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Original poster

What do you think? Are schools going to be closed?

331 replies

mamamia2020 · 27/12/2020 18:39

We've just returned to the UK to live, my youngest is due to start his new school on 5th January. Big change, new country, brand new town. We're in a Tier 3 area. I know that it's all speculation but what do you think? I've been gearing my son up for his new school now thinking about adding the caveat that it might be delayed. I do hope whatever the decision it isn't left until the last minute...

www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/crunch-meeting-held-whether-reopen-19525748?ref=BNTMedia&utm_medium=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0nIDo3bQOuMbpRfY9MiPun9272DuWDmthepLXabmNC8tnAgPsNPiuH7N4

OP posts:
EreLongDoneDoDoesDid · 27/12/2020 20:59

London/Kent borders here and it’s madness, both secondary I teach in and kids primary were rife with it in the two weeks or so before the holidays. I don’t see how they can feasibly reopen but who knows, it’s this fucking government after all.

RuleWithAWoodenFoot · 27/12/2020 21:00

Whole years will shut down because there will be so many asymptomatic cases. Probably in staff too.

MargosKaftan · 27/12/2020 21:01

@Fedup - sorry you are right - used to a small school where it has taken out whole year groups when there's a case, but yes, in larger secondary schools they wouldn't need to take the whole year out everytime.

Theres posters on here convinced that there's a high number of students asymptomatic at all times. Would at least put their minds at rest to know not, or ok they are, but now they are isolating for 2 weeks and those kids are no longer an issue.

Orangeblossom77777 · 27/12/2020 21:01

They have definitely been nudging towards schools possibly not opening.

It has been telling that our secondary MAT, after scheduling mocks for mid Jan, before the break said they don't know what is happening after the break and please can we evaluate their online provision.

Ozzie9523 · 27/12/2020 21:02

I’m preparing myself for the fact that they will be closed.

Fedup21 · 27/12/2020 21:03

The government plan is for all close contacts of positive cases to still come to school-to improve school attendance figures.

I’m sure it will work really well!

KnowingMeKnowingYule · 27/12/2020 21:03

@Fedup21

The government plan is for all close contacts of positive cases to still come to school-to improve school attendance figures.

I’m sure it will work really well!

Alongside poor quality tests.
happystone · 27/12/2020 21:05

Let’s see how many teachers catch codv when schools are shut. I bet it’s hardly any

KnowingMeKnowingYule · 27/12/2020 21:06

I think in tier 4 schools should close. Perhaps rotas for tier 3 and extra mitigations (masks in classrooms for 6+ as is the case in many other countries) for tier 2. Tier 1 as normal.

starrynight19 · 27/12/2020 21:06

@Fedup21

The government plan is for all close contacts of positive cases to still come to school-to improve school attendance figures.

I’m sure it will work really well!

Yes absolutely. Shame the mass testing is to try and improve attendance figures for children and staff and not to try and get on top of the virus.
happystone · 27/12/2020 21:08

At the end of the day hope for the best prepare for the worst. Happy new year

Orangeblossom77777 · 27/12/2020 21:09

Oh yes those tests are not even that accurate are they. Hmm

MargosKaftan · 27/12/2020 21:14

It feels like catch 22. If numbers fall dramatically from tomorrow, then great, no need to close schools, tier 4 is working. If they don't fall tomorrow, then look, its 10 days since school closed, cases haven't fallen so clearly schools aren't the problem.

Or it could be the other way, cases fall tomorrow- shut schools work, let's do that, cases not fall tomorrow - we are in a crisis, schools need to shut.

Could go either way with this government and the figures will be used to prop up what they have decided to do. (Which they will communicate to schools at the last moment, then have a go that they weren't prepared.)

cardswapping · 27/12/2020 21:16

I think secondary in T4 will go online for a couple of weeks, maybe year 11 and 13 in class only.

The real question is primaries, as primary age kids need more parental help, so there is a knock on effect on parents' ability to work, and there is thd issue of computer/Internet access for all of course.

I used to want schools open but in the current circs, I think primary and secondary should go online (rather than closed) for a couple of weeks. Then review.

peridito · 27/12/2020 21:18

Margos but surely the new strain is rapidly spreading now ? So cases may not drop because of that ?

And with it being more transmissible I think we should do all we can to limit spread .

ragged · 27/12/2020 21:19

Today is 10 days since most schools closed

That is an excellent point. Median incubation period = 5 days. 2-3 days to get a test/result. Watch London I guess, where new variant is rife, to see if case counts keep climbing or even stabilise.

justasking111 · 27/12/2020 21:25

Education meeting tomorrow for England so we may know more after that. Welsh government are cautious so everyone around here resigned to staying closed until further notice. University life, who knows waiting here exams start early January for my second year DS

52andblue · 27/12/2020 21:26

I think they should shut Secondaries until half term.
But I predict they will send them back, and 3/4 weeks later when cases are through the roof they will shut for longer than they could have.
Plus they will fail to cancel exams until the last minute.
Shower of criminal incompetents that they are.

Thewiseoneincognito · 27/12/2020 21:26

I have a feeling something will come out over the next week or so that may change the view on schools. Tier 4 across the whole of the UK incoming...

I’m also expecting the first vaccinated infections to start popping up soon too with one of the new variants.

MargosKaftan · 27/12/2020 21:28

@peridito - closing schools damages childrens education, and children are the least likely to be damaged by the virus. So making them "pay" to stop the spread needs to be clearly worth it.

If the numbers stay the same, regardless of schools being open or closed, then they should be open. If closing schools proves to make a big difference, then there's an argument for closure.

Tomorrow will be a key day. We should see a drift downwards in confirmed cases in tier 4 areas, if schools are a big problem.

IncidentsandAccidents · 27/12/2020 21:32

I'm hoping for online learning for the first two weeks and a robust plan to get children back to school as soon as possible after that, even if only part time.

The government really need to announce this in the next day or two to give schools and parents time to plan. It would be unconscionable to announce it at the last minute but I fear this will happen again.

Fedup21 · 27/12/2020 21:33

@IncidentsandAccidents

I'm hoping for online learning for the first two weeks and a robust plan to get children back to school as soon as possible after that, even if only part time.

The government really need to announce this in the next day or two to give schools and parents time to plan. It would be unconscionable to announce it at the last minute but I fear this will happen again.

I would imagine that ‘robust’ is exactly the word that Boris/Gavin will use to describe their plan

I also suspect their pathetic offering will be anything but Confused

itsgettingweird · 27/12/2020 21:35

The thing that interested me was watching my counties cases.

Schools were on the list when they had 1 person tested positive and people isolating. Removed when all finished.

The last 10 days of term it was 3/5 primary schools where as previously it had been mainly secondary.

itsgettingweird · 27/12/2020 21:35

Sorry should have been clear that 3/5ths of school cases were primary.

the80sweregreat · 27/12/2020 21:39

@IncidentsandAccidents

I'm hoping for online learning for the first two weeks and a robust plan to get children back to school as soon as possible after that, even if only part time.

The government really need to announce this in the next day or two to give schools and parents time to plan. It would be unconscionable to announce it at the last minute but I fear this will happen again.

Probably! They have been bad at announcing their plans till the last minute.