Home learning at the end of term or face isolating over Christmas

[urbanmist]

Schools are clearly driving the pandemic. Unless schools switch to home learning for the last week of term, many families will have all hope of ‘saving Christmas’ ruined. Children sent home to isolate in the last week will have to isolate on Christmas Day. Being in school is clearly the best for them, but at the expense of a ‘normal’ Christmas (if the rumours of a few day let up are true)?

@Backyard72 sorry I missed your question, yes I guess so? I've always been hugely against school closures, I wasn't happy they took so long to reopen, I have my own reasons, concerns and biases but yes I suppose I would support extended closure if the scientific modelling suggested it would help but NOT if they then wanted to mix households at Christmas.

Why would I isolate my child for a two weeks so they could mingle for one day? Leave schools open!

There is no evidence to suggest schools are driving transmission. It's impossible to break this out of the statistics.

@Fortherosesjoni70 yes I'm sure everyone of us who thinks school shouldn't shut for a week take the kids out on holiday, we are clearly the exact same posters with those opposing beliefs and yes taking a child out for a week in a "normal" year is exactly the same as wanting every child in the country to lose one more week after months of no education.

@ForthPlace how would thinned out classes work? Do you mean children attending part time?

@Eng123 Apart from the post half term dip in infections and the huge rise from mid September.

It's definitely not schools though....

All the people bleating on about mental health, what about the students who are isolating at the moment? Some are on week 8 of isolating. Your dcs could get told to isolate for the last week anyway.

How will it help them to have an additional week? No one is saying the situation isn't shit, but that doesn't mean we say fuck it and make it shitter for every other child?

Yes they could be made to isolate, again that's a bit different to denying everything child school, if I have to isolate with mine fine, but I hope schools will be open for other children.

“Think I will remember all the righteous people on this thread who think its so detrimental to take their child out of school on the last week but don't even think about the damage they do when they take their child out for a cheaper holiday! “

Have never and will never take my child out of school for a cheap holiday, day out, birthday, wedding, alternative religious celebration, duvet day or anything else. They have been and will be at school every single day unless too unwell to attend, they have an immovable nhs appointment, school is closed or truly exceptional events like a close family bereavement. I’m very comfortable I’m not using a double standard.

A planned for closure doesn't deny them school. Live lessons etc would be provided. Just from teachers homes. Schools open for childcare only. Surely a better plan than we have now and should lower the spread and protect us all.

We know people are going to mix, why not lessen the risk of virus spread?

Unless Christmas family mixing is made illegal through a proper lockdown or number controls, then the majority will be having Christmas with extended family.

Basically shut the schools because people are selfish arseholes who won't protect themselves or others.

@janetmendoza

'll be taking my son out from the 11th. We won't be mixing with anyone for 2 weeks and then we'll have a nice Christmas week with Granny. No-one will be put at risk.

We can do it, so as long as it's not made illegal, we will do it.

I'm not advocating early school closure as there's so many who think it'll adversely affect their kids educationally and mentally - it's not an issue for my boy luckily....
Backyard this makes no sense at all!
If your son catches it at school, how will you know? He's very likely to look well. So he stops going to school two weeks before the end of term and isolates. After 10 days you catch it from him. Maybe you don't realise you have it either. And you will be at peak contagiousness for Christmas day just in time to infect your poor mother.

Thanks, that actually make a lot of sense. I wouldn't really want to take him out any earlier so to mitigate against this possibility what do you think - have him tested (privately) on the 5th day after school & then on the day before Christmas?

@Eng123

There is no evidence to suggest schools are driving transmission. It's impossible to break this out of the statistics.

I've seen stats showing they are.

I’d prefer not to mix @ Christmas tbh than prolong lockdowns.

“have him tested (privately) on the 5th day after school & then on the day before Christmas?“

You are unlikely to find a private lab that will process a Christmas Eve test for Christmas Day.

In primary last week of school is often nativity and parties and bits , secondary my ds has mocks in jan so needs to be there , all though i can see a reasoning behind finishing week before and isolating , the reality is many parents would just let there kids all get together and hang around , possibly in each others houses so would only work of vast majority complied

A planned for closure doesn't deny them school. Live lessons etc would be provided. Just from teachers homes.

My ds had no such thing during the first lockdown. It was links to online stuff which was boring as hell and much of it I couldn't explain as the instructions etc were non-existent. None of the work was marked.

I'm a single parent, I work ft. My ds became withdrawn and depressed. His teacher called him for the first time about 11 weeks in to see how it was going. She was apparently "not working much as it was all on a rota". She was giggling on the phone.

I want him at school. We will have xmas day on our own and video call the grandparents and family.

@Smallwhiterat

“have him tested (privately) on the 5th day after school & then on the day before Christmas?“

You are unlikely to find a private lab that will process a Christmas Eve test for Christmas Day.

Yeah you're probably right, might have to get one of those fast result home test kits.

The last week is pretty sociable for the dc and is pre Christmas excitement. In primary especially. Better than stuck on screen learning alone and isolating (if they do).

Secondary still need that week if exams coming up.

And if people really want to keep then isolating home they can do it. No need to ensure everyone else does.

@Hercwasonaroll

It's not just about Christmas day either. Shutting schools for a week beforehand would stop the spread, and give children chance to isolate before (inevitable) mixing over the Christmas period.

Schools could remain open for childcare where needed for key workers etc. Again less chance of spread with fewer children in school.

So which poor sods don't get to isolate and have to stay in school then? And how do you decide? I do sympathise with your situation and don't disagree with all you've said but this post just makes me wonder who you expect to have the 'keyworker kids' so you can teach from home. Would it be the TAs by any chance?

Would it be the TAs by any chance?

No. We barely have any (thanks government).

We're secondary so plenty of volunteers and barely any students would come in (from experience).

I understand primary schools wouldn't be so easy to do this.

Our Primary school did an excellent job setting work for our children over lockdown; plenty of online lessons, Oak Academy and things like Timetable Rockstars, Education City and so on. Teachers also provided paper packs every Monday for those who weren’t able to log on. There were no ‘live’ lessons (we didn’t have the capability) but certainly enough work for a week. They also kept in contact with parents and children using telephone and video calls. I was in work the whole time and very proud of the school for supporting the children so well.

However, it became apparent in Sep that a huge number of children did nothing at all over the months we were off. Since our return I’ve had teachers in tears over some of the students that have lost so much education and are struggling so badly now.

I think an extra week would be a terrible idea, but tbh expect a lot of the children we are most worried about will stay at home in any case

At the moment 5 lessons a day that I teach are taught in real life and also over teams at the same time. I almost would prefer if they were all out at this point because its so confusing for my brain 🤣 But no, I don't think that schools should close prior to Christmas. I do think that parents will take their children out though.

I love Christmas but this year it is all about not spreading this virus so I am going to sacrifice a big family get together.

On the plus side at least Asda won't be packed in the days leading up to Xmas because everyone insistent on a "normal" Christmas will all be isolating at home won't they?