Government denial over schools issues will cause deaths this Christmas

[noblegiraffe]

I just can't get my head around how utterly crazy the government Christmas policy is.

Secondary school kids are the most infected subset of the population with it now estimated that more than 1 in 50 of them are positive. As they are children, most of them will never be tested as they either are asymptomatic, or will display different symptoms to the main three that are required to trigger a test (councils are overruling this in some parts of England and asking parents to use a more sensible list of symptoms).

Schools mostly break up on 18th December, 5 days before the Christmas relaxation period begins and people start taking advantage of this to mix with other households indoors, in poorly ventilated small rooms, which as scientists warn, is a terrible idea. twitter.com/devisridhar/status/1331931594400149506?s=21

Closing schools a week earlier (or moving online) would give 2 weeks out of school before Christmas day, which would reduce the infection rate in school children significantly (we saw a dip in the infection rate just in one week over half term) and make it safer for them to mix with other households, particularly if people took advantage of those two weeks to significantly reduce their contacts and other risks.

Some schools took it upon themselves to protect their own communities by changing the term dates to close a week earlier. The DfE has overruled this and forced them to stay open.
schoolsweek.co.uk/overruled-dfes-sweeping-coronavirus-powers-force-trust-into-early-christmas-holiday-u-turn/

Because of the tier system, if families don't get together at Christmas during the relaxation period, when their children pose a much higher risk, they will not be able to see their families properly for Christmas at all. Essentially Christmas is being funnelled into a time period which is insanely risky due to it coming shortly after children mixing freely in unsafe schools with significant numbers of undiscovered infections.

I know the DfE have been reading this board. I understand why you want schools open, but lying to people about the risks as you have is dangerous and immoral. Transparency is needed so that people can make their own informed risk assessments, not propaganda about 'safe schools' and 'saving Christmas'.

"Unions will simply maintain the position that schools are unsafe."
Well, they're absolutely right; schools ARE unsafe. Why are you suggesting they should lie and say they're aren't?

"I also think the lack of provision from schools GOVERNMENT during the original lockdown has made the government and parents extremely wary of closing them again." Corrected that for you.
Some schools responded to the shit-show the Government landed all of them in better than others. The law has since been changed to ensure that on-line learning is available to all with immediate effect of any closure. Schools have managed to set this up, with ZERO additional funding or recognition.

The benefits to DC of being in school on a full time basis far outweigh any risk to them of COVID.

But this thread isn't about the kids. It's about who they will be seeing over Christmas.

The benefits to DC of being in school on a full time basis far outweigh any risk to them of COVID.

DC and teens are literally at more risk from flu.

But their older relatives are not. All that Christmas mixing is going to have consequences.

It's one extra week to save all those people. I can't believe anyone would argue against it.

“All those people” can also choose to stay home and not mix with others at Christmas. Why should my kids carry the can for them.

I'd prefer to have a 1 week early closure than have 2 weeks unplanned isolation in January.

I've already had my 3yr old isolating, my upper primary school childs school closed for the full week before half term.
The same child has been isolating for almost 2 weeks now (14 days ends tomorrow) but he's not going to be in school for the rest of the week at least due to some of the staff, including his class teacher, being extremely ill with it.

I plan on seeing no one apart from the DCs dad over Christmas because I can't risk elderly relatives.
I can cope with a quiet Christmas but I'm not sure how many more isolations/unplanned closures I can cope with.

Spikey Why are you not angry at the government and how they have let covid run riot through schools putting your DS in that position?

“All those people” can also choose to stay home and not mix with others at Christmas. Why should my kids carry the can for them.

Let's hope they are all listening to you. But if not then January will be a wholly avoidable shit show.

"The benefits to DC of being in school on a full time basis far outweigh any risk to them of COVID."

Oh lordie, not this AGAIN?! What. About. Staff. And. The. Wider. Community. They. Pass. It. On. To?
HOW is it that we are STILL having to point this out?

Oh, and hundreds of thousands of DC are NOT in school on a full time basis currently, due to the shit provision the government has made to ensure schools are safer.

The benefits to DC of being in school on a full time basis far outweigh any risk to them of COVID

Shame schools don’t just have children in them

@OverTheRainbowLiesOz

“All those people” can also choose to stay home and not mix with others at Christmas. Why should my kids carry the can for them.

Let's hope they are all listening to you. But if not then January will be a wholly avoidable shit show.

