We were doing ok until we opened all the schools....

[Bbq1]

After lockdown was lifted pre September and pubs, restaurants etc were opened we seemed to have a handle on Covid with cases, hospital admissions and deaths all declining fairly steadily. Since we released millions of school aged children and thousands of teachers etc back into the classroom- boom, cases and consequently deaths, are now growing very rapidly again. It didn't take a rocket scientist to work out that this would happen. I work in a school and I have a 15 year old starting his gcse's so I 100% don't want the schools to close but surely there must be a more workable solution? Couldn't schools be one week, one week off for different bubbles or alternate days? Nobody wants schools to shut but surely in the long term if we don't get something safer in place and just continue sending kids and adults in day after day, then eventually they will close again?

I really couldn't have any other attitude if I am sending my children to school.

i agree op

and i feel Boris will make half term extended

If schools where safe there wouldn’t be huge numbers getting colds.

And what exactly are working parents supposed to do if schools don't stay open, are we then the ones expected to do absolutely bloody everything again? Homeschooling, working and looking after pre-schoolers? You'll have a whole other mental health crisis going on. I am not a teacher and funnily enough I want my child to have a proper education. It would be criminal to close them again.

Plenty of people have been going into work throughout, including when many teachers were teaching from home and on a rota so just in occassionally. I think they do an amazing job, but some (the minority) seem to think they're the only ones during this pandemic who have been out to work, or working in risky conditions, its odd.

@MrsTerryPratchett Okay, I did my job the whole time too? And now I have to go every day to a stuffy room with 30 kids and no provided PPE. In most other jobs people are either provided with PPE or get to work from home. I honestly don't know how people can think this is morally acceptable tbh.

Cases were rising hugely before schools went back. Eat out to help out, young people enjoying the last of summer, the govt pushing people back to work, all at the same time as the typical rise of winter respiratory illness. There's a 2 week lag for cases rising due to incubation periods and wait for tests, and even longer for deaths - because even if a 12 year old caught it and passed it to grandma, who very sadly passed away it would be a 5-14 day incubation period for the child, plus incubation period for the grandmother, plus the worst of the illness is often after week 1, plus average time in hospital on ventilation is over a week also. That can be a month or more, and schools in England (where both cases and deaths are shooting up) have only been back a few weeks.

But no, the obsessed school-refusers of Mumsnet will guarantee to blame it on education.

And yes, a lot of people who have lost their jobs would be happy and willing to go in and do the jobs themselves I expect.

It's a combination. Let's compare with Italy where transmission rates are still very low. Italy was in lockdown for 12 weeks, the UK for 7. Italy's lockdown didn't even allow outdoor exercise, the UK did. Italy didn't open schools until 15 September, the UK started opening schools in May. Masks have been obligatory for everyone everywhere indoors in Italy since the end of lockdown. In the UK, masks are still not obligatory for everyone and still not in place in restaurants and shops from what I've witnessed. When you walk to the bar for a coffee in Italy, you wear your mask until you are drinking the coffee. And that's why transmission is low. Small simple acts of respect plus a very long hard lockdown at the start.
The Italian govt have also consistently told all those who can work from home to do so, they bought millions of new desks to socially distance children, masks are obligatory for all children over six, including in school corridors .....etc...etc. So many missed opportunities in the UK. It's the govt's fault.

So what's your suggestion? We all be sat at home forever?

It's a combination. Let's compare with Italy where transmission rates are still very low. Italy was in lockdown for 12 weeks, the UK for 7. Italy's lockdown didn't even allow outdoor exercise, the UK did. Italy didn't open schools until 15 September, the UK started opening schools in May. Masks have been obligatory for everyone everywhere indoors in Italy since the end of lockdown. In the UK, masks are still not obligatory for everyone and still not in place in restaurants and shops from what I've witnessed. When you walk to the bar for a coffee in Italy, you wear your mask until you are drinking the coffee. And that's why transmission is low. Small simple acts of respect plus a very long hard lockdown at the start.
The Italian govt have also consistently told all those who can work from home to do so, they bought millions of new desks to socially distance children, masks are obligatory for all children over six, including in school corridors .....etc...etc. So many missed opportunities in the UK. It's the govt's fault.

