Govt attempting to force schools to remain open with court order, against advice of PHE

[Bluegreen70]

Just that.

I've never hated any politicians so much

is bad

Not a teacher or an expert, obviously, but looking at some of the things DD’s school are doing - windows wide open in the classroom (kids encouraged to bring in fleeces if they are cold), staggered pick-up and drop-off times, different entry and exit points for the parents, masks on school grounds (and strongly encouraged when waiting outside the school gates). Lots of other things I’m sure. It might just be good luck that we have got to this stage in the term with only one case but I don’t think so. They must be doing something right.

Complete rubbish - many schools are doing all this and much much more, and have still been totally destroyed.

Its pure luck whether it is brought into your school or not, and how many times

@Ginogineli

seriously get some perspective

north west has had triple these figures for months and managed fine! can surely see the north and south divide here!
Liverpool did mass school testing and anecdotally from speaking to other kids and teachers (i'm a sixth form teacher), hardly any cases were found - so even if cases, they weren't led by schools

pure panic.

cases in these areas are 1/3 liverpool had last month

What do you mean by "managed fine"?

My cousins in these areas have hardly been in school since September, and have received virtually no education as none of their teachers are available to teach on line, due to being ill, or dead, or caring for their own children or bereaved, or caught up in the chaos in some other way.

Hence children in the North having been tutored online for months and months by teachers in the south

[quote Crownofthorns]@Bluegreen70

But can you not see how that would disadvantage millions of vulnerable children whose parents haven’t got the resources, time or will to educate them at home? For whom school is a refuge? Their only chance to experience any warmth, kindness, a hot meal? What you are proposing is not remotely workable. And what happens after late January, when cases rise again? And in (say) March? As I said upthread, we have to accept that this virus isn’t going anywhere. It would be more realistic to shield the elderly and vulnerable until the vaccine is rolled out properly and let the rest of us get on with it. This virus is only lethal to a tiny, tiny percentage of the population.[/quote]
wake up.

don't you think it "disadvantages" "vulnerable children" to be ill, left disabled, left bereaved, to lose parents and grandparents or to have parents and grandparents left disabled?

Shall I speak to my students who have become full time carers to parents who have been left disabled, and tell them schools were left open for their own good? And not to feel guilty for the rest of their lives that they infected their parents, because at least they learnt how to calculate air pressure?

I am sure they will think it was SOO worth it- especially the ones who have withdrawn their university applications due to the change in family circumstances.

@bluegreen70 you keep saying on several threads that "children are being left permanently disabled" by corona virus Evidence for this? And not "I was told by someone" please.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot teacher and former Government worker here too. Keep thinking about how much like an episode of The Thick of It it must be in so many corners of Whitehall right now.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55298095

Ark Greenwich Free School, which has the same autonomy as an academy, said the secondary would be remaining open.

The head teacher Rhys Spiers took to social media to tell parents they had not had a confirmed case of coronavirus at the school since October and "our teachers are in school ready to warmly welcome your children to lessons"

Hmm, how many of these "warmly welcoming" teachers are the same teachers who repeatedly forced terrified children into consecutive, hours long whole school assemblies in the last two days before lockdown in March, leaving dozens of children infected, and carrying the infection home.

Although, possibly not many. As I understand it more than half the staff resigned in disgust, leaving the managers free to recruit young inexperienced individuals, more susceptible to being bent to their will.

[quote Rosehip10]@bluegreen70 you keep saying on several threads that "children are being left permanently disabled" by corona virus Evidence for this? And not "I was told by someone" please.[/quote]
I am not giving details, as it is too identifying. I did give details earlier, but changed my mind and asked MN to remove the post, which they did.

However, I personally know children left permanently disabled, as do others who have posted. I also know of a previously health child dead from MIS-C locally ( not known to me personally- in a school about 4 miles from my school)- His parents are still attempting to get evidence whether this was caused by covid or not, but this information is not forth coming, for whatever reason.

West Mids schools here. We are closed fully to all years those week as we can’t staff the school - this is the 3rd full school closure since October. I’ve said on countless threads we haven’t been fully open since Sept when we had our first case.

One poster raised the issue about ‘schools need to stay open because of vulnerable children’. Well my city has some of the worst deprivation levels in the country. Our pupils have more time out of school than in - these same pupils will be sitting the same exams as pupils who haven’t isolated. If we want to ‘level up’ and move these children out of poverty and increase their social mobility, then the Gov need to put their efforts into making schools safer so we can remain open.

I don't think it's a conspiracy that Tory led councils are getting away with this. I just think they haven't been so vocal.

Up and down the country, many individual schools have quietly closed this week, but unless it's been reported to the DfE, how will they know to bully them into opening?

It’s Downing St forcing the schools to stay open. Gav is just the monkey.

Hence children in the North having been tutored online for months and months by teachers in the south

Are you making things up now?

@noblegiraffe

Sam Freedman, former education adviser to Michael Gove:

“The DfE have done many dumb things this year but this may be the dumbest. What in the name of God are the playing at?”

I read that as ‘what in the name of Gove are they doing?’

What indeed.

I genuinely feel like we are in some kind of dystopian fiction film or novel. It’s truly frightening when the government can do things like this. It also makes a complete mockery of all their other rules and tier system if the schools are staying open when the infection rate is so bad in places.

I appreciate it’s incredibly hard for parents when the schools close. I’m also confused as Basildon, which has an infection rate of 600 per 100k has closed schools early...

I agree with the court action, we can't have random councils just closing schools on a whim, it sets a dangerous precedent.

I hope the councils don't back down. It would be interesting to see the gov explaining why for some Tory councils, school closures have been acceptable.

@houseinthesnow

I agree with the court action, we can't have random councils just closing schools on a whim, it sets a dangerous precedent.

This is key. Precedent is what is being held in check.

It’s Downing St forcing the schools to stay open. Gav is just the monkey.

Yes exactly , wonder if they we will see anything of him.

We live in one of the London councils in the news. Two schools have already been closed for awhile - a decision taken jointly by the school, council and PHE. At one of the schools (a primary) there are over 30 cases, these are mostly staff. It is absolutely the correct decision for schools to close.

Please provide the evidence. This is area I am connected to - I receive regular updates- there has been no evidence that I have seen.

@middleager evidence please. Not from Twitter. Peer reviewed journals are best.