It's not going to work is it...

[LivingIsHard]

Whatever they bring in tomorrow, it's just not going to work. Batten down the hatches.....

Beebityboo posted:

"I'm deregistering my DD from secondary tomorrow. It isn't safe of sustainable for them to continue as they are and unfortunately I've run out of hope that the government will see sense on this. The school bus was standing room only today and DD was one of only three people wearing a mask. It's ridiculous."

That sounds dreadul. They need to lay on extra buses so that pupils can SD... I realise this costs money, but cramming pupils onto a bus in that way is a recipe for disaster in a pandemic.

I don't know what I'd do in your position, but I wonder whether any court would enforce the payment of fines for non attendance, if you could provide photos to show the packed conditions on the school bus and zero enforcement of mask wearing. If you have the energy/time, it might be worth risking the fines then fighting any consequent enforcement action in court, while making as much noise in the media about this as possible.

@RepeatSwan

I am trying all the time to understand the different viewpoints on this.

Why do people feel school is working now? My younger children hate the measures: no clubs, no mixing, no moving, no singing etc etc.

And even while school is like this, transmission will be rapid and some children will lose parents, teachers, grandparents. Other parents will suffer ill health and maybe struggle to work.

I don't think we're doing the right thing.

You make complete sense to me. Why cant others see this?

You think there's a bright side to this pandemic?

Reckon those who lived (and those who didn't make it through!) The Black Death would be laughing their itchy wool stockings off at what a flap we're getting in! This pandemic not being even on the same scale as what previous generations have suffered certainly does give us a bright side!

I just don't have it in me @Defenbaker. Feel just utterly defeated by everything and not up to a fight. I think I may ask the head to keep her on roll until half term then see where we are. The worst he can do is say no. She's in such a bad place right now mentally that she is getting zero benefit from being at school whatsoever.

I dont know what the answer is but after Chris Whitty and Patrick Valance today I dont feel that tinkering about with pub closing times is going to achieve an awful lot.....

You make complete sense to me.
Why cant others see this?

Because some of us prioritise education and have intelligent children with significant aspirations who need to be in school?

@Stinkyguineapig

I dont know what the answer is but after Chris Whitty and Patrick Valance today I dont feel that tinkering about with pub closing times is going to achieve an awful lot.....

Its an absolutely pathetic solution and if that's all they have, I do despair.

@MadameBlobby

*You make complete sense to me. Why cant others see this?*

Because some of us prioritise education and have intelligent children with significant aspirations who need to be in school?

They wont have any aspirations if their life is destroyed due to parents ill health or death.

So go on, prioritise your child's education.

They will get over you.

There's not the same impact on working parents if secondaries go part-time as if primaries do.

For years all I have read on here from teachers is that schools are not childcare. Is this now an admission that if actually is?

Schools are for education. If there has to be a choice, secondary is more important.

It’s hugely unlikely I or anyone of my age will die unless ECV, in which case I do agree special arrangements should be in place. Even so, the fact it’s not a reason to destroy the education of hundreds of thousands of children. It’s ridiculous.

People are actually allowed to think differently to you @neveradullmoment99. I would actually be Ok with part time if it applied to everyone. Not primary kids getting a full education while mine get shite.

You hav no idea what your risks are in reality. Neither do I. Neither does the next person. Yes statistics say this and that but you dont know for sure do you?
It could be that you are the unlucky one.
Oh but you prioritised your child's education.

@MadameBlobby

People are actually allowed to think differently to you *@neveradullmoment99*. I would actually be Ok with part time if it applied to everyone. Not primary kids getting a full education while mine get shite.

Its a forum to express your opinion. Of course others are allowed to feel differently. That's the point?

What is your point?

If we want to keep schools open and minimise spread then we need to stop all out of school activities.

At present you can have 30 kids in a gym. 200 at a rugby club. 50 at football or cricket, dance, 200 at a hockey club, all “playing in small groups” my arse. Yet you can’t have more than 6 in the house, makes no sense. And every one of these kids is going into school and passing stuff on. But if we are serious about not closing schools then we have to do everything we can now outside school to stop kids taking it in.

Well I could drop dead of anything at any time if you go by that reckoning.

@neveradullmoment99

What is your point?

Responding to your “why can’t others see this” or similar comment as if you’re right and everyone else is wrong.

Anyway I’m off to bed. If I were you I’d be ashamed of your lack of ambition for this country and it’s children. Shameful.

People will not accept different rules for them and us.

I can understand why everyone is pissed off by the double standard but I'm a pragmatist and I know that in the event I needed hospital treatment with covid I'd be joining the queue just like everyone else. Surely no one thinks Boris spent hours on a trolley in A+E until a bed became available, he also continued to have one to one care on a closed ward after he was discharged from ICU. They might not be immune to dying but you know they are confident they would get early emergency care so no wonder they feel they can gamble with covid, the reality and consequences for the rest of us are somewhat different.

@Diverseopinions

It's very hard, but sadly true what one poster said about teenage youngsters not wearing masks on buses. In a few instances, mask was folded in a pocket or resting on the throat. Time to reinforce the message.

I'd agree with this. Almost none of the school kids are wearing a mask. I suspect most of them get on with one, but by the time they get to their seat it's in their pocket or bag.

We are between a rock and a hard place
there is no solution, only trade-offs
if by work you mean get rid of the virus then no it won't
if you mean slow down the transmission and spread it will to some extent
we will have to keep trying different approaches and strategies until we find what works and what doesn't
There is no sheet to follow we have to play by ear

35k more people will die of cancer because of this. Not to mention everything else. Go to fucking work

I keep hearing this stuff and people's stories about their BiL or whoever not getting their cancer treatment because of the pandemic. Is this really true? Does anyone have any links to info about this. Have there been more cancer deaths this year than in other years?

Well said, StrawberryPancakes!

@MadameBlobby

*You make complete sense to me. Why cant others see this?*

Because some of us prioritise education and have intelligent children with significant aspirations who need to be in school?

Oh wow, I guess just because I'm about to disagree with you I must have children of very low intellect.

Opening schools with virtually no significant modifications and sufficient space and staff to implement strict SD rules was always going to lead to an increase in transmission. I read thread after thread on here with shouty parents demanding schools reopen, and other threads where teachers patiently tried to explain the consequences. Its a virus, it acts like a virus, and kids are excellent vectors.

As for schools and the question of whether school is childcare by a different name, this is easy to answer if you have had any education yourself. Consult the history books. School has been childcare to keep them pesky nippers off the streets when they were no longer down pit or in the factory, it was school when mothers stayed home full time, but once again school serves the purpose of childcare for those parents who work, and not all parents work. But its always provided a basic level of education. But school is not the only place where this education can be provided. I think part time with blended Learning is better than two weeks in, two weeks off adfinitum. The present situation will still lead to huge inequalities and disadvantage to children in areas where Covid infections are rising and they are sent home. Far better to provide consistency and if the online curriculum could be standardised with the same material offered in every school, so much the better.