

Then we will go into full lockdown over December/January to desperately try and get us back to the situation we are currently in.

By march/April vaccines will start to roll out and we will return to some sort of normality. By August 2021 we will have the virus under control, and that school year will start as per normal.

It's important that September/October this year they put in a system for part time attendance, part time remote learning. Because we will need it.

Is that happening anywhere? Can't see it happening in the UK.

It's about time government accepted the reality and worked with it, rather than hoping this winter won't be the cluster fuck we all know it will be.

@Doryanddim

We cannot put life on hold indefinitely.

It's not even been six months yet, six years they managed with a different life in the war, and fwiw more people will have died fr corona than the blitz.

fullfact.org/online/deaths-coronavirus-blitz/

Newjez careful you will be accused of scaremongering...

@Morfin

It's interesting reading other threads, the majority think that if someone drives through France only stopping to refuel then they should definitely quarrantine as they could be infected. But as above 200/300+ people in close indoor contact is fine.

Yeah the one thing Covid has brought out is people's unreasonable side.

Actually it's probably more their irrational side.

People see Covid all over a petroleum pump in France - even in a low case area.

People willing to report their neighbours as they fell they're breaking rules (in some cases rules they've made up themselves)

They'll happily travel around the U.K. though that also had hot spots.

And they don't think it even exists within school walls.

six years they managed with a different life in the war, and fwiw more people will have died fr corona than the blitz.

I’m not sure what the point of this post is? Are you saying it would be fine to just renege on education for six years? I seriously hope you aren’t a teacher.

Even already we’ve seen the shitshow of A level results and how that’s impacted the prospects of children from lower socioeconomic groups in particular.

"I'm alright Jack". No social conscience? No community spirit?

I am so exhausted by this narrative. The idea that anyone willing to take some risks in order to ensure that an entire generation can receive an education is somehow a malevolent force of evil. It's incredibly short-sighted and misplaced for reasons that have been articulated over and over on MN.

Social responsibility doesn't start and end with the COVID-19 death rate.

(FWIW I'll be returning to work in a secondary school next week. Is it risk free? No. On balance is the risk one we need to take? In my opinion, absolutely).

Noisy the narrative I understand is that people are worried that by taking risks rather than having robust realistic plans it'll improve education and the ability to keep schools open.

That's certainly the message I got from college ds is due to start in September.

They have planned a model that works whatever - but they have the funds.

@LaurieMarlow

six years they managed with a different life in the war, and fwiw more people will have died fr corona than the blitz.

I’m not sure what the point of this post is? Are you saying it would be fine to just renege on education for six years? I seriously hope you aren’t a teacher.

I just find the 'We've been doing it long enough' brigade perplexing. My interest in this matter is that I do not want schools to close again, any school closure will be detrimental, especially to those that need it most. Sending everyone back with no SD and no funding for sinks/PPE extra staff etc seems to be the best way to go about it of you want them closed.

These threads just go round and round. Teachers don't want schools closed they want better safety measures. Schools look great on paper but we know at the moment it's not as safe as it could be.

I don't have a socal responsibility to put myself and my family in danger.

I see those photos and it makes me terrified of Ds returning to college.

Huge place, students from age 16 thorough to mature students. No masks, they’ve said that they are adhering to government advice. But it’s basically back to normal come first week of September.

My baby will be five days old when Ds returns to college. But he either returns it doesn’t do year 13.

Noisy the narrative I understand is that people are worried that by taking risks rather than having robust realistic plans it'll improve education and the ability to keep schools open.

There is risk associated with schools being open regardless of how it is managed. Whether it's bubbles of 15 or bubbles of 200, whether masks are worn or not, the fact remains that there are going to be people mixing and with that comes risk of infection.

I'm lucky to work in a superb school who have meticulous plans put in place, but those plans don't remove the risk, and when all things are considered I'm personally ok with that.

Honestly, teens are mixing as normal already. No social distancing whatsoever. If there is a local spike we all need to take action accordingly.

I've been to various shops (John Lewis being one) where till staff are wearing visors but everyone else is unmasked (which seems ridiculous when customers have to wear a mask...). Restaurants / coffee shops are packed.

Staff (and students for that matter) should be allowed to wear a visor if they want to (no obligation) and we all need to get back to normal.

My local Facebook group is full of people apoplectic that they saw someone in the coop not wearing a mask. The levels of anxiety are not proportionate to current levels of infection (people should be wearing a mask of course - it is interesting that those claiming to have a disability preventing them are often more vulnerable).

My own father, 81, slightly over weight and with a predisposition to pneumonia told me he didn't have to wear a mask going into the shops (that he shouldn't really be going to anyhow, but has decided to actually live his life rather than staying locked in the house). I told him he was mental as he needed to take more precautions due to being more vulnerable. He wore the mask. He was no more uncomfortable than me.

The best thing we can all do is sign up to track and trace and report how you are feeling everyday. I don't like the fact they are collecting so much data on us but I also want to have a real life that isn't confined to my home. I want my children to mix with friends. I want them to get an immersive education. I don't want our economy to tank so badly that we are all skint for the next 20 years.

A friend is a head in a primary school. Her governors talk endlessly about corporate manslaughter. It's not helpful. Corona is here to stay for the time being at least.

Honestly, teens are mixing as normal already. No social distancing whatsoever.

Not all of them.

Some are very sensible. My 18 year old included.

@NoisyPeacock this is my point your school sounds like it is has put measures in place you are comfortable with, this is great. Mine hasn't. I'm not asking for no risk, I want my children at school. I would just like some safety measures in place to help mimimise my risk and my children's.