No longer a national priority to keep schools open

[noelgiraffe]

The government has surreptitiously dropped its priority to keep schools open.

It has replaced it with a priority to “keep education open”.

Remote learning is now a viable alternative to keeping schools open (as opposed to last Monday when it was a matter for the high court).

In the DfE media blog, tweeted earlier today regarding the delayed start to term in January they say:

“ Is this an extension of the Christmas holiday?

No, this isn’t an extension of the holiday and we haven’t asked that the start of term is delayed.

All students will return to education from the first day of term. Secondary school and college students should learn remotely for one week except those in exam years, vulnerable young people and the children of critical workers. It remains our national priority to keep education open and we are not closing education for any period other than during the set holiday periods.”

Interesting development.

I think the thing with science is you have to look, as with everything else, at who is holding the purse strings for one thing and whether their work and theories are being thoroughly peer reviewed.

I find it impossible to believe any scientists could genuinely believe secondary schools are a safe place to be in a pandemic. I really can't believe that.

I can see it, I can imagine them getting excited about mitigation measures without actually setting foot in a classroom.

How else, could Dr jenny harries have told us, that the risk is low in classes because they sit side by side and forward!

It's almost embarrassing as mere, lesser intelligent folk, we have to point out the obvious. I keep expecting all the way through this that they will give the scientific explanation.

How awkward would it be, now that we have been made lepers to the rest of the world, if it transpires this new variant has a higher transmission rate simply because we have not mitigated sufficiently throughout our schools.

Did you just hear Johnson?

Keep them in education

Yeah, just posted his words on another thread 'we want... if we possibly can'

Very unbullish.

It's gone beyond that's why. They can't keep children safe and despite previous bluster, they know it.

Huge change in tone and expectation.

“Boris Johnson fails to guarantee re-opening of schools in January”

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/school-return-england-boris-johnson-january-b1777268.html

Just checked our local rate has gone up to 548 per 100000 and so many kids we are hearing are positive. I think it's over 100% increase on this time last week. Can you imagine if schools hadn't yet broken up?

Valance looks extremely worried..... I sense lots of tensions in that conference.... I think there have been some monumental arguments behind the scenes. Valance looks lost... Tired..

Placemarking

I am not sure what they expected. A virus, it’s job is to survive and they mutate to infect as many hosts as possible.

So we lock down all the adults, keep children in school. Anyone who knows the first thing about schools, will know; A school is the perfect petri dish for mixing and spreading things.

So it has mutated to spread a lot more quickly and in children. It’s doing what a virus does. I think it has gone beyond schools and education. If mass negligence has contributed to this new strain and they continue this path. There will be big ramifications on the global stage, this is just the beginning.

It’s insanity.

What an absolute mess. I'm hoping the posters who believe the government's decisions are sound will be along to explain. They cannot use hindsight as a justification as all the information was in their hands well before September. Not putting any restrictions in our schools has been a disaster for the country.

@Piggyinblankets

Yeah, just posted his words on another thread 'we want... if we possibly can'

Very unbullish.

Yes, I thought this was significant.

I think he also said "it is our hope that schools can go back as planned".

I felt it was clear he hadn't ruled out a different plan for January.

Definitely. Watch this space, I guess.

I found it so odd that Boris sought to reassure France and other countries that the risk to solitary lorry drivers was very low and nothing for them to worry about when coming over here and back. On Saturday he announced the grave situation in Kent and other areas in the South. So bad that we were all to behave as though we had the virus. So bad that we could not travel or see our families on Christmas day. Now why oh why would France want to send their drivers here based on that advice? These drivers still need to use restrooms and food services. Does Boris think they will stay confined to their cab?

terrible news, wrong decision on every level.

I think with other countries in the EU as well as other UK countries delaying or making alternative plans for January schools, Boris knows he cannot allow England to be the only ones to reopen fully. Quite evidently, we are in a dangerous situation, and by the tone of things, maybe more dangerous than the situation in March. I appreciate Boris trying to make schools a national priority and keep them open, but by doing so, he is creating a disaster zone. I would much prefer for my kids to be in school, but I feel we are in a situation where we just can't reopen all schools fully. Whether that means remote learning and just vulnerable/key worker children going in, or whether a rota system be implemented. I think things are at the stage where Gov have to rethink January and schools.

