Surely they can’t keep schools open as normal if cases keep going up like today!

[Worriedmum999]

My daughter went back to school last Thursday. She really needed to go as lockdown played havoc with her mental health. She was fine doing her academic work but she is someone who needs the social side of school.

We are a vulnerable family and, with this shitshower of a government, I had no faith that cases wouldn’t rise and I wouldn’t be forced to take her out of school again. But I cannot believe that she has been back 2 days and the jump in cases has been so huge. I honestly expected us to be able to get to half term. Of course deaths are going to rise now. Why wouldn’t we follow the pattern of the other European countries. Add to that the fact that people can’t get tested now and we’re fucked. And I’m so fucking angry and upset about the damage that this is doing.

What are the government going to do? Surely it will be impossible to expect parents to keep sending their children to schools when the death toll is huge again and the ICUs are full.

Nhs care was inconsistent, my trust continued all care apart from elective surgery. Cancer care continued but there were 4 patients who were too at risk to receive further treatment (fully discussed with patient/family). Just to note any viral illness can be fatal not just covid, so treatment would also be stopped for RSV for example.
We should be better prepared to care for covid patients now, so acute services imo, should not stop apart from perhaps the very vulnerable.

Indeed @MadameBlobby in fact it's even worse to hear that some schools handled online learning well as it shows it can be done.

@Oaktree55 if you mean people don't want to inconvenience themselves by losing their jobs then I think that's a bit more than inconvenience. The actual blended learning proposal for Scotland had pupils in one or two days a week. Parents of primary DCs would simply have to give up work, can't see much of an alternative.

And yes maybe schools will end up closing again, but that will mean national lockdown so those people ( mostly women) won't lose their jobs. Selfish - maybe- but I wouldn't agree with a solution that might be for the greater good of the country but leaves me with no job.

@Friendsoftheearth have you actually read the Gov Guidance for 2weeks on 2weeks off? Also have you thought about how compromised education will be in U.K. over this coming winter or is your real concern that the doors are open rather than the standard of education being provided? Would you rather have your kids at school being taught face to face by a teacher who doesn’t specialise in the subject (because they’re off sick/isolating) or on line by the specialist teacher?

The mind boggles how many have their heads in the sand over the reality of what we’re facing over the next few months.

@rookiemere my point was if parents want schools to continue to offer uninterrupted education they shouldn’t be signing up to after school activities which are likely to increase transmission.

Tbh I’d have been happy with the schools in part time but our kids would have been in 50%. Some schools were only able to offer 20% or less time in, even for senior pupils.

[quote Oaktree55]@IloveJKRowling very good point the clubs. Our school has opened them all (often run by external businesses) and attendees are across year groups and junior/senior school. If “education” was truly the priority then these clubs need to be on hold. A lot are held indoors and are aerobic activities hence high risk for transmission. A bit silly in my opinion but then it’s an Independent School and parents demand that there’s a full programme running.

I wish more people with think intelligently and have some foresight.[/quote]
I’m surprised to hear so many other areas have opened up all extra curricular activities. In our small town football is the only thing that has resumed. Rainbows, brownies, gymnastics, ballet etc (all the indoors activities) have said they won’t be reopening until at least jan. Rainbows is via zoom for the foreseeable so we’ve ducked out as my 5 year old has no interest in talking to people online.

None of our extra curricular activities are back here. I think orchestra might go back soon but it will be online.

oak Our schools, and all schools in this area are fully open and functioning - they are not doing 2 weeks on/2 weeks off and have no plans to!

I would rather my children had their normal subject teachers and that is exactly what is happening - and will continue to happen. On line learning is no substitute for proper teaching! The connection, understanding, joint ideas, creativity and humour is all found in person in the class. Not to mention once doing GCSE physics, chemistry etc it becomes much harder to do online. The idea of children learning like robots virtually actually terrifies me, and it is detrimental to a child';s health and wellbeing.

I have never seen my children as happy and joyful as they are today seeing all of their friends and teachers again, so many beaming and happy children - it has been a wonderful day!

I think you need to come out of the bunker and rejoin the human race, your posts have become a little scary.

Our school wears masks all the time unless eating or sitting and learning at a desk

So pretty much all of their time in school they aren't wearing a mask are they? Quite how that could be described as teachers being as protected as if they were in a supermarket I don't know.

And you might say I'm being defeatist but I'd say I'm a realist.

Again, with the NHS. It's great if telephone consultations suit you. For a large number of people they won't be adequate and for some patients they will lead directly to harm because conditions won't be picked up.

I am astounded that drs are happy to live with the increased level of risk tbh unless they've been guaranteed immunity from blame should they misdiagnose or miss a condition completely because they only allowed telephone consultations

@Friendsoftheearth unfortunately you are woefully ill informed as if you read the Gov guidance they can be forced into the 2 weeks on/off of cases reach a level to warrant this, perhaps your school is in a remote location so might avoid this. You are clearly one of the masses who would rather have head in sand. You state your opinion with authority which is not warranted or factually correct.

