We may have to give up more to keep them open

[notevenat20]

From the BBC quoting Ferguson this morning

"We think that infections are probably increasing, doubling every two weeks or so, in some areas faster than that, maybe every seven days," he said.

The former government adviser said the "most important" measure to drive down infections was reducing contact between households.

He said schools should be kept open, but "we may have to give up more to keep them open"."

Can we give up any more?

The government is probably panicking about furlough ending at the end of the month. So for them to close things like businesses they will surely have to extend it. Weather wise is not overly cold most days yet but I do think we will lockdown properly because we can’t just speak about cases rising and nothing much is being done.

[quote DBML]@samosamimosa

I’ve got a private pension and savings. I’ll be fine.
And I couldn’t give a shit if you think I’m selfish. I’m done with being told I have to prioritise everyone else’s kids above myself and my own family. How fucking precious.
I deserve to also have a future and opportunities and so no, I don’t think we should give everything up to keep schools open.
Schools should stay open the same as everything else. Don’t close anything.[/quote]
Your private pension and savings are going to pay for the bins to be emptied, the libraries, GP surgeries and so on are they?

@Heffalooomia

Ah, it won’t effect every kid forever. It’s just a year or two isn’t it? Not to mention, the ones who work really hard at home will no doubt still do well. Those who want to catch up, will.

And one more thing, I doubt exams will happen. There’s no parity across schools. Year groups off in some, not in others...where’s the fairness? So the exam years will be gifted the grades anyway.

@samosamimosa

Nope, if you’re that interested I’m taking the lump sum and You already know how I’m spending it.

I’m sure by then education will have been up and running again, COVID free, for some time and plenty of people will be paying their taxes, just as I am now.

I think it's ridiculous we can be fined for not sending them in again. That has to go surely? There's lots of parents who would be happy to temporarily home educate due to the pandemic but don't want to take their kids off roll completely.

Not true. My DCs school was closed to all students, keyworkers children and vulnerable students included.

I think a lot of people are generalising from their own experience of good school provision. There were plenty of schools, that I know of, that were simply shut. In my friend's area there was one school open that took the key worker, orphaned etc children from a large area.

@Heffalooomia I know what you’re trying to convey but the reality is that the clever kids will be ok whatever. Unfortunately the Pandemic will widen the gap between Society further. Keeping schools open at all costs won’t help this it will destroy jobs for those who won’t enter Professions.

It’s a balance but schools open at all costs won’t in my opinion serve to lessen the gap.

I’ve got a private pension and savings. I’ll be fine.

Is it really not invested in anything? If it is, you need the next generation to keep on being successful so your pension keeps its value.

It is a fun student question: if I were entirely selfish, would I still want the next generation to be successful?

I know what you’re trying to convey but the reality is that the clever kids will be ok whatever

Really sorry if this seems aggressive, but I hate it when people say that. Surely we want every child to reach their potential not just to be ok. A good quality education is vitally important to the cleverest children too.

@notevenat20 by ok I meant end up with good jobs. We’re mid Pandemic how far are we trying to push things?!? I think ending up in good jobs is a pretty good outcome given we’ve decimated our economy for 5 years plus. Something has to give people normal has gone for a while anyway!

[quote Oaktree55]@notevenat20 by ok I meant end up with good jobs. We’re mid Pandemic how far are we trying to push things?!? I think ending up in good jobs is a pretty good outcome given we’ve decimated our economy for 5 years plus. Something has to give people normal has gone for a while anyway![/quote]
But we've already seriously disadvantaged our children and taken away the opportunities that I was lucky enough to have.

How much more can they sacrifice for others who so easily discounted their futures on 2016 and then again in 2019?

@Timeforanotherusername unfortunately a lot as that’s the nature of Pandemics. There’s no quick easy fix. As generations before us endured difficult times well this is ours/theirs.

what will people clamour for if restaurants & pubs close & case counts are still high?

glitterelf
If they removed the fines lots of parents would keep their children at home and support remote learning which would mean much smaller classes and would lessen the risks in our schools.

