What would you do to keep the schools open (or wouldn't you)?

[WhatWillSantaBring]

Just that really - what changes do you think schools, LEAs, and the government could bring in to keep the schools open? Practical stuff, such as would you make the children wear masks all day? Reduce class sizes to 15 to a room (fuck knows how, but that's part of the question!)? What else?

And what would you do, if you were the cabinet of the magically elected new national government? After the NHS, essential supplies (food, water, energy etc) what would you prioritise to keep open? Would you put schools over the hospitality industry? Put the whole country on total lockdown over Christmas to put a break on infections, if that meant keeping schools open? Shut universities but close primaries (or some other combination).

Or do you think we should close schools first to slow the spread?

We all know we could do a better job than this shit-show of a government, so let's hear your manifesto!

It would destroy his rule of 6 including children, where he deliberately set out his stall to be different to Wales and Scotland.

@jasjas1973

State grammar schools may have no more - and may have less - space available than local comps. Sorry.

Independent schools don't necessarily have large classrooms.

Extra space, enough to space out smaller classes, is ikely to need to come from other re-purposed buildings.

Masks for all teachers and staff
Masks in secondary
Masks ks2
Optional from reception

Maximum bubble 30 in primary
I would put siblings in together in primary as that halves risks well more than that.

HE provided for whoever wants it centralised by zoom.
No tours of schools

Nationwide no mixing in houses or pubs.
Scouts/guides to be outside or zoom.
Move secondary in high areas to part time/home now
Send vulnerable or ECV staff home.
Fortify flour with vitamin D. And maybe milk
We already have 12% of kids at home and others have been bulied into deregistering we need better Home learning.

Fundamentally though you are stuck with the risks of the area an d specific families in the class and that is quite ridiculous as say an ECV parent not going out is stuck with the risk of a family who live in pubs. Or care home assistant or dr etc.

I would have the GCSE years 10 & 11 + vulnerable children in every day and spread them out in smaller groups around the school. If there's enough room, I'd have years 7, 8 & 9 in just one day a week each for core subjects - all other subjects online.

@cardibach sorry what I meant was max class sizes of 30 in juniors like infants. My dd’s school has classes of 34-37! As people drive to this ‘good school’ or come by bus. If there was only 30 in a class it would be so much better than these classes.
Why they are allowed such big numbers when other schools are allowed to cap at 32, or 31, I have no idea. The rooms are no bigger!!

Yes, 15 would be amazing but right now I would be happy with only 30, as then they are at least sat elbow room apart rather than crammed in

I guess I was trying to say this is a great opportunity to limit class sizes once and for all.

For secondary, I'd have all years except 11 and 13 on part-time in, part time online, to cure bubble size in half. And semi lockdown areas where numbers were high (shut pubs).

I posted earlier about the number of schools in my area impacted. This figure has risen (I'm posting an updated link. 13,000 students and 700 staff, 113 schools) but even so, not every school is included, which is frustrating. I'd say the real figure could be more like 200 schools.

Liam Byrne, who also happens to be an MP in one of our hardest hit areas is asking for onsite testing and funding.

13,000 children in quarantine as coronavirus cases spread across city schools

www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/13000-children-700-staff-quarantine-19020412#ICID=Android_BMNewsApp_AppShare

To copy the French all secondary school children would wear masks. Then they too would be sent home individually with a positive test (not their bubble).

I hate the idea of masks in lessons but it may be the least bad option in the end.

So, given where we are, i would have weekly testing for all pupils and staff and use the extra space in private and grammar schools to "thin out" the state sector classes.

Most grammars are state schools.

Ours is tiny. An old Victorian building in a very poor built up inner city area, no decent outdoor space or greenery (they get a bus to a green space), with 95 per cent BAME and cases are high there, both in the area and school.
This would not work!

@middleager

So, given where we are, i would have weekly testing for all pupils and staff and use the extra space in private and grammar schools to "thin out" the state sector classes.

Most grammars are state schools.

Ours is tiny. An old Victorian building in a very poor built up inner city area, no decent outdoor space or greenery (they get a bus to a green space), with 95 per cent BAME and cases are high there, both in the area and school.
This would not work!