@leafbeans I absolutely know that teachers aren't the only ones out risking themselves. But I do know that other jobs have provided PPE. We don't. In other jobs, people aren't shoved in a room with sometimes over 100 young adults for over 6 hours a day...

I would love to be able to work at home like the majority of my friends and family.

But you can’t do your job effectively from home. This is true if other jobs too - police, essential healthcare, food production, F2F retail, etc, etc.

The mad pub benders and mass summer UK travel and hols around Europe probably did some damage too. 🤔

@Bbq1

After lockdown was lifted pre September and pubs, restaurants etc were opened we seemed to have a handle on Covid with cases, hospital admissions and deaths all declining fairly steadily. Since we released millions of school aged children and thousands of teachers etc back into the classroom- boom, cases and consequently deaths, are now growing very rapidly again. It didn't take a rocket scientist to work out that this would happen. I work in a school and I have a 15 year old starting his gcse's so I 100% don't want the schools to close but surely there must be a more workable solution? Couldn't schools be one week, one week off for different bubbles or alternate days? Nobody wants schools to shut but surely in the long term if we don't get something safer in place and just continue sending kids and adults in day after day, then eventually they will close again?

Haven't RTFT, as the OP was so annoying - but how would you suggest this works when your children are boarding 200 miles away, OP?

To be fair I agree with the Teacher above. Sending staff into work with zero protection is scandalous. People have to wear masks in every other venue now including staff, but not in schools where in some classrooms there is zero social distancing. I think that is outrageous to be honest and I’m surprised their Unions have allowed it to happen.

In most other jobs people are either provided with PPE or get to work from home.

We call it building the bridge while crossing the river. Trying to source hand sanitiser and masks while doing our jobs. Not from home. And keeping both workers and staff 'safe'. Now we're good because we've been doing it for 6 months.

And did you really work the whole summer? Our teachers didn't.

Those pesky kids, demanding an education!

@Batshitbeautycosmeticsltd Well we should have opened schools using blended learning which was what was originally planned and risk assessed for. Then by this point we might have been able to open schools full time to pupils. Instead we're stuck with this.

I do however think adequate PPE and everyone strongly encouraged to wear it if possible is a good thing.

@OverTheRubicon

Cases were rising hugely before schools went back. Eat out to help out, young people enjoying the last of summer, the govt pushing people back to work, all at the same time as the typical rise of winter respiratory illness. There's a 2 week lag for cases rising due to incubation periods and wait for tests, and even longer for deaths - because even if a 12 year old caught it and passed it to grandma, who very sadly passed away it would be a 5-14 day incubation period for the child, plus incubation period for the grandmother, plus the worst of the illness is often after week 1, plus average time in hospital on ventilation is over a week also. That can be a month or more, and schools in England (where both cases and deaths are shooting up) have only been back a few weeks.

But no, the obsessed school-refusers of Mumsnet will guarantee to blame it on education.

Absolutely this.

When this is over & there is a big inquiry we will find out exactly how much our Government has cocked it all up.

IMHO it's pubs. Pubs and restaurants.

What's the point of us all shuffling round the block in a one way system to pick the kids up from school if we can then all go and meet up in the bloody pub and get pissed together !?

Although of course that'll all be ok now the pub shuts at 10 ...

Cluster in Wales caused by folk who were waiting for covid test results going on a jolly with others in a minibus then heading to pubs. Initial, limited evidence shows few outbreaks in schools and of those in reports it’s mostly teacher to teacher transmission not pupils. It’s early days though so time will tell...

@MrsTerryPratchett No, I didn't work during the Summer because teachers don't work during the Summer. We aren't paid to work during the Summer, so why would I?

So while you are at whatever your job is, do you have to spend 6 hours a day in a small room where the windows don't open properly with 24 individuals from different households and with no provided PPE?

’Although of course that'll all be ok now the pub shuts at 10 ... hmm‘

Yes. True. Covid only comes out after 10pm. Fact.