Isn't it glaringly obvious that the biggest risk with reopening schools is to the parents?

[ScammedOrWhat]

I'm astounded and angry that the government's messaging around schools reopening has been deliberately spun to avoid mentioning that the biggest risk is surely that kids are going to spread it to their parents.

Chris Whitty's statement avoided saying this, but if you read between the lines it is clear. He DID NOT say reopening schools was "safe" as reported by the media. He said that the risk to children's health from catching Coronavirus at school was outweighed by the bigger risks to their wellbeing in not going to school.

The further reports today that children are at low risk from dying or becoming seriously ill also support that. But what they're NOT saying is that there is absolutely nothing to say children won't carry the virus home.

Children's parents and grandparents are at considerably increased risk once schools reopen.

I'm furious with the government for not being upfront about this. The messaging should be: - yes children need to go back to school, but parents need to be aware that they are more likely to be exposed and dial back their social mixing accordingly.

Children should be taught vigilance and good social distancing and hygiene principles. They should be taught what symptoms to look out for in themselves and their friends, and to report them immediately for rapid testing.

They could have spent the summer pushing these messages out while investing in santization equipment- extra sinks outside, hand santitizer stations, free mask provision etc for schools. So the message should be - your child is probably safe from getting ill but you the parents are not.

Not to mention the risk to teachers and other school staff.

Yes, I was thinking that.

400 parents and grandparents waiting in the playground for their children to be brought out of infants. The playground is not big enough to Social distance.

Then the kids all go home to spread anything they caught.

But I am very reassured so far by the death rates staying low in Spain and France so far.

Parents of school age children are rarely over 65 so not, as a group, at much increased risk. I know a few will be - my ds's df is mid 60s - but a low percentage.

They generally drop dcs off outside so little increased risk of parent to parent contact.

The biggest risk seems to be to staff with health conditions, and to the few older parents, and any elderly relatives doing school run.

I would say the teachers are most at risk.

parents need to be aware that they are more likely to be exposed and dial back their social mixing accordingly.

You're right OP.

This has been the message put out in Ireland.

It's accepted cases will rise as children return to school.

The key message is for us all to limit the number of interactions that we have - and l'll definitely take it on board.

I think the messaging in the UK has been consistently poor.

Children should be taught vigilance and good social distancing and hygiene principles. They should be taught what symptoms to look out for in themselves and their friends, and to report them immediately for rapid testing.

Have a little read up on the cultural revolution in China and about Pol Pot before suggesting that we turn children into little informants. The adults are in charge.

There is a risk to parents and grandparents but young people have given up so much to protect older people, and will be paying for this crisis for decades. Plus Brexit, which was foisted on them by older people. Let them learn.

I thought this was very obvious, you child is going into school can't socially distance, so they are going to bring home whatever.

It is then up to the adult to make sure they are socially distancing, not the child.

But then how long do you continue to do so? Does this mean that every teacher is not going to be able to leave their house other than go to work? What about the parents who work outside the home?

Maybe we should all come to the conclusion that the government doesn't give a shit about any of us and just try and make the logical choices to try and keep as many of us as safe as possible.

Yes but they’re never going to openly say it
They want everyone back at work. Pronto
It’s now the Economy first Stuff us and our health

My DC went back to high school earlier this week. They said no social distancing going on except a couple of arrows on the floor telling you which way to walk. Teachers still coming up to students, so not able to be maintaining 2 metres distance. Supposed to be in year group bubbles , but mixing on the school bus and also in the corridors at change over times. No staggered start or finish times and all on break and lunch at the same time. I really hope I’m proven wrong, but looking at the news in other countries I think it’s not going to be long until we have new cases in parents and grandparents linked to the school. I don’t know why they didn’t adopt a blended learning approach and half the number of kids in the school if they can’t social distance. DfE have had long enough to come up with a better plan.

yes children need to go back to school, but parents need to be aware that they are more likely to be exposed and dial back their social mixing accordingly.

I couldn't agree more. But even more, it may be that everyone has to dial back their social mixing to allow children to go to school which is a harder message for non parents to swallow.

"400 parents and grandparents waiting in the playground for their children to be brought out of infants. The playground is not big enough to Social distance."

Most schools seem to have implemented staggered drop off times. Year groups are 15 minutes apart at my daughter's school.

On a related note, I just discovered that DS (year 4 to be) won't be allowed to mix socially with other children outside his class at lunch or break. They have to eat a pack lunch in their classroom. That is a real shame and has made me sad :(

It’s a joke. Everything is a campaign to this govt with an ulterior motive. Our health and wellbeing has never been their priority. The reason they’re not saying it is because they see it as being a worthwhile sacrifice to get people back to work.

Personally I think they’re pushing it because they want to finish furlough and that means getting people back in before they’re made redundant.

October will be perfect storm. Covid flying round schools and end of furlough forcing people to either go into work and spread it or give up their job because kids are all off school. 2020 is not over yet. As always that means on both counts, spreading in schools and jobs, that it hits poorer communities hardest

@ConiferGate

I agree but I am not sure the government caused this disaster. If people don't go to work then the country collapses economically. Apart from anything else this means less funded public services (NHS, schools etc).

