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.

Agreed. We are doing very little now except school, with bike rides etc at weekends. I’m happy to limit all other activity if it means my children can get an education.

Won’t work we are heading to winter. The long term implications of everyone doing nothing at weekends apart from playing on playstations (bike rides in winter are vile and I’m a cyclist so that’ll soon dry up) are really serious.

@Friendsoftheearth
Absolutely

whenwillthemadnessend

Totally agree about not wanting online learning forever, I'm with you on that one.

But it seems better for us at least to be prepared for that at the outset than not being prepared and not being able to do it as a family.

I would have prepared mine had gone to school back in March, but since we weren't in either of those categories we had to manage.

@Teateaandmoretea

Agreed. We are doing very little now except school, with bike rides etc at weekends. I’m happy to limit all other activity if it means my children can get an education.

Won’t work we are heading to winter. The long term implications of everyone doing nothing at weekends apart from playing on playstations (bike rides in winter are vile and I’m a cyclist so that’ll soon dry up) are really serious.

But it’s not going to be long term. It’s one winter. 3/4 months. There isn’t going to be any choice but for people to limit their social interactions over the winter if we want to stop the virus going out of control.

Flowers in the attic springs to mind!!!!

What, they're going to start having sex with their siblings. 😁

Dont' want to be doomongerish and trying not to have a nervous breakdown here anyway (only half a joke...)

but the Guardian published a table of which iCUS would be overloaded in the winter today. I know it is jolly isn't it. Im' at the point where I try not to look at the news aside from essentials about what it is we are supposed to do or not to do

We are another family who do very little outside of school anyway. Don't have a garden I'm thinking woolly jumpers outdoors in the winter...? DD sociaslises really only with the same people and I hardly socialise at all. I know sad isn't it.

Agree, I am perfectly happy to restrict my activities so my DC have a better chance of staying in school and schools remaining open.
I am aware that not consuming or going out or travelling is bad for the economy, but at the personal level my only and main priority it my DC's education and mental health.

whereas it is worrying the increase in cases is too early to be attributed to school openings. It could however be linked to teachers and parents getting more tests in to be sure before sending their kids to school.

after the shit show of the last 6 months I am hoping the government will prioritise education over everything else. They certainly should do.

And as pp says, it is not forever, probably only a few months. It will be far worse for the children and young people to spent the dark cold winter months stuck at home doing online learning with no social contacts.
The government would prioritise entertainment/food and drink/travel industry and let our DC fester at home all winter if it continued with its current policies.

I am aware that not consuming or going out or travelling is bad for the economy, but at the personal level my only and main priority it my DC's education and mental health

Same. My kids are young. They’re perfectly happy wrapping up and going out for long walks/bike rides in the winter. I know that won’t work for everyone, but all I can do it my bit to limit interactions and reduce spread.

But it’s not going to be long term. It’s one winter. 3/4 months. There isn’t going to be any choice but for people to limit their social interactions over the winter if we want to stop the virus going out of control.

You realise childhood obesity has gone up during lockdown already? Another 3-4 months is serious.

There is a difference between ‘limiting’ socialising and ‘just going on bike rides’. It is about sense and balance, and some people will go too far both ways.

And let’s face it, if schools close again so will the dance classes/swimming lessons etc. So they’ll be stuck doing online learning at home with me all week. Far better for them to be out at school.

There is a difference between ‘limiting’ socialising and ‘just going on bike rides’. It is about sense and balance, and some people will go too far both ways

They’re currently socialising at school 5 days a week, 6 hours a day.
It’ll be far worse for them physically and mentally if schools are closed, and they are at home with me all week while I try to homeschool and work.

It's impossible to discuss this seriously on MN. The UsForThemers and SPADs are all over any mention of schools throwing out 'herd immunity' despite knowing there is no herd immunity.
The government opened schools in the hope of kickstarting the economy. They could see from other countries that our rates were too high and we didn't have enough precautions. They could also see research on home learning that says it doesn't disadvantage DCs and global research showing DCs did catch Covid and that there is a risk of longterm complications. The government's priority is the economy not DCs' education or health. If you're concerned write to your politicians or join one of the lobby groups.

I’ve only read the OP, apologies.

Schools need to be open if at all possible, the damage done, particularly to vulnerable children if they are closed is huge. Whilst deaths and hospital admissions are low, this is not high risk.

