Do you think schools will close again?

[Beebityboo]

I'm disabled and considering removing my DC's from school in the near future. There are various reasons for this but obviously the number one thing I'm worried about is Covid. My DD was terribly unwell last year and I'm terrified to put her at risk again I also don't want to leave them without a mum. Numbers are rising, there is no testing and there are multiple children off in each of their classes. We also live close to an area that has absoloutely exploded in cases this week. I'm completely petrified.
After begging for flexibility and support from the school I've been told their hands are tied. Either send them in or deregister them altogether.
However I'm concerned I'll deregister, then the schools will close anyway and we'll have given up their places at a good school for no reason.
I'm massively struggling at the moment and just really need some advice. Every day I send them in I just feel sick to my stomach.
Please be gentle with me. I don't want schools to close, I just want some flexibility over the winter months.

Can y’all to stop whinging & deregister, it’d really help my kid into the school we want.. 😂 I think schools closing will be a very last resort. It’s horrendously cruel on our young people. We can all survive without a pub but this is our children’s education. It comes first. We’ve all just got to get on with it. I do think there should be some caveat for those on the vulnerable list though admittedly.

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince

Swimming, but not every area is the same. Manchester has something like 90 schools affected.

Yes, I mean I can see that there may be a decision to shut in some areas; but I would be furious if it was nationwide. There is no need to shut schools in the area I live in.

that said, I do think vulnerable families nationally should have the option to do remote learning if that is what they want, and not lose their place or be fined.

The trouble is if they blanket shut schools - where does that leave us? We could still be in this state in a years time, even in two years time. How long does it go on with no or little education? The vulnerable are of course a massive consideration, but so is everyone else.

I hear you OP.
We are in the same boat. Had this conversation late last night.

Our plan is to be honest with school.

Cases are rising exponentially, there is no social distancing or PPE in schools, bubbles of 240 and realistically they could never declare schools are remotely covid secure. A factory run like a school would be shut down and fined.

We are high risk. My risk is 1/3 of being in ICU with covid and 1/6 needing a ventilator. I'm beyond terrified.

If you have absence of more than 28 days they MAY take you to court.
But if child is isolating due to someone in the house showing covid symptoms gets them 14 days authorised absence.

If you have repeated absence they will issue you with a £60 fine. Pay this within 21 days.

We are trying to juggle absence to coincide with half term. I'm strongly suspecting half term will start a shut down as numbers will be sky high by then.

This means we hopefully have judged it correctly. If not then sadly we will have to lose his place at a top school.

So sad that parents who have a real possibility of either being chronically disabled from covid or might die are being put in this awful position by a weak, incompetent government.

I'm so angry. It's hard enough without the threat of court action to stay safe.

@Juststopswimming

So all of you who are convinced schools will shut - will you not be sending your kids back to school or let them socialise with anyone until there is either a vaccine or numbers are 0?

Genuine question

I did send mine in, trying to be positive and all that. He lasted a week before getting CV. Bubbles had already popped in other year groups. The whole school is now closed for at least 10 days.

Already had parents in the school group asking why at least lol. Some are very hard of thinking and forget it's only 10 days if symptom free and fit enough. Took me about 3 months to get symptom free and still have that after stuff you sometimes have after other coronas. My ds has also gone past day 10.

As for the vaccine, I'm not waiting for this and won't be in the queue.
Although Russia seems to be doing really good in the their trials according to Imperial College and others.

No you can’t rely on schools closing. If you feel that strongly about the risk to health, then surely you’d remove them and homeschool.

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince

Clicky link! www.boycottunsafeschools.co.uk/reported-covid-19-cases/school-cases-after-12-8-20/?fbclid=IwAR0LD-QY0AutptKBoHQ_CdU3zj11yumk0U8gG-7LxtHJGgGO1ysuhftoeD0

But it’s not always up to date as it’s just one guy and he can’t keep up with it all. There will be more than on the clicky link. I don’t know about nurseries. I think it might be just schools

Thanks!

To put the numbers into perspective... the numbers on this chart include two schools in our area which I know the details about. One was closed to two year groups for one day for a deep clean and one had just the lunchtime staff isolating due to one of their team testing positive. No-one else at the school is known to be infected.

