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.

@Nat6999 already had letter from ds school no testing planned as yet

Can I ask a few questions.

What makes uk education and children different to other countries.
Other countries in Europe with exception of France who I feel handled pandemic rather badly.

Had smaller classes
Wore masks in class from age 5
When things got bad they switched to remote virtual learning.

Germany, Denmark and Netherlands most recently.
Israel said education contributed to 2nd wave.
No idea if schools went remote in Australia.
America and Canada theres blended ir virtual learning are parents in that those countries kicking off.

Wales and Scotland and ni are essentially in a kind national lockdown.
So a vast majority working parents won't be able work anyway if they non essential retail hospitality or beauty.
So they are at home

Schools still open sen/ care kids and keyworkers nhs/ teachers i guess.

If that figure quoted 8% of population have schools age kids thats a low number to punishment the other 92% who don't.

Theres so many arguments about children's mental health and well being.

But if they get ill as get covjd at school
Take covid home to a loved one
One if their parents or relatives dies
Stressed because on news the toddler social distance and wear masks but in school they can't.
Told Xmas I cancelled can't see relatives but you must go school

Many families isolating over Christmas.
The financial hardship meaning not many or no presents and struggling keek food on table because government has destroyed sections if the economy fir greater good.

They implemented a tier system schools in Sept and abandoned it.
This mass testing be farce they won't be able empty 7 people each senor school plus train and dbs check them.
Its a disaster.
Primary age infections a real worry.

As someone who lives border Wales tier 2 so people can come over to work few teachers live in Wales or go local uni.
We border tier 3 as government split city in half despite sharing same hospitals.
Tier 1 ,2 and 3 can meet at Xmas.
I'm worried about sending my kids back in jan 2 primary 1 seniors.
Where as looks like Wales Scotland and ni may go remote therefore allowing parents keep them home and safer than mine.
Unless we go national lockdown 30th would not surprise me.

This is a disaster for young people. They need to be in school. I work in a school and we have had zero transmission. Zero. It's gutting.

"Schools and colleges will remain open during term time in Tier 4 areas.
This statement is incredibly sinister because the implication is that ‘Tiers’ (unthinkable until a few weeks ago) will be part of the new normal.

My only child DS14 is going to find this very hard again. Last time he threw up for the first three weeks in September due to the anxiety of being back in school after so long totally isolated from peers. On his own all day, 5 days a week

We have to stop with the 'school open as normal or school shut' binary choice.

I wanted distancing in schools, all along, which means either more space and staff or rotas. I wanted rotas at the outset as that is more easily achievable.

Children and young people really need some time seeing their peers and teachers, but schools are unsafe the way they are currently.

I also think we have to accept tier 4 areas are different to tier 2 areas.

We need to reconsider exams. Scotland has a lot more flexibility now.

The government won't think about any of the complexities, it frustrates me so much!

@NeverForgetYourDreams

My only child DS14 is going to find this very hard again. Last time he threw up for the first three weeks in September due to the anxiety of being back in school after so long totally isolated from peers. On his own all day, 5 days a week

Sorry to hear about your DS, I have a 14 year old DS too but I'm lucky I'm a critical worker so can still send him to school. People who say teenagers don't need childcare just don't get that they still need interaction and companionship .

I work in a school and we have had zero transmission.

You can’t know that for sure. What with asymptomatic cases prevalent in children and the fact most children don’t get the main symptoms pushed by this govt and the fact is, there could be but it’s going under the radar without the testing which is much more dangerous.
Could be interesting what comes up in your school with the Jan testing.

@mrshoho

The penny is dropping finally. Lockdowns without changes to our schools set up are not very effective. Shame it's taken so long to reach this point.

Agree

[quote timeforanewstart]@Nat6999 already had letter from ds school no testing planned as yet [/quote]
In my school, the letter that has gone out to parents doesn’t mention testing either, as there needs to be more information from the DfE before we do but the communications to staff has been very much about the testing and to expect the unexpected (i.e testing training) on the INSET day on 4th Jan.

The school hasn’t had any bubbles burst, which is due in no small part to her running a very tight ship

And luck...

Yes tier 2 and tier 4 are different but we're tier 2 and every year group except year 7 has had to be closed at least once this term. Year 11 have been out twice after two times where close contacts wasn't enough. Years 8 and 9 were out for a fortnight to take pressure off of staff shortages and year 10 had about half out for the last fortnight.

