State schools must stay open but private schools can close early

[Lumene]

This seems really wrong to me. Kids I know at private school has their last day yesterday, so a clear run until Christmas. But the government is forcing state schools to stay open, meaning parents have a legal obligation to send their kids in.

This means if you pay you can safely see your family at Christmas but if you don’t then you can’t unless you break the law and face a fine.

Just found out that the local comp has closed early. In England!

Wales announced a couple of days ago that it would be online only this week

gov.wales/secondary-schools-and-colleges-wales-will-move-online-learning-monday-part-national-effort-reduce

NI is allowing schools the option

England's state schools must remain open to pupils until 17/12 (18th becoming an inset day), and at least one head who wanted to close has been told point blank he must not.

Some schools have so many staff off that they cannot operate safely and so have to close (would have done so any week), and others might decide to close and take the consequences from DofEd. There seems to be considerable support from parents of secondary age pupils for that

Phone your children’s school and say they are ill. Repeat for the whole of next week. You do have a choice.

Yes, that was the point I was making about Welsh schools closing. I said that.

I have not seen it being reported that English schools are not allowed to close, was my point.

There seems to be considerable support from parents of secondary age pupils for that

Lots of state school pupils gathered together in the local park yesterday - clearly loads aren't using this as a period of self isolation!

Children will still be with their primary caretakers on the day so for them the day won’t be that different.

Unless they or their primary caretakers have contracted covid then of course it would be very different.

This is about schools that are being consumed with covid cases and wanting to close to keep the children / their families and their staff safe. I am 14 days in from catching covid from my school. Thankfully for me it didn’t happen over Christmas.

I'm not sure what the latest is in Scotland - due to close on 17/12? There has been talk of extended holiday, but I'm not sure any final plan has been announced - but an additional period closed (not available to schools in England) does seem to be on the cards there

@BiscuitDrama

Yes, that was the point I was making about Welsh schools closing. I said that.

I have not seen it being reported that English schools are not allowed to close, was my point.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/12/11/schools-close-last-week-term-could-face-legal-action-ministers/

My concerns are not about needing to isolate before seeing an elderly relative. It’s about my DD not being forced into a school riddled with Covid and bringing it home to ME! And then I might spread it to my office where even though they talk the talk about home working I am being pressured to continue going in. In spite of discussing my concerns! It’s really all about keeping a business going for the bosses who can work remotely.

My concern is about all people, whether they are a child or adult, being forced into schools riddled with Covid and being gaslit by Govt and threatened.

@FuckeryOmbudsman

I'm not sure what the latest is in Scotland - due to close on 17/12? There has been talk of extended holiday, but I'm not sure any final plan has been announced - but an additional period closed (not available to schools in England) does seem to be on the cards there

Some regions close on the 18th. Lots of other areas on the 22nd, and some on the 23rd.

Any change to this has been rejected both by the Scottish government and the local authorities

The government speaks with forked tongues. Stay at home, have a bubble, work from home but not if a key worker (which seems to cover most businesses), don’t overdo it but you can go to a restaurant where nobody will check who’s from which household, mix at school, don’t mix in the park, the messages have been appalling muddled.

You’d really think a public schoolboy would do better, eh?

@catspyjamas123

The government speaks with forked tongues. Stay at home, have a bubble, work from home but not if a key worker (which seems to cover most businesses), don’t overdo it but you can go to a restaurant where nobody will check who’s from which household, mix at school, don’t mix in the park, the messages have been appalling muddled.

You’d really think a public schoolboy would do better, eh?

Noone has to work from home unless they can, and even then it is up to the individual company.

The rules are totally clear even if they don't always make sense from a transmission pov!

[quote BiscuitDrama]@FuckeryOmbudsman

Yes, I think it's pretty clear from the thread title that it's about an area where state schools aren't permitted to close early.

If it’s been widely reported that English schools are not permitted to close early, but those in other parts of the UK are, then I have missed that.
Is that the case?[/quote]
No.

Lots of state schools in Essex closed last week, and won't re-open until January, due to covid cases in most year groups. Some still had one or two year groups who didn't have any covid cases, but they still closed.

'closed' may mean 'switched to online learning' for either private or state. Also private schools have longer holidays because they go on 60-90 mins longer every day, effectively a day extra of school in every week.

State schools in parts of London are now going to close early