Coronavirus outbreaks in England spreading mostly in schools

[herecomesthsun]

Link here

I know it is what many of us have been predicting for some months, so an all too familiar topic.

However, I thought some of you, maybe especially teachers or those from vulnerable families, might be interested in having the article flaaged up.

flagged, not flaaged

Well let’s face it, as winter starts it’s only going to get worse

No PPE in schools....no masks. Yet every other environment is wearing them? I don’t see the point in the rest of us ‘doing our bit’ and wearing masks all day if we go home to our children who have mixed with 30+ kids that day!

I don't think anyone said that there wouldn't be cases once the schools opened again. However with roughly 24-25000 educational settings in England numbers are still quite low. Numbers may /probably will go up, I am aware schools are putting things in place incase home working is necessary again, but so far I am grateful for the 5 weeks of education my children have had.

This is exactly why politicians should never have come out and claimed that they would protect schools at all costs. The restrictions that would be required to keep the virus at bay while keeping schools open are simply unpalatable whereas closing schools would likely be enough to prevent any other additional restrictions being necessary (and quite possibly allow a few other relaxations). What needs to be done now is for schools to be moved online for all except the most vulnerable children (who would be looked after by TAs and other non teaching staff) until Easter with schools being expected to provide the usual timetable in the form of video lessons to all pupils with immediate effect.

@StatisticalSense

This is exactly why politicians should never have come out and claimed that they would protect schools at all costs. The restrictions that would be required to keep the virus at bay while keeping schools open are simply unpalatable whereas closing schools would likely be enough to prevent any other additional restrictions being necessary (and quite possibly allow a few other relaxations). What needs to be done now is for schools to be moved online for all except the most vulnerable children (who would be looked after by TAs and other non teaching staff) until Easter with schools being expected to provide the usual timetable in the form of video lessons to all pupils with immediate effect.

So who will look after the children if both parents need to work? What if children do not have internet access or suitable devices?

There are families who struggle to feed their children and you expect them to have everything in place to use Google classroom or such.

March to July didn't work for many, extending that will be disastrous.

@TheGreatWave
If there was a way to get through a pandemic that isn't disastrous for many countries wouldn't be facing the decisions they are currently making. The best that a country can do is try and minimise the number of people that are badly affected and unfortunately it makes absolutely no sense to specifically exclude options because they impact any one group when considering how to minimise the numbers affected. Many of the issues experienced in accessing online education between March and July have now been addressed as the laptops promised by the government have now mostly been delivered (and schools could look at loaning their existing computers and laptops to students still without access). It is true that a small number of parents may choose to resign if schools were to close but flexible employers supported by the government should be able to support the vast majority to stay in employment and in any case the numbers affected would be much lower than the number of additional redundancies that would have to be made if other sectors faced a second closure.

Can't believe that some people are seriously suggesting schools should close and talking about home learning as if it is some simple and equivalent alternative. Closing schools should be the absolute last resort.

Closing schools should be the absolute last resort.

What would it take to get to this point?

That link also says there was a large number of outbreaks in workplaces too! Do you want them shut as well?

I don’t know about this. Bear in mind this is just a very small local paper. They’ve said it’s schools rather than universities. They’re basing this on the number clusters (pic). Surely the clusters at universities have more cases in. We need to know the number of cases not the number of clusters.

I want schools to stay open. Closing them again will destroy my dd, the difference going back has made to her has been staggering. She can't cope with home learning as it just enforces what she is missing to her.

I Work in a secondary school. All staff and students must wear masks moving between lessons and any public area like queuing in canteen and kids can wear during lessons if they like. All kids sanitize their hands on entry and exit of classrooms.
Students are in year group bubbles and have their own zones outside and in canteen.
We have staggered breaks x 2. Got just over 1000 pupils. No cases.
My school is organised and on it.

Looking at number of cases in England it could be students or older school children. It’s not sub 14 yr olds though.

This is exactly why politicians should never have come out and claimed that they would protect schools at all costs. The restrictions that would be required to keep the virus at bay while keeping schools open are simply unpalatable whereas closing schools would likely be enough to prevent any other additional restrictions being necessary (and quite possibly allow a few other relaxations). What needs to be done now is for schools to be moved online for all except the most vulnerable children (who would be looked after by TAs and other non teaching staff) until Easter with schools being expected to provide the usual timetable in the form of video lessons to all pupils with immediate effect.

If that had happened it would have been the end of my career.

If, after every other restriction is brought in...
Very imminent overwhelm of the NHS? nightingales at capacity? 1000+ deaths a day from covid?
Bring in every other restriction before closing schools.

What would it take to get to this point?

Multiple and increasing deaths across all age groups, equally, including children.

We are in a real mess.

The government is threatening to fine parents who are worried about the virus.

Schools will most definitely be driving transmission.

Many parents are worried about schools shutting.

It all feels rather depressing tbh, the answer isn't to leave schools open in their current unprotected state, and it isn't to shut them down. But parents won't countenance any part time option. So we are rather stuck.

I think something needs to happen with schools, even if everything else was shut down and no mixing of households whatsoever there would still be millions of people up and down the country crammed into small rooms who would continue the spread. My personal view would be to close all schools for two or three weeks and then bring in a part time system and which would hopefully stem the tide until the spring.

@PlonkItDownNOW

What would it take to get to this point?

Multiple and increasing deaths across all age groups, equally, including children.

This answer makes me very sad for the children who would be bereaved.

What is accounting for the large increases of in cases, it surely has to be linked to education establishments whether that’s directly or indirectly? Cases weren’t this high 6weeks ago,pubs,restaurants,leisure facilities etc have all been open for quite a while now so why the sudden rise. Secondary schools, colleges and universities should revert to online learning with attendance staggered across the week for different years/courses. Many of these establishments are ready or nearly ready to deliver lessons online. By closing everything else and still keep education as normal still allows for mixing in high numbers. As a start all lockdown areas should revert to Kline learning.

*kline =online

It's not that I won't countenance it, I CAN'T. There is no way to care for primary aged children while both parents do a professional job, let alone educate them.

@CKBJ

Cases were going up (a bit) before schools opened. I think it’s just a gradual relaxing. Bit of pubs, bit of people going to other people’s houses.

@peachescariad

I Work in a secondary school. All staff and students must wear masks moving between lessons and any public area like queuing in canteen and kids can wear during lessons if they like. All kids sanitize their hands on entry and exit of classrooms. Students are in year group bubbles and have their own zones outside and in canteen. We have staggered breaks x 2. Got just over 1000 pupils. No cases. My school is organised and on it.

Sounds like my DC school. Very well managed and very strict! God help you if you peak in the library if that's not your year group's area! Masks in all areas except lessons. Teachers can have visors, masks even if they want/need. Just a few cases in a couple of year groups (caught on holidays) - all totally contained and no new cases in several weeks. The OP is not the case in all areas or all schools. Just posting for balanced view not to suggest mine is the only view.

It's not spreading through schools in my area. There have been zero cases. We havePPE available to us if we want to wear it but only one member of staff has chosen to do so.