The thing is this, teachers cannot live teach and also teach those at home at the same time. My colleagues and I are spending a lot of time each week already double planning to have suitable lessons ready if individual pupils have to self isolate. We have to try and mirror the school day by finding suitable videos or preparing powerpoints or worksheets.

Whilst it might sound like a good solution numbers wise it is not sustainable.

I also know that for all this extra work so many pupils in my school don’t have access to suitable technology to access and complete the work.

Haven't read the whole thread but I live in the south west, in an area with one of the least number of cases in the uk. I can't get my head around how it isn't spreading here. We've had one of the busiest summers on record for tourists and yet cases haven't got worse. I understand that we don't have large city centres/tubes etc but it just seems odd how numbers are so low here. Kids are at school mixing as they are in the rest of the country.
I will feel aggrieved if we have to lock down when there is no need here at present.

I can't get my head around how it isn't spreading here

Do you live in a Tory area

It's not clear to me that teachers are getting covid at a higher than other people their age. If that turns out to be the case then we have another massive problem to deal with

If they're in an environment where sars-cov2 can spread without any mitigation, why wouldn't they get it? With similar outcomes in terms of long covid and hospitalisation as other people their age? Actually probably worse outcomes since most of those other people are not in environments without masks or social distancing except when they want to be. Not so for teachers.

Ah well, let's just wait and see then. Let's just allow teachers to be in the environments everyone knows are great for coronavirus spread and just SEE WHAT HAPPENS?

Fucks sake.

There won't be enough teachers left and all the 'we've got to keep schools open at all costs' brigade will have nothing to moan about because it will literally be impossible.

Maybe they'll draft in a load of untrained babysitters and no education will happen.

People who argue so passionately that schools should remain open at all costs shouldn't treat teachers so badly. They're not going to just take it forever. Schools are run by people, that fact seems to often be conveniently overlooked.

@wishingitwasfriday

Haven't read the whole thread but I live in the south west, in an area with one of the least number of cases in the uk. I can't get my head around how it isn't spreading here. We've had one of the busiest summers on record for tourists and yet cases haven't got worse. I understand that we don't have large city centres/tubes etc but it just seems odd how numbers are so low here. Kids are at school mixing as they are in the rest of the country. I will feel aggrieved if we have to lock down when there is no need here at present.

Low density housing? Low density people generally Outdoor lifestyle? Wind blowing most of the time? Generally high rule compliance (I'm struck how every time I go to the supermarket that mask wearing among adults is about 99%)

If they're in an environment where sars-cov2 can spread without any mitigation, why wouldn't they get it?

Schools are open everywhere in planet Earth. It's really not a peculiar British problem.

You missed the bit about ‘without mitigation’, noteven. That really does seem to be a peculiarly British problem.

@notevenat20

If they're in an environment where sars-cov2 can spread without any mitigation, why wouldn't they get it?

Schools are open everywhere in planet Earth. It's really not a peculiar British problem.

Have you read any information on what is going on in schools in other countries? They haven't just opened up the doors to all pupils - including fining parents! with a ''Wash your hands then all back to normal - welcome!'' message.

Have you read any information on what is going on in schools in other countries?

I can't claim to be an expert on every country but yes. In Britain school is nothing like it would be normally of course. In our local secondary all the children are stuck in the same class all day with a 30 minute break for lunch and one other short break.

I am aware that in some countries they have masks for different age children. That seems to be the main difference. I also read that some countries are thinking of getting rid of the masks because of the harm it is doing to children.

It's not just masks.
They have less children in a class anyway - so distancing is easier.

My DC attend 3 different settings. Apart from handwashing & not socialising with other 'bubbles' there's no difference to how it was prior to March now.

My DC attend 3 different settings. Apart from handwashing & not socialising with other 'bubbles' there's no difference to how it was prior to March now

As ever it seems there is huge variety in Bristol schools. There is another local secondary where the children do change class in the day. The bubbles are probably the most important part. But I assume at your school all the clubs have been cancelled too?