Why is covid ripping through secondary schools?

[noblegiraffe]

As the press seem unable to find some photos of what schools actually look like at the moment, I thought I'd try to find some myself. They aren't current school photos but pretty much reflect the day-to-day.

1st is a typical classroom in terms of space. Fewer kids than normal though.

2nd is a typical corridor (except much cleaner). Yes they are wearing masks but they are also so close as to be touching. Note the kid with the mask half off, nose out, he has probably just been told to put it on by a teacher. What's unusual is that the kids all have a mask and none are being worn on chins. Also, they're on their phones. Tut.

3rd is what a typical break time looks like. Note the clumps of kids and the boys grappling. No masks, obvs.

Any ideas as to why secondary pupils are the most infected subset of the population?

@noblegiraffe
Is it you under the almost like your username? Or is it someone trying to ride your wave?

Ok, got my answer :)

Cross-post TheSun!

I think it mostly stems from what is happening outside school. Many parents permit their teens to meet up and have sleepovers and parties even in lockdown because 'they mix in school/ college anyway'. This sometimes involves mixing indoors with kids from other schools or there may be siblings in the same household that attend different schools. My DC are invited to others homes quite often (no households mixing indoors permitted) and the parents of these teens think I'm being extremely difficult and a bit OTT by saying no. Thing is they will end up suffering anyway by having to isolate due to contact in lessons with these idiots.

@TheSunIsStillShining

I am sorry if I read something incorrectly, but is it really the plan for teachers to do the swab for the quicktest?

Yes it is. Which is one reason why my head has said no.

I think it mostly stems from what is happening outside school

You've seen those photos in the OP, right? Herds of kids in way bigger groups than your average sleepover.

NotAKaren. How on earth do you get that its more likely to spread from the occasional 2 or 3 people getting together once every few weeks at most with people they are seeing at school....

Than groups of 30 daily in crowded badly ventilated spaces for at least an hour at a time. When we know that its airborne and that crowded/indoor/not masked are the highest risks.

I wonder if some people have convinces themselves covid really does stop at the school entrance.

The problem is that even if the cases come in from the community there are few measures in many (most?) schools to stop it spreading. So, for example, even if there are cases in the community the chances are I wouldn’t catch it in the supermarket because there are measures in place to prevent it. I might feel differently if I was crammed into one aisle with 30 other shoppers for several hours and no-one was wearing a mask...