I'm stunned by those saying their school had no cases. Our school did the 'best' (was luckiest) in this county as we didn't get a single case till a few days before half term but once we'd had a case they just kept coming and working their way down through the year groups and as I said we're tier 2 now and we're tier one prior to the November' lockdown'

My (secondary) school was quietly smug right up until week 6 of the first half term. Only a handful of positive cases, but all already absent when symptomatic so no self-isolating at all. Then two cases within the same friendship group, which then spread to a sibling and their friendship group then it was widespread with constant cases and self-isolations for a month. The nursery/primary where DC go have had no cases at all, or at least none that have led to self-isolating.

Schools can and do spread COVID.
There is no way, with the current guidelines and funding, schools can do much to stop this.
It is better, for many reasons, for children to be in school, under 99% of circumstances.

If we accept all three statements above, the answer is not “keep schools open under threat of legal action” but heads being able to make their own decisions under carefully specified guidelines. We personally wouldn’t have shut for the final week of term, having only just got all of Year 11 and 9 back. But a short spell under a rota system back in October would have been great! An approach to education in a pandemic needs highly educated, empathic, resourceful, decisive, reflective leadership but we just don’t have that in government at the moment! It’s a mess because they just don’t know what to do (understandable, it must be tough) but rather than working with, and seeking help from, school leaders they first went with the “schools are safe” nonsense, then “stay open or we’ll sue” macho nonsense. Now they honestly think a shiny new testing regime will distract parents.

Speaking of testing, head teachers got an email from Gav at 6pm last night (easily searchable on Twitter if you’re interested, someone leaked it to journalists) which ultimately admits they don’t actually have the guidance yet, but it will come on Monday. Friday’s webinar essentially said details were coming “shortly” too. So, if your DC’s school says they don’t know what’s going on yet, this is why. There IS no actual plan yet!

@ChloeDeckTheHalls

I work in a school and we have had zero transmission.

You can’t know that for sure. What with asymptomatic cases prevalent in children and the fact most children don’t get the main symptoms pushed by this govt and the fact is, there could be but it’s going under the radar without the testing which is much more dangerous.
Could be interesting what comes up in your school with the Jan testing.

We have had one child test positive following their parent being positive. A class had to isolate. No other positives in that class or any of their family. Not one single member of staff off. We have had a mix of luck, good circumstances at school and hard work. But we are in Glasgow so not exactly low risk area. The stats do not justify closing primary schools. Our kids need to be at school.

@ChloeDeckTheHalls

I work in a school and we have had zero transmission.

You can’t know that for sure. What with asymptomatic cases prevalent in children and the fact most children don’t get the main symptoms pushed by this govt and the fact is, there could be but it’s going under the radar without the testing which is much more dangerous.
Could be interesting what comes up in your school with the Jan testing.

Also, many of us are being antibody tested so I do know no staff have had it.

The stats do not justify closing primary schools. Our kids need to be at school.

Are primary schools closing in Scotland? They are not, at the present, in England, even in tier 4 areas, even though the stats where I am show very much the opposite of your school. The government threatened legal action on my borough on Monday to keep them open.

My DS primary school (south east) did very well. After half term Several parent positives and then their children but not in school so no bubble closures. That all changed 3 weeks ago with 6 positives in one class, one child admitted to hospital with breathing problems and single cases in 3 other classes and 2 in nursery. 5 Staff off too with symptoms but tested negative. DP works at the school hence information.

A school in my area (now tier 4 but well out of London) went from zero cases all term to 60 in the space of two weeks and was closed by PHE. This can, and does, happen.

Issues with accuracies of antibody tests:

www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3325

Antibody testing should be undertaken at least two weeks after onset of symptoms
Tests performed after five weeks should be interpreted with additional caution, as evidence suggests that antibody levels will wane, which would reduce an antibody test’s sensitivity further.

www.birminghamhealthpartners.co.uk/covid-19-antibody-tests-dont-work-if-used-at-the-wrong-time/

They found that tests are only likely to be useful in detecting previous SARS-CoV-2 infection if used at least 14 days after the onset of symptoms, but say that studies show that the tests will miss 1 in 10 cases of COVID-19.

Does anyone know how this affects day nurseries? Two of my friends' childrens' nurseries have closed due to do many cases (Essex).

Private day nurseries are still open under the current guidelines (at least in England). It’s tough on my friends who are nursery workers in tier 4 who cannot see family on Friday but are made be around others in close contact without PPE up to Thursday.

Very important for those working families sending their little ones in of course but I can also see how very unfair it all is to the staff.

Online learning is not a meaningful education. Anyone actively wanting this is depriving their own children. Schools need to stay open no matter what.

Schools need to stay open no matter what.

🙄

We had 1 case in the last week of term. Now we’re tier 4.