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Original poster

No longer a national priority to keep schools open

919 replies

noelgiraffe · 19/12/2020 13:52

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.

OP posts:
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13
WheresGav · 19/12/2020 17:44

What do you doubt?

mrshoho · 19/12/2020 17:45

We will break transmission links with socialising now effectively ending for the next two weeks but as soon as schools return it will just shoot up again. The school set up needs to change or we are just going around in circles.

MarshaBradyo · 19/12/2020 17:48

I doubt education approach will change. It will remain a priority

People posting schools will close in tier 4 are ramping up fear. There is no indication of this - in fact it’s stated as below they won’t.

Original poster
noelgiraffe · 19/12/2020 17:50

People posting schools will close in tier 4 are ramping up fear.

Eh? What thread are you on?

OP posts:
WheresGav · 19/12/2020 17:50

I don't see anyone ramping up fear.

I do see you saying that one can still travel for education, as evidence that they won't. All I am doing is pointing out you always could.

This does not mean I think school will fully close , or that I am calling for that.

I do not trust this government to know what they are doing, however.

Itisasecret · 19/12/2020 17:51

@noelgiraffe

People posting schools will close in tier 4 are ramping up fear.

Eh? What thread are you on?

Not this one, clearly. 😬
MarshaBradyo · 19/12/2020 17:52

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Itisasecret · 19/12/2020 17:53

So this thread highlights that the DfE have made changes to their wording and it has been derailed in to a completely different thread. Well this is bizarre.

Is it to hide the obvious? Schools are an issue? I don’t know. Answers on a postcard.

Elephant4 · 19/12/2020 17:53

Tier 4 will probably only end on December 30th if this new variation of Covid is twaddle.

We shall see ...

MarshaBradyo · 19/12/2020 17:53

Marsha they already have closed secondaries with some exceptions for the first week of Jan.

What do you think will happen in Tier 4?

What did you mean by this Noble?

mrshoho · 19/12/2020 17:58

That's just it we cannot trust our own government. If the infection rate of this new variant is as high as they say it will just tear through the classrooms in their current set up. I know that schools will not have this testing up and running in the first week or the second for that matter. Realistically we do not have the capacity for testing millions of children in a week.

Original poster
noelgiraffe · 19/12/2020 18:02

You said they wouldn’t close schools, in response to someone who said they were going to close schools. I said they already had.

And then I asked what you thought would happen in tier 4?

I don’t know what’s going to happen in tier 4 either? But it appears to be more up for discussion than previously when the DfE messaging was different.

Apparently asking that question makes me the baddie.

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UneFoisAuChalet · 19/12/2020 18:07

We can agree that all children should be in school and remote learning cannot replace the benefits of face to face learning.

However, what are our options at this point? Keeping schools open only fuels the virus further.

My eldest was self isolating from December 7th and when they changed the isolation period from 14 to 10 days, he was desperate to get back to school. The first day, Monday, he was buzzing - but I think it was the ‘excitement’ of being pulled out of lessons, sitting in the gym until they contacted his parents, cracking ‘Covid’ jokes with the other children. By Wednesday, after following his live lessons, he was desperate to return to school. I was reluctant but invariably relented.

My youngest was isolated this past week. The school have honed their home learning and the work presented was outstanding. He had a detailed timetable and followed it.

Boris promised us Easter. I didn’t truly believe it when he promised Christmas but I NEED to believe this is will over by Easter.

I would do anything and everything if I thought it would be over by Easter. Including, reluctantly, keeping my boys home.

MarshaBradyo · 19/12/2020 18:12

Yep you question and I’m reassuring pp that it’s unlikely.

It’s stressful enough as it is.

Original poster
noelgiraffe · 19/12/2020 18:14

Marsha then maybe you need to step away from a discussion thread if all you want is “of course tier 4 will finish on 30th December and schools will stay open forever” because you cannot expect people to halt the discussion to make you feel better.

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feistymumma · 19/12/2020 18:14

@ancientgran

I think they need to apologise to Greenwich.
100%
MarshaBradyo · 19/12/2020 18:16

It’s not about me. It was posters that were Sad and 😰

I could see they were stressing.

I feel fine as I personally am reassured by what I have copied and pasted.

MarshaBradyo · 19/12/2020 18:17

Anyway carry on. Hopefully other posters can see in tier 4 education is still a priority and won’t feel too unnerved.

Original poster
noelgiraffe · 19/12/2020 18:19

Well maybe now you are personally reassured you can stop sniping at me and trying to make out I’m trying to personally close every school in the country?

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MarshaBradyo · 19/12/2020 18:22

Eh? I am not stressing I feel reassured by the new restrictions and priorities. Other people were getting stressed so I copied and pasted it.

It’s clear that going on about what might happen and that schools may close makes people worry.

I don’t see the problem. If you don’t want it anyway.

TheHoneyBadger · 19/12/2020 18:26

Education is a priority but how big a priority? Clearly nhs being able to cope is a bigger priority right? So if hospitals were becoming overwhelmed in January/February then could people who are very anti school closures accept it was necessary?

Genuinely interested as to how far 'schools must stay open' goes. Presumably you wouldn't want soaring death rates for school to stay open?

Original poster
noelgiraffe · 19/12/2020 18:26

It’s clear that going on about what might happen and that schools may close makes people worry.

But that doesn’t mean it should never be discussed or that people should only ever hear bland reassurances that they won’t. That ship has already sailed.

And still you snipe as if I want schools closed. Schools being closed would make my life an awful lot more difficult. Why would I want that?

OP posts:
MarshaBradyo · 19/12/2020 18:27

Well good then. You will find that tier 4 quote reassuring too.

Original poster
noelgiraffe · 19/12/2020 18:28

Genuinely interested as to how far 'schools must stay open' goes.

It went as far as Jan 4th. Got to spend the holidays planning online lessons...

OP posts:
MarshaBradyo · 19/12/2020 18:28

Or might

Who knows! But if anyone was worried about what tier 4 meant for schools - it’s there