It strikes me as a bit scaremongery, really. Of course covid is circulating in the population, that's what viruses do. On a positive note, it is a record of the prompt action that schools are taking to avoid spreading the virus around.

I have a theory that they want to keep primary schools open so that they can vaccinate children against the flu. The government have been heavily promoting the flu vaccination this year, so that we don’t have a flu epidemic on top of Covid, and if schools close it will be impossible to administer it widely to children. I haven’t seen this discussed anywhere though, which surprises me.

I hadnt thought of that but thats probably true. Although I think we had a much lower uptake in our school when it cha ged last year from a paper form to having to register consent and details online (dont know if that's just our area). I def want my kids done.

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince

Manchester has 250 schools affected and rising fast. It’s insane!

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/fifth-greater-manchester-schools-been-18983464

I hadn't considered the flu jab actually. If they aren't in school can they get it via the Gp?

Gosh Manchester, that number is shockingly high

Gps weren't last year, I think, as its a spray for children not a jab.

LivingInTheBackOfBeyond I've just read that flu vacines are being limited to only certain groups.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/health-54273172

@LivingInTheBackOfBeyond

I have a theory that they want to keep primary schools open so that they can vaccinate children against the flu. The government have been heavily promoting the flu vaccination this year, so that we don’t have a flu epidemic on top of Covid, and if schools close it will be impossible to administer it widely to children. I haven’t seen this discussed anywhere though, which surprises me.

or maybe they want to keep schools open cos, you know, education?

Our school is on skeleton staff. Supply teachers for almost all lessons now.

I don’t want schools to shut but what is the point in sending kids in to catch and spread the virus when they’re not even getting an education?

@Dustballs

Our school is on skeleton staff. Supply teachers for almost all lessons now.

I don’t want schools to shut but what is the point in sending kids in to catch and spread the virus when they’re not even getting an education?

But equally, what is the point in closing schools that have no cases and are fully staffed? As I said upthread, the three schools in my large village have all been fully open for 6 weeks now with no cases. The village itself hasn’t had a case for 7 weeks, there were 3 cases 7 weeks ago and no cases for the 6 weeks before that. What would be the sense in a blanket closure of schools here? Schools should deal with it on a case by case basis.

The thing is with some schools open and some schools or bubbles closed, possibly on and off, is this a fair level playing field for children. Education is now a postcode lottery.

Juststopswimming - obviously education but the flu vaccination must be a big consideration too, given the impact that flu can have. I’m pro schools being open and not trying to start a conspiracy theory!

MiniTheMinx - that’s the flu jab, children are generally given a nasal spray at school, unless there is a reason why they can’t have the spray - severe asthma etc. The shortage is concerning though.

Agree 100% SoUtterlyGroundDown - it totally needs to be dealt with on a school-by-school basis, no more blanket measures.

I really sympathise with those of you in areas where there are lots of cases closing multiple bubbles, and I do think the rules around school attendance should be changed (i.e. those previously shielding should be entitled to pull their kids out for the remainder of the school year without fear of losing their place) but despite what the media would like to imply - it is really NOT the same situation across vast swathes of the country and a blanket closure would be totally OTT.

@Bluelinings

The thing is with some schools open and some schools or bubbles closed, possibly on and off, is this a fair level playing field for children. Education is now a postcode lottery.

I agree, but its always been a postcode lottery to an extent hasnt it?

But equally, what is the point in closing schools that have no cases and are fully staffed?

@SoUtterlyGroundDown Yes I totally agree. There is no point in shutting unaffected schools down.

I want ours to be shut though.

@juststopswimming That’s a fair point. This just seems so much more extreme though,

Our schools aren’t doing flu spray until December. Given the latest research shows co-infection of flu & Covid increases risk of severe outcomes, it seems ridiculously late.

[quote Bluelinings]@juststopswimming That’s a fair point. This just seems so much more extreme though,[/quote]
I know, I agree. Its brutal and it feels particularly unfair. If they continue to operate on a school-by-school basis I really hope they'll take that into account where exam results are concerned.

Also in theory the areas getting hit now may well be in a better position in a few months, and the reverse could be true of the areas not being affected.

@Trackandtrace

That's shocking advice.

Maybe spare a thought for those of us having the process the administration and reporting sides of that kind of attitude

Its bad enough being shouted at all day by parents