But it could be avoidable by adults making sensible decisions about Christmas and not having a free for all. Why should children’s education suffer yet again because grown ups can’t be trusted to act sensibly.

“All those people” can also choose to stay home and not mix with others at Christmas. Why should my kids carry the can for them.

Why are you blaming people mixing at Christmas and not the government's woeful handling of the situation?

If schools had been managed better, mixing at Christmas wouldn't be an issue.

If schools had been managed better, your children's education would have less chance of being affected by isolation.

@CallmeAngelina

Oh, and hundreds of thousands of DC are NOT in school on a full time basis currently, due to the shit provision the government has made to ensure schools are safer.

This, absolutely this.

My 9 year old with ASD has been isolating for almost 14 days now.
This is a child who loves walking, who needs to run about in the park. Who I can not tell that the teacher he absolutely adores, is now currently extremely unwell.

I think the government, the DfE and the Unions have so much blood on their hands already that they just don’t care anymore.

Boris has had it, everyone hates him and blames him for the Covid fiasco so he’ll be gone soon, ditto Hancock and that waste of space Williamson.

No one will vote conservative for many years to come after this. My whole family and extended family have been tories all their lives. They have all been fucked over by ridiculous policies and seen the safety of their children and grandchildren put at risk so the tories could do deals with their mates. All of them state that they will never vote Tory again. So what’s it matter to them now. They’ve fucked it.

@CallmeAngelina

I was responding to a particular point about DC ending up in ICU.

Clearly there are risks to the wider community, but in my view and that if the government and parents, these are outweighed by the be benefits of schools being open.

Families will have to make their own risk assessments about the mixing they do at Christmas. Some ‘elderly relatives’ will prefer not to meet family while some may be happy to take any risk that may exist.

The teachers are just the forgotten part of the scenario aren't they? My daughter wrote to her mp regarding the lack of safety in schools and received a very long winded reply about how children are largely only mildly affected blah blah blah... Not one single mention of the staff who are more affected. I'm disgusted by their attitude.

It's going to be a terrible winter I fear.

My semi rural high school in a tier 2 area has had about 250 kids isolating this past week due to several positive tests across year groups. Several of my colleagues have had nasty cases - in one case, have been off for 5 weeks, tried to return this week and managed one day before getting signed off again.

Do you want your child's headteacher ringing on the 21st and saying he/she has to isolate for 2 weeks just so they could avoid being taught online - or do nothing for a week if they don't/can't engage with online stuff? That doesn't just mean avoiding relatives, it means not leaving the house for most of their Christmas break? Really?!

@Covidfears

The vast majority or parents are supportive of schools remaining open.

I think it would be better if the Christmas holiday was extended so children go back a week later. I'm not going to mix with family over Christmas because there are so many cases at DD;s school. Other families can choose to do this too. What isn't so easy to at the moment is the fact that when they goes back cases will be high due to mixing.

My 9 year old with ASD has been isolating for almost 14 days now. This is a child who loves walking, who needs to run about in the park. Who I can not tell that the teacher he absolutely adores, is now currently extremely unwell.

Oh that is awful :( Obviously terrible for the teacher, but also for your boy who will go back to school to a different teacher and worried adults which is difficult enough to cope with without ASD.

The government have handled it badly, but that doesn’t mean mixing at Christmas is a sensible idea.

My kids won’t be seeing their grandparents or wilder family because we are choosing to do the sensible thing and not do so. They’ve given up enough of their schooling for an illness that barely affects many of them, it’s time the adults took some responsibility and demonstrated some common sense. Closing schools early so kids can have Christmas Dinner with granny is what it comes down to.

[quote StarryFire]@Covidfears

The vast majority or parents are supportive of schools remaining open.[/quote]
Source? Where did you get this "statistic" from?
Has there been a poll that I've missed?

@noblegiraffe you are the voice of reason in a lot of chaos! There are LOTS of things that could be done to make schools safer but the DfE doesn't appear to talk to school staff about how best to do this and, of course, ministers prefer to give taxpayers money to their friends than to schools.

Noble, I am so grateful that you keep going and keep telling the truth. You are awesome!

The government have handled it badly, but that doesn’t mean mixing at Christmas is a sensible idea.

The government are the ones encouraging mixing at Christmas. Glad that you agree that is a stupid idea.

@Covidfears, Can you explain how/why the Unions have blood on their hands?