Will schools close in January/February?

[BaileyBoos]

Just that really.

Given the huge rise in cases and the inevitable,
upcoming January fiasco, do we think schools will close? Primary and secondary, or just secondary?

Purely speculative I know, but the recent lockdowns haven’t been hugely effective, so I can’t help but wonder.

You are aware that the government instructed schools to collapse the curriculum in the summer term? Any lack of provision was their decision.

Primary schools remained open the entire time with classes of children returning in June.

Primary schools remained open the entire time with classes of children returning in June.

Not much use when it’s entirely inaccessible to so many.

I’m sorry that teachers working full time was not much use to you. You can blame the government for that. We had full bubbles of Nursery, Reception, Y1 and Y6 and full keyworker bubbles of Y2-5. No spaces. Again that was the government’s decision.

Yes government decision. And I’m glad they won’t make it again. Looking very unlikely anyway.

The primary children numbers testing positive are shooting up and there are many cases going untested due to the fact young children are not presenting with the 3 main symptoms so are not being tested are are still attending school. As a parent I do not want schools to close but I do think an extra week online after Christmas for all schools not just secondary would really help bring the numbers down.

@RiverBanks, you seem to have a fundamental misunderstanding of the function, role and scope of unions.
It's not that this hasn't been pointed out to you numerous times on previous threads, under your many name-changes, so I can only imagine it is deliberate.

I want my children’s schools to remain open, they all do better in school and the socialising is far better for their mental health. As one has high needs, I need him in for my mental health as that’s my only respite as well as needing to work.

However the primary aged children have both had their teachers off isolating. This caused major upset for them both, the disruption is hugely unsettling. Thankfully we haven’t had a case in our small primary as yet. So when saying schools need to remain open, I wish they’d consider that it’s not a fully open normal school vs kids at home. They need to stop firefighting and get a plan In place that actually minimises the disruption. Part time opening, reduced numbers in school, proper cleaning and also the ensuring schools are keeping ventilation and minimising mixing because ours are not.

I’d rather see them all close for a sort time after Christmas to allow a lockdown of sorts which is helped by the holiday and then send them back into schools with proper mitigation’s for all ages. Just wish they’d stop minimising the impact of the burst bubbles, cases and self isolating.

@psychomath

But no-one wants to shut schools because everyone is saying the kids' education will suffer, which is really parent-speak for 'we want them to be in school so that we can get on with our lives/work' or whatever.

Are you willing to give up your pay for the period in which schools are shut, @WanderingMilly, with the possibility that you might not get your job back when they re-open? Because that's what you're going to be imposing on many parents if you want to shut primaries.

@psychomath, Why would teachers need to give up their pay? Schools are not "shutting," insofar as they will still be providing education to their pupils, albeit not face-to-face. So, in effect, working from home, like many millions of others. This is NOT of their making.

Morning all. RiverBanks is a previously banned poster. We've deleted their posts and sent them on their way.

@CallmeAngelGabriel, I'm not saying teachers would or should have to give up their pay - I'm saying that that's what would happen to many parents if they had to stop working to look after their children because primary schools were closed. I was wondering if the PP who was calling for primary schools to shut and being sneery about how it won't happen because parents "want to get on with their work" would feel the same if they were in that position.

I appreciate how difficult it's been for teachers and school workers, btw - I am one! So I understand that we have no say over this and obviously don't want to stop getting paid if/when schools do close. I just think it's been a shit time for everyone and some more empathy in both directions would be nice, instead of parents constantly accusing teachers of being lazy and teachers constantly accusing parents of just not being arsed looking after their own kids. As though that's all this is about.

Teachers are also parents. Not all of us got KW places for our own children either.

Spain and France didn’t do much distancing in schools as a rule. Italy did and they also did mass testing from the start of term, which identified cases and led to many of them closing again. The infection rate was too high when schools opened so while their measures meant fewer infections it didn’t mean none and they were quick to close in areas of high infection. What is needed is a driving down of infection followed by an opening of schools safely with distancing. Like parts of Australia did. And now they are facing a normal Christmas

Like parts of Australia did. And now they are facing a normal Christmas

Australia is irrelevant