Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Covid spreading in Scottish schools

113 replies

jomartin281271 · 03/09/2020 10:22

I can't say I'm surprised. The idea that there could be covid in the community, and somehow when our kids get to the school gates they walk into a magic land where the virus doesn't exist is nonsense. The Scottish schools have been back for two weeks now, so this is a priview of what we can expect in the rest of the UK.

www.heraldscotland.com/news/18693187.coronavirus-scotland-evidence-shows-spread-covid-19-glasgow-schools/

OP posts:
MarshaBradyo · 03/09/2020 11:26

The numbers are so low in the op.

EDSGFC · 03/09/2020 11:28

@OLGADEEPOLGA

No one said they were walking into a magic land where the virus didn't exist!!!!! Do you expect your children to walk into a magic land where cancer and other things don't exist???? We all know we have to live with the risk like we do with everything else. What do you suggest we do? Order lots of cotton wool and wrap the school children in that?
To be fair, the plan for pupils to return has suggested that school buildings have some magical anti viral properties given no real Covid safe strategies are being used and all vulnerable and de shielded staff and students, and those with household members in those categories, are also expected to go back.

The prevailing attitude definitely has been that this won't spread amongst the students or from students to staff and clearly that is absurd.

ExmoorPony · 03/09/2020 11:28

@jomartin281271

I'm not going to wait until our children are lying in an ICU bed before accepting that this is a massive social experiment, and the government are using our teachers and children as guinea pigs.
Drama queen. Kids are not going to be lying in ICU beds
cologne4711 · 03/09/2020 11:32

I'm not going to wait until our children are lying in an ICU bed before accepting that this is a massive social experiment, and the government are using our teachers and children as guinea pigs

It is well documented that children are not badly affected by covid unless they have serious underlying conditions, in which case, presumably, other arrangements are being made for them. Education has to come first now, our kids were out of school for long enough (especially the older ones with exams next year).

Quartz2208 · 03/09/2020 11:33

The massive social experiment OP would be what would happen if we stopped children going to school and kept them isolated at home over a virus that in the UK has not killed 1 healthy child!

Of course it is nonsense that schools wont have transmission but we do have to move to getting them back to school.

stairway · 03/09/2020 11:33

We already know that online learning does not work for many children, particularly those on low income and where the parents need to work, part time schooling would lead to some children missing out on another 6 months of schooling or more.

MarshaBradyo · 03/09/2020 11:34

@Quartz2208

The massive social experiment OP would be what would happen if we stopped children going to school and kept them isolated at home over a virus that in the UK has not killed 1 healthy child!

Of course it is nonsense that schools wont have transmission but we do have to move to getting them back to school.

Agree. And the outcome is not good. Some children three months behind already.
Sunshinegirl82 · 03/09/2020 11:51

There were lots of "guinea pig" posts in May when they said nurseries etc would reopen. Whilst there has been the occasional outbreak at a nursery these have been very limited. Both my DC went back on 1st June and it has been entirely uneventful.

DS1 has had a mild temp once, he was tested, negative result back 11 hours later no issues.

Jrobhatch29 · 03/09/2020 11:57

How long we going to keep trotting out the kids in ICU beds line? It's just overly dramatic and not based on any evidence unless your child has certain serious medical conditions, and like a PP said alternatives should be arranged for this group of children.

AgentCooper · 03/09/2020 12:07

My DSis is a teacher in a secondary school for children with complex needs, often global learning difficulties. Distancing is basically not an option because these kids need assistance in so many ways, and they are tactile too - some are very huggy, some bite and hit. This is in an area of high deprivation where the school is a lifeline to the parents.

DSis was worried at first but now says they’re just getting on with it, taking all the hygiene precautions they can while knowing that it’s so important for these kids to be in school. She’s fed up, because with all the chat about masks and distancing, nobody seems to give a fuck that these things are impossible in schools like hers. So I reckon if a school like hers can do it’s best to keep educating in spite of Covid then your average school probably can too.

Schmeebles · 03/09/2020 12:19

Why do parents have to be home with high-school-age children? Genuine question. I get it for primary age, yes. But I don't get it for secondary. I don't believe that the vast majority of secondary school children would get any less benefit from being in school every other week, other than a relatively small number of kids who would need additional support. Why not focus on providing that support to those kids?

And there is absolutely bugger-all learning going on in my kids high school at the moment because, 3 weeks in, there are so many kids and staff off. Yesterday was mostly spent watching videos in class. (And I am NOT blaming the teachers).

TheKeatingFive · 03/09/2020 12:24

Why do parents have to be home with high-school-age children?

Would you leave 11/12/13 year olds at home alone for half the working week? That sounds like neglect to me.