I would rather my children had their normal subject teachers and that is exactly what is happening - and will continue to happen.

There is simply no way that you can say this. How can you say your children will continue to have their normal subject teachers? Do you have a crystal ball? A bubble might be forced to isolate at any time or a teacher might have to isolate - there's no way you can be certain that this won't happen, many many schools right now are closing either entirely or for year groups and they've only been back a week in England

It’s almost cruel to respond to the deniers of the fact we’re mid Global Pandemic. It feels like telling a six year old Father Christmas isn’t real. One thing that I’ve found astounding is the psychology behind some reactions/handling of the predicament. Apparently denial is a coping mechanism. Each to their own. I prefer being informed.

Honestly based on the online learning provided, I'd rather that DS 14 was in school being taught by any random teacher than trying to learn at home.

If the online provision had been consistently good, I may feel differently.

Indeed the original proposal from his private school was 50% learning in reduced size classrooms and 50% online learning or homework in a hall. I'd have been pretty happy with that.

Probably because I'm a shit parent but I couldn't get DS motivated enough to do much school work at home, plus what was provided was very variable. Having him in has to be better for him than that.

And I do agree with you @Oaktree55 opening all the clubs and sporting activities does seem a bit premature at this point, but if the DC are all mixing anyway I guess is the thought process

@covidity

a PGCE currently takes less than 12 months with generous bursaries, and I’m sure the rules can be amended if necessary to facilitate earlier qualification

Do you understand that teaching - even passable, good enough teaching - isn’t something that happens through reading a book? Do you have any concept of the number of unpaid hours a student mentor puts in with good trainees (let alone the not so good)? Can you grasp that many people drop out of PGCE courses after the reality of a classroom? People who showed promise and often experience when interviewed for their course?

Teacher training will be an absolute shit show this year with many schools utterly unable to provide any space for trainees. Sure, we can throw in hundreds at the deep end and hope they swim. But without real life life support to shape them and their expectations, many more than usual will drown.

The education of the Covid generation is very much at risk - all teachers recognise that - which is why we have been shouting and shouting about what needs to happen to keep schools open and functioning. Sadly, everyone hears but few are actually listening. Schools will close, it is inevitable when even a matter of days ago it didn’t need to be. We warned, no one wanted to heed the warning.

Covid denier?!

Really this has now hit a new low, checking out and leaving the crazies to the thread x

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/07/teachers-at-suffolk-school-test-positive-for-coronavirus?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR10IPJjdZR6Ojc_AnaEcvfOcNvfkuiD98NDItE2Qc6AlnGn4RCxVFdaHZ0

I would rather my children had their normal subject teachers and that is exactly what is happening - and will continue to happen

Teachers in the school are robots then? Although even they aren't without issues.

My kids are already off, school said my youngest was snotty in class yesterday and today started with a cough. So school came with a home test and waited outside in the car so they could send it. So if it comes back positive thats potentially the whole class that could be infected. I am extremely high risk to the virus and a single parent and my son autistic and I often need to restrain him. Huge meltdown and ended up battered and bruised and busted lip just because of the giving him the test so won't be attempting doing it again in future. But it's a huge worry if it comes back positive as I know I have very little chance of surviving it at present.

@wildchild554

My kids are already off, school said my youngest was snotty in class yesterday and today started with a cough. So school came with a home test and waited outside in the car so they could send it. So if it comes back positive thats potentially the whole class that could be infected. I am extremely high risk to the virus and a single parent and my son autistic and I often need to restrain him. Huge meltdown and ended up battered and bruised and busted lip just because of the giving him the test so won't be attempting doing it again in future. But it's a huge worry if it comes back positive as I know I have very little chance of surviving it at present.

if he’s snotty fingers crossed it’s just a cold

My daughter went back to school on the 24th of August, was there for a week and off for a week. There's now covid in the "school community" and all teachers are isolating, all teachers except the principal and 6th form head. The entire school has to be taught by substitute teachers. It's utter chaos but I don't know what the government can do about it.

Death rate is tiny and ICU's were NEVER full ever.

Stop dramatising, stop wanting a second wave, just stop and get some critical thinking going.

It is FAR less risky now than it was 6 months ago when everyone was carrying on as normal without all this bollox of masks, SD etc ...

Calm the fuck down.

this

@MadameBlobby thats what I'm hoping it is but still no way will i attempt testing him again, he got too distressed, I know I will get judged for it but I nearly got hit over the head at one point. Only reason we did home test is because no chance I could take him to get tested because of the autism and his meltdowns in clinical settings in a normal situation be worse now. Even teacher said was no chance I could take him to get tested because the way he is.

got to love @covidity and her attitude towards teachers. Must have not enjoyed her educational experience