I have been puzzled by the obvious effort that has been put into propaganda around the "schools are covid safe".
In August and September the media, including the BBC, were full of how totally safe the schools were. No media was asking the obvious questions-eg what about school buses, how can you fit 30 people in a room at 2m distance when there isn't space, what about vulnerable staff and pupils? Or even: What has been done to make schools covid safe? Because the answer was: Not a lot.
When it's become obvious that there is an issue, it still hasn't really been picked up by the media, and if it is mentioned, is in a half-hearted way. Our local rag published something only a couple of weeks ago saying how almost all the pupils were in school in our area... of the 3 secondaries, one was half closed, one was fully closed and the other had over half the children in each year group isolating.
Our area is low numbers, rising slowly at the moment-driven by schools.
Things schools have come up with to make them safer, that wouldn't even cost extra money to the government, have been knocked down or refused.
I suspect if the government had put the money and effort they've used in trying to convince people schools were safe into actually making schools safe, then it would go a long way to making them safer.
But still the question remains: Why? Why is it so important to the government that people believe schools are covid-safe?
Why is it more important that people believe that, than people are actually protected from spread in schools?
I can't see why you would make that priority. Ultimately the latter will be more important.
And if the DofE doesn't believe that threads on MN have an influence, then why would they bother asking MNHQ to put out a statement?
So if they believe MN has an influence, then why wouldn't they use it?
So if the DofE is reading this thread, please answer the following questions:
What actually has been done in schools to make them covid safe?
How can you justify the risk to vulnerable pupils, teachers and their families?
If, for example, a wedding can only have 15 people at 2m distance, how come it's safe for 30 children and a teacher to be in a room all day 5 days a week where 2m distancing is impossible?
("In Tier 1 and Tier 2, the number of people at a wedding or civil partnership reception or celebration (including the couple and guests) must be no more than 15, safely accommodated with social distancing in a COVID-19 Secure venue. Tables must be 2 metres apart, or no more than 1 metre apart if there are COVID-19 Secure measures such as barriers, screens or other measures to limit transmission are taken.")
How come there have been no mass studies on school transmission that will come out in time to act upon it?
How many teachers have died or tested positive this term?
How many schools have confirmed transmission has happened in schools (all our local secondaries have and several of the juniors too)?
I'm wanting answers from the DofE, not posters who have swallowed the propaganda please.