If people do go to work then it increases the risk of virus transmission.

Here's hoping for a vaccine!

I’m a parent and part-time teacher. I will be working in a room of 30 children and adults including some children with behavioural problems such as physical violence and spitting. I’m clinically vulnerable as is my husband. I’m also a carer for my elderly mother who has no one else to look after her. I have had to fight just to be allowed to wear a mask to teach in and Government guidance is still trying to discourage this. Then even if I manage not to pick it up from my bubble, I still have two children in separate school bubbles who might bring it home.

Had the Government wanted to open schools safely they could have done more. They could have looked at PPE for teachers, they could have provided an online learning option for families concerned about children going back (e.g. those with health issues / elderly relatives) rather than threatening these families with fines for non-attendance. They could have looked at part-time rotas and resourced blended learning properly so there are smaller group sizes and more likelihood of schools staying open without infections spiralling. They could have paid for extra teachers to mobilise supply staff. They could have given schools money for more outdoor learning resources (such as shelters, wet weather gear etc). They could have paid for mobile classrooms or taken over venues to reduce class sizes. They’ve done none of this.

Instead we get told to wash our hands and that our children are in bubbles. However, we all know that is a nonsense when kids have siblings in other years / schools or are mixing outside school.

The BBC is today reporting that Sage are modelling for worst case scenario of 80,000 deaths this winter. It’s going to be one hell of a ride...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53954492

[quote GingerandTilly]I’m a parent and part-time teacher. I will be working in a room of 30 children and adults including some children with behavioural problems such as physical violence and spitting. I’m clinically vulnerable as is my husband. I’m also a carer for my elderly mother who has no one else to look after her. I have had to fight just to be allowed to wear a mask to teach in and Government guidance is still trying to discourage this. Then even if I manage not to pick it up from my bubble, I still have two children in separate school bubbles who might bring it home.

Had the Government wanted to open schools safely they could have done more. They could have looked at PPE for teachers, they could have provided an online learning option for families concerned about children going back (e.g. those with health issues / elderly relatives) rather than threatening these families with fines for non-attendance. They could have looked at part-time rotas and resourced blended learning properly so there are smaller group sizes and more likelihood of schools staying open without infections spiralling. They could have paid for extra teachers to mobilise supply staff. They could have given schools money for more outdoor learning resources (such as shelters, wet weather gear etc). They could have paid for mobile classrooms or taken over venues to reduce class sizes. They’ve done none of this.

Instead we get told to wash our hands and that our children are in bubbles. However, we all know that is a nonsense when kids have siblings in other years / schools or are mixing outside school.

The BBC is today reporting that Sage are modelling for worst case scenario of 80,000 deaths this winter. It’s going to be one hell of a ride...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53954492[/quote]
Not only have the government not upported or encouraged schools to do any of these things, they've tied schools' hands by forbidding them from going part time, or hiring local venues eg Church halls to make classes smaller.

I don't understand the reasoning behind this at all unless we're unofficially back to herd immunity as a plan - which will kill thousands.

This government are killing us, literally.

And explicitly said you will not be refunded for any money to spend to make your school "Covid secure." Zero extra money.

@MrsTerryPratchett

Are you really comparing asking children to report that they noticed so and so was sick to the Khmer Rouge?

One minute they're saying Little Jenny has a cough, the next they're slaughtering anyone with glasses.

One minute they're saying Little Jenny has a cough, the next they're slaughtering anyone with glasses.

To be fair, it's not the snitch that does the enforcing.

Re: PPE for teachers. What sort of equipment would teachers want? Normal cheap masks don't protect the person wearing them. They are to stop you infecting others. You could wear a hazmat suit but I am not sure what else would work.

I don't actually know the answer to this, but was there any observed increase in cases in parents whose children (in England at least) went back to nursery on 1st June?

I realise this affects a much smaller group than parents whose children will be going back to school soon, but the same principle applies surely, with even less (if any) social distancing going on in nurseries because the children are too young to understand it. Our own nursery hasn't had any incidents in the 3 months they've been re-open so far, friends have said the same of their nurseries. Have I missed headlines of other nursery outbreaks elsewhere? Genuinely interested

@notevenat20

It's irrelevant because to compare people being slightly nosy to the Cultural Revolution or to the Khmer Rouge is really preposterous and offensive.

@rottiemum88

It's a very good point. It seems likely that R will go up slightly with schools opening so the govt will need to decide what else to restrict as R is about 1 at the moment. At least that is my guess.

Parents of school age children are rarely over 65 so not, as a group, at much increased risk

The 3% of the population who were deemed exceptionally clinically vuonerable (shield) were not determined by age.

If you are looking at clinical vulnerability (the flu jab group, sometimes called the moderate risk group), it includes the pregnant, the obese, those with asthma or diabetes, those with a whole list of other conditions. Not just the elderly.

The idea that those at increased risk are not found in the school,community (including amongst the pupils) is simply not true

@DancingCatGif. Are you actually offended? I don't think anyone is saying that training children to grass on each other is an exact equivalent.

If you are looking at clinical vulnerability (the flu jab group, sometimes called the moderate risk group), it includes the pregnant

What are the health risks to mother and child of covid?