I felt it was clear he hadn't ruled out a different plan for January.

I like the expression “to rule out”. I always thought it meant to cross out carefully, using a ruler. I don’t believe, however that this bunch of clowns ever “rule out” anything, let alone a plan, given that they make it all up as they go along anyway.

I have a slight twist on the whole new strain... hear me out and only call me nuts after :)

This new strain was known for some weeks.

1. Gov held off saying anything because they wanted schools to break up first (hill to die on and all that jazz).
2. Gov needs a scapegoat for when the shit really hits the fan: jan.

In order to maximize their coverage they needed another scapegoat than just the EU and this strain was perfect. But they miscalculated. They hoped that the WHO would be more vocal that this has been known for some time and calm down other countries. By suppressing WHO narrative, within the UK they could still exploit it fully. But the who didn't want to take part in the game. They put out a short pressie and that's it. So instead of actually setting the stage for future finger pointing it all blew up in their face. In this context it is totally understandable eg. that Schnapps was "surprised" about France's reaction....

@TheSunIsStillShining

I have a slight twist on the whole new strain... hear me out and only call me nuts after :)

This new strain was known for some weeks.

1. Gov held off saying anything because they wanted schools to break up first (hill to die on and all that jazz).
2. Gov needs a scapegoat for when the shit really hits the fan: jan.

In order to maximize their coverage they needed another scapegoat than just the EU and this strain was perfect. But they miscalculated. They hoped that the WHO would be more vocal that this has been known for some time and calm down other countries. By suppressing WHO narrative, within the UK they could still exploit it fully. But the who didn't want to take part in the game. They put out a short pressie and that's it. So instead of actually setting the stage for future finger pointing it all blew up in their face. In this context it is totally understandable eg. that Schnapps was "surprised" about France's reaction....

I agree. I think that they are the only country to run schools like this. It has been the English government’s hill to die on. They’ve dug in about schools and exams whilst knowing what is going on. This strain was first discovered in September. They sat on it, schools are safe, blah, blah.

I also do think the mutation has something to do with it. Viruses evolve, that will be a direct response of letting it run through our children. I still can’t believe people have been ok with that to be honest. Especially with long term risks still relatively unknown.

They needed a scapegoat, they sat on it, until they found the right time, when schools had finished and they could no longer hide it.

The issue is, it has blown up spectacularly. No-one wants to be importing a COVID strain which possibly impacts children more. I have friends on the continent and there is a genuine horror about what is happening here.

So far England are the only ones to stick with schools. Despite people repeatedly insisting schools will not close. They will, to all but KW and vulnerable (if they can even do that).

I just can’t understand why people didn’t see this coming, school staff have been saying it for near on half a year.

Agree @Itisasecret and @TheSunIsStillShining.

@mrshoho

Agree *@Itisasecret and @TheSunIsStillShining*.

We might be giving them too much credit. I don't think they actually think or have a plan.

Great post

Itisasecret

The whole thing was a shit show from the beginning. I dont think they had a plan either
The major failing was that in the summer, they did not get the virus low enough. Then schools going back..
In Scotland we managed to get to really low levels. The tory Government were happy to let a certain amount of virus circulate.
That amount was why it has blown up in Engand and especially in schools. we have it here [ I am from Scotland] but the cases here have been very much more contolled and as soon as there is an outbreak, track and trace are in the school and everybody is notified.
Added to the fact the UK Goverment let the virus circulate, they have continued to ignore the situation in schools.
There clearly must be another agenda for this as this sacrifice surely cannot just be about babysitting for the economy sake...can it?

My school opened with social distancing to third or half class sizes in June/July. Doing this again would allow part-time attendance for lots of children in some schools. My school would struggle to offer it to all children due to the key worker rule if it’s the same as last time. We would need it to be changed to TWO key workers and only when they are both attending work. We had children attending with one only key worker parent whilst the other was a stay at home parent, for example! I hope a way is found to keep children in school at least some of each week.