Quite! Grammar schools are as full as anywhere else, and private schools tend to have smaller rooms, so their smaller classes still fill them.

I’d keep education as it is except universities would be expected to do more to safely hold lectures and provide students with social opportunities.

I’d make it significantly easier for people to isolate, guaranteeing that they would be paid their normal wage as long as they can prove it, and I’d make testing so easily available with quick results so that people didn’t have to worry whether or not they should take a test.

By comparison our two local comps are absolutely massive with new build extensions and huge grounds and far more facilities.

Obviously lots aren't, and I work at one that had major refurbishment and extension, another that is falling apart at the seams, but most schools are fighting for space.

Testing and tracing . I was reading about how normal things are in China and that so much of this is down to testing and tracing - 29 staff were involved with tracing the contacts of one positive person and isolated about 200 people= we are way behind !

@LadyCatStark

I would actually stop ‘grassroots’ sports and out of school activities to avoid children mixing with others than aren’t in their bubble. I know it’s harsh, but at least children will be able to mix with other children at school and there is no social distancing in kids football matches for example.

I wouldn’t have opened universities as students should be fine with online lectures and should engage as they’ve chosen to be there.

I’d issue a plea directly to parents to avoid mixing with other households in order to keep schools open. I’d make it really clear that this is what people need to do to keep them open.

I’d allow teachers to use PPE and actually provide funding for this and for hand sanitiser and additional washing facilities.

I’d encourage more outdoor education and sports and provide funding for resources for this.

Agree

I’d be happy to support/part fund ppe, screens, cleaning.
Volunteer time to help with anything appropriate a few hours per week.

I think there was measures that could of allowed schools to stay open, but i feel the horse has bolted and adding measures now is like shutting the gate. Too late as infections are now so high and death rate is also increasing. Too many infections in schools, too many people unable ti get tests and track and trace on its knees.
Schools may have to close or the consequences amongs staff and students will become apparent

Things are not fine now. Covid is spreading in them. Our school is shut. We’re back to online learning.

I don’t know what could be done now. It feels too late.

In September I would have suggested blended learning. Part time school and smaller bubbles. For Secondary anyway.

Rapid teacher and pupil tests.

What would I do to keep schools open?

Anything.

That.

I would have secondary dc in on some sort of rota to thin out the general crush, classrooms etc.

On line live teaching 2 days, school for 3.

Primary not sure. Harder to facilitate on line teaching but then again many private managed it to some year groups.

Travel must be banned at half term. I would love to go and see my family then and will if we’re allowed.

But travel over half term will escalate this even more.

There was someone on radio last night saying that so few kids are testing positive (age 6-16) for covid that there is a strong case for not testing them by same rules, require they have at least 3 symptoms before they have a test, maybe, or simply on medical need.

I wondered if anyone had data on positivity rate for kid tests.

@ragged

There was someone on radio last night saying that so few kids are testing positive (age 6-16) for covid that there is a strong case for not testing them by same rules, require they have at least 3 symptoms before they have a test, maybe, or simply on medical need.

I wondered if anyone had data on positivity rate for kid tests.

I saw something that said 44% of positive tests had been in schools with care homes the next biggest sector. That would suggest more than a few testing positive and obviously needs to be kept on top of not loosened as those cases will go back to the community.

Removing fines so those that wish to homeschool may and thus reducing class sizes for those that attend school to make it safer for them too. Teachers who are clinically vulnerable to run online lessons.

The reason so few are testing positive is because
more kids get temps and coughs than adults.
And kids get other symptoms anyway rather than the 3 main ones.
We cant even test for rash and the yet 15% of kids get that i think.
The answer is not to withdraw testing whoever said that is an idiot because
1 a lot of parents and teachers would refuse to send in/go in as it will just spread rapidly why on earth would vulnerable teachers go into a class full of coughing kids that cant be tested.
2 parents wont be able to work anyway so might as well have the kids at home as employers would understand that more than months at home as a cold and cough move through a family.

If they withdraw testing then there can be no cause to disallow home learning as kids just wont be in anyway.if anything dont test as many uni students. Let them have vtheir student bars open or outside events etc but not allowed in town bars. They dont need to go to school or work (usually) are away from elderly.