15+ maybe. Pretty miserable existence for them though. I doubt mental health professionals would be behind that strategy.

Jrobhatch29 · 03/09/2020 12:25

@TheKeatingFive

Why do parents have to be home with high-school-age children?

Would you leave 11/12/13 year olds at home alone for half the working week? That sounds like neglect to me.

15+ maybe. Pretty miserable existence for them though. I doubt mental health professionals would be behind that strategy.

This. Year 7s are fresh out of primary. Many teenagers left alone all week will not engage with their learning either.
MeridaTheBold · 03/09/2020 12:31

And there is absolutely bugger-all learning going on in my kids high school at the moment because, 3 weeks in, there are so many kids and staff off.
Yy our school has had one case of Covid confirmed so far, and lots of pupils are off (in addition to the ones who were contact traced) and some staff are off. Lots of murmurs of discontent about how it's being managed, etc.

TheOrigBrave · 03/09/2020 12:43

[quote Schmeebles]@canigooutyet Blended learning. Which was the plan until a load of parents on Facebook didn't want to have their children at home.[/quote]
Which was the plan from who? I don't recall a blended learning plan being discussed.

amicissimma · 03/09/2020 12:46

"We also have massive numbers of children off school and awaiting testing. My 3rd year (year 10?) said out of a class of 28 they had 11 in yesterday."

17 children? Massive? I do hope you're not a maths teacher.

Kaktus · 03/09/2020 12:47

@Jrobhatch29

How long we going to keep trotting out the kids in ICU beds line? It's just overly dramatic and not based on any evidence unless your child has certain serious medical conditions, and like a PP said alternatives should be arranged for this group of children.
Soon we’ll be going to the ‘kids will have to take their own body bags to school with them’ lines that we were getting when it was first suggested that they should go back to school in June. Or ‘the reason they’re testing it out on kids is because smaller body bags are cheaper’ which was a particular gem on here.
hapagirl · 03/09/2020 12:48

My 14 year old was miserable doing home schooling. So much of school is the exchange of ideas and collaboration, especially for more arty stuff. DD is doing Nat 5 art and music. They shouldn’t have to do that on their own at home.

Schmeebles · 03/09/2020 12:53

@TheOrigBrave The plan from the Scottish government on the 21st May: www.gov.scot/publications/excellent-equity-during-covid-19-pandemic-strategic-framework-reopening-schools-early-learning-childcare-provision-scotland/ "...almost all children and young people will experience a blend of in-school and in-home learning from the start of the school year in August 2020."

@amicissimma Yes, 17 children off out of a class of 28. Over 60% of the class. Personally, I consider a 60% absence rate to be high. "Massive" even. Or is that the kind of absence level you are expecting and OK with?

TheKeatingFive · 03/09/2020 13:12

The Scottish government back-tracked on that plan almost immediately. Which sounds like an internal communications error rather than the result of lobbying from FB groups.

And I don’t think anyone expects having everyone back to be plain sailing. Just that it’s the right thing to do and effort needs to go into managing it as well as we can.

MNnicknameforCVthreads · 03/09/2020 13:14

@amicissimma

"We also have massive numbers of children off school and awaiting testing. My 3rd year (year 10?) said out of a class of 28 they had 11 in yesterday."

17 children? Massive? I do hope you're not a maths teacher.

17 as a proportion of 28 being absent is pretty massive in my opinion!
greengreengrass14 · 03/09/2020 13:17

One of the clearest and best programmes on what the stats mean is More or Less on Radio 4. They have just done an analysis looking critically at the data on covid and schools and unis which I found helpful and entertaining.

Also insights on the ups and downs of test and trace. May be helpful Also it is not just 'middle class' people who encourage their kids at home. I am on sickness benefits and have had to do it whilst being not well and on a low income.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000m5j9

Bluelinings · 03/09/2020 13:18

Blended learning is working well in plenty of other countries and others are hiring extra space and teachers. Others are having half the class in 8-12 and half 1-5. Open safely and open for longer. Not us though. We’re exceptional.

greengreengrass14 · 03/09/2020 13:20

Yes and as far as parents being at home with teenage school kids is concerned. We can't win.

We stay at home and encourage and supervised and we are criticsed for not 'working' as if THIS were not WORK

But if we leave them alone then we are absent parents and the first to blame if they get involved in County Lines, drugs alcohol etc.

Mothers get blamed for everything, let's be real about that.

Quartz2208 · 03/09/2020 13:20

I think it is important to distinguish between the (wrong)assertion that this is some kind of social experiment by the Government and understanding that this is going to be experimental - it is going to take time and patience to figure out how to manage this.

Because it is - and we have to take the time to get this right because it is likely to be for a term or two at least (if not the school year) to balance this out