Remember also that schools have been open throughout. Primary schools had 200+ children in from May onwards, and at our primary school we had 0 cases, and no rise in cases. Obviously people need to be watchful and schools will be on the case, but I don’t think worrying at this stage is going to help, and really children and parents need to be encouraged to embrace the schools being open!

If I catch the virus it will only be from my kids who will have caught it in school.

I am fully prepared for that and I have prioritised their education over everything else.

If they do bring it in, then we will do everything we can to ensure it doesn't leave our house again.

@Teateaandmoretea

But it’s not going to be long term. It’s one winter. 3/4 months. There isn’t going to be any choice but for people to limit their social interactions over the winter if we want to stop the virus going out of control.

You realise childhood obesity has gone up during lockdown already? Another 3-4 months is serious.

There is a difference between ‘limiting’ socialising and ‘just going on bike rides’. It is about sense and balance, and some people will go too far both ways.

What’s your sensible and balanced solution then?

If anything needs to close, school should be the absolute LAST thing to close.

But they shouldn't close at all unless the is an outbreak linked to a certain school.

All this getting secondary to do online learning. What a load of old bollox. ALL children need face to face teaching.

The sad fact after seeing other pp agreeing with me that they want their DC education and mental health put first and are happy for other areas to close first is that the government's policies are dictated by business leaders who donate to them, such as the Wetherspoons boss who donated to their election campaign and now, like many others, is part of the Conservative Leaders Group which influence the government. The government has keep these kinds of businesses open and thriving, and so our DC education and mental health will continue to be the last of it's priorities. So we can expect our DC to be homeschooling while pubs, bars, restaurants, foreign holidays, casinos etc remain open for business this winter.

I would want to see every other part of industry locked down before we even consider closing schools again in the worst case scenario, and even then I would still expect schools to remain open as far as possible in areas of low transmission.

I can see a two tier situation unfolding with one half of the country in a semi permanent lockdown of sorts, and the other steaming ahead.

God some seriously irrational people on here! get a grip and just get on with it

Distance from the vulnerable and everyone else go about their day. There are no other solutions. If you’re at risk look after yourself and take some personal responsibility. Why screw the entire population and country

Even now it’s predicted millions will lose their jobs and that’s without another lockdown

Almost every workplace is running at reduced capacity due to distancing - what do you thinks going to happen next month or six months down the line? Companies aren’t going to keep paying and will want to recoup cash for all the loans etc they took out to keep them going

Half people on here will lose their jobs because of the restrictions we already have

Let’s see if you start shouting for lockdowns when your house is about to go

It doesn't prioritise their education to have put them into a system that is guaranteed to have unscheduled disruptions for the foreseeable future. We already have two cases at our school, lots of pupils and staff off. This half-arsed approach isn't helping anyone and is demonstrably impacting DCs' health and education. But, funnily enough, the posters saying they are prioritising education suddenly have their fingers in their ears when faced with the reality of an adhoc approach that means parents don't know when they're going to need to be at home, that classes are disrupted and that vulnerable children and adults are going to get ill. Suddenly they don't care about any of that. It makes all their proclamations ring a bit hollow ...
The parents' group that lobbied for schools to reopen is also anti-vac and anti-mask and anti-social distancing- that tells you everything you need to know about them.

If cases keep on going up more and more things will be restricted. The relevant question is at what point in this list of restrictions will schools be shut. It seems that social gatherings will be the first to be banned. Then maybe some businesses will be shut and restrictions on travel within the country. And then after that secondary schools and then finally primary schools.

So yes it's possible schools will be shut nationally but things have to get massively worse for that to happen. Much more likely is lockdowns in particular areas.

@AnneOfTeenFables

It's impossible to discuss this seriously on MN. The UsForThemers and SPADs are all over any mention of schools throwing out 'herd immunity' despite knowing there is no herd immunity. The government opened schools in the hope of kickstarting the economy. They could see from other countries that our rates were too high and we didn't have enough precautions. They could also see research on home learning that says it doesn't disadvantage DCs and global research showing DCs did catch Covid and that there is a risk of longterm complications. The government's priority is the economy not DCs' education or health. If you're concerned write to your politicians or join one of the lobby groups.

I don't know what SPADs stands for, but here in Scotland the UsForThem had a march in Edinburgh with about 200-300 people. No masks or even social distancing at all and many shared travel.

Agree that it does seem ad-hoc, especially as the government has devolved policy-making to head teachers. So some schools have masks and some don't.
The government needs to take steps to demonstrate it is prioritising education and mental health of children and young people. Currently it is only demonstrating its support of non-essential sectors that actually harm health and the environment.