The government is trying to make you think schools will be socially distanced

[noblegiraffe]

The government are currently running a (well publicised) propaganda campaign to say that schools are safe. They are using social media influencers, journalists and friendly scientists (firmly ignoring any unfriendly ones like the Royal Society). Branwen Jefferys of the BBC tweeted “So how high is government anxiety about school return? A PR company acting on behalf of the Cabinet office is now emailing media offering experts to support the “messaging”. Strange way to approach news journalists ..”

And just about every news outlet running stories about schools seems to be rotating stock footage of half empty classrooms with teachers miles away from the kids. There have even been photos of kids getting temperature checks (not allowed). I was watching Sky news where a commentator was saying how awful it was that kids would be sent back to socially distanced schools. The PM gave a rambling speech to carefully spaced kids in a library. And in a visit to a classroom it’s clear that the kids were all shoved down one end in order to give some lovely spaced kids at the other end for the PM to pose in front of.
metro.co.uk/2020/08/27/boris-johnson-staged-school-visit-social-distancing-13188600/

Matt Hancock was on the news saying it was really important for teachers to stay 2m from the kids to avoid spreading the virus between all the bubbles they’ll be working in, despite knowing that this will be utterly and hopelessly impossible.

Why are the government lying? Why are they sending the ‘right’ experts to the press? Why are kids being spread out for staged photo shoots instead of honest pictures?

And why are the press largely going along with it?

Schools are going back, in a lot of cases to an estate that is unfit for purpose. Old buildings, no ventilation, large class sizes. Pupils will be crammed in facing a teacher who won’t be able to stand 2m from them. If it’s so safe, why aren’t they showing and acknowledging the reality?

YABU: what they are doing is fine and there are perfectly reasonable explanations for all the suggestions of socially distanced classrooms and schools in the media

YANBU: the lying liars are lying to us again

The children come right up to my face sometimes.

@Gwynfluff so why all the images that are incorrect?

I bet there are many parents/grandparents/other adults believing that is what classrooms will look like when children go back to school. Why have that clip of Boris talking to pupils when you can only see a couple very well social distanced pupils and then have the rest of the class scrunched up together on the other side of the classroom. Why do that?

OK so in June and July I had 8 kids in a YR bubble. We still couldn't distance. They gravitated together. If you add 22 kids the room is so full, there are too many touch points to keep on top of. Everyone breathing in the same air. Ppa teachers like me cover many classes and so are exposed to a huge number of contacts.

I have to move back.

MarshaBradyo

Having just been in a national union meeting.

They have said that they want schools to open, but open as safely as possible.

So no strike.

Teachers will not need to strike. If things go badly, the schools will close of their own accord. If things go well, there will be no need to strike.

It was rampant in the U.K. from early Feb in large urban areas and very widespread after half term for the month they were back. Scottish schools are on week 4 next week (2-3 weeks incubation). You can freely look at the figures as to whether it is ‘going wrong’

[quote ineedaholidaynow]@Gwynfluff so why all the images that are incorrect?

I bet there are many parents/grandparents/other adults believing that is what classrooms will look like when children go back to school. Why have that clip of Boris talking to pupils when you can only see a couple very well social distanced pupils and then have the rest of the class scrunched up together on the other side of the classroom. Why do that?[/quote]
There is absolutely NO WAY in the world your childs class will look like that. There is not the space. They are deceiving you.

we are actually on week 3. Every day there are cases in schools here.

In Scotland.
The community transmission is low here. If it starts to climb there will be huge issues for schools.

It was rampant in the U.K. from early Feb in large urban areas and very widespread after half term for the month they were back.

And as soon as the quarantine measures were introduced where teachers and pupils had to stay at home if they had symptoms, along with family members, do you know what happened? Schools closed. My DC's school closed completely due to lack of staff and my own school closed to certain year groups.

Because the testing system is so fucking useless, schools will again grind to a halt due to teachers being off - if not ill with it then waiting for results or quarantining for a fortnight due to contact with a positive case.

..and that is exactly what N Sturgeon said. Keeping community transmission supressed is the key to keeping low cases in schools.

MarshaBradyo

I know several teachers that are leaving the profession and have walked out, ignoring the leaving period.

The sad thing is that I know several more that are thinking about doing the same thing.

And no matter what various posters on here think, they are good teachers and will be missed.

And this is on top of those that I know that left during lockdown and gave notice before the notice period.

..and that is exactly what N Sturgeon said. Keeping community transmission supressed is the key to keeping low cases in schools.

That's the message in Ireland too, that they can only open schools if everyone reduces contacts so that transmission across the country remains low.

Whereas we have Whitty weeks ago saying the country had reached the limit of what it could open and suggestions that pubs would have to close to open schools and yet we're still full steam ahead with back to work, reopen the stuff that wasn't yet open....oh, and schools.

Gwynfluff

Based on some comments from parents I have read, yes - some do believe there will be distancing and additional measure in place.

I know for sure many of those people claiming to be parents actually do have at least one child.

@neveradullmoment99

Oh sorry, thought they went back in the 10th? So next week is week 4?

Have friends up there?

Results are being returned within 24 hours - what is the alternative at this point?

We did not establish online learning for most of the state system. People could not work and home school in most cases. Women bore the brunt of this and have delivered up to 6 hours of unpaid labour a day to cover and lost jobs in greater numbers than men.

Most people are accepting their kids are going back

Results are being returned within 24 hours

Are you sure?!

They went back on the 12th. Im just not including that as a full week.

Next week will be the third full week.

Know of many people getting results back quickly - in a big city. But not seen overall stats.

If you are NHS staff often faster.

But you can’t get a test unless you are symptomatic for various reasons.

Oh I’ve heard of loads of people left waiting days for results.

Current incubation period thinking - quoted

Current estimates give an average incubation period of 5 days (range 1–11 days). The maximum incubation period is used to define the period required for isolation, currently believed to be 14 days

So 16 days in in Scotland

@Gwynfluff

But you can’t get a test unless you are symptomatic for various reasons.

You can get tested here if you are a keyworker. Children of key workers can get tested.

I am a category 3 keyworker. I can get tested without symptoms seemingly in Scotland.

Teachers can get tested but i have no idea how i do it. I need to do it through my work seemingly.