Schools could be closed until Feb half term!

[DfEisashambles]

Reported in the DM. I’m surprised at this and don’t think it’ll go ahead.

PP are correct in saying that abuse shouldn’t be happening at home and schools should not be respite from abuse but THEY ARE! I’m a secondary teacher and in the summer had to complete a training course which addressed this issue. The Number of children who became victims of abuse and neglect and those that saw more spousal abuse has increased massively. For so many children home is not a safe place.

I want to be back in my classroom teaching children. If secondary pupils can be vaccinated I would be so happy. Children need to be in school; it is where they meet their friends and learn best.

I despair if I am having to go back to online teaching.

My stance is that primary schools stay open. Secondary school is for year 11, 13, keyworker and vunerable children plus a place for children where the parents have to go to work till at least after Feb half term or Easter. As Jan to march is the peak for the nhs.
National lockdown until Easter giving enough time to vaccinate keyworker and over 60's etc.
Mass testing for secondary children before they return to school.
Then we would hopefully have a handle on the virus by Easter

It’s all very well telling adults to work from home, but it’s not a very effective strategy if their children are going to be bringing the virus home from school.

Quite.

"Why don't they just vaccinate children? It won't take long to do. The forms can be mailed out now, emailed, downloaded or picked up from the school. They have bought the doses and have the stock so should just crack on with it, it wont stop them vaccinating elderly people at the same time."

@whatdoesthismeaneh

They can't do this as the vaccine has not been approved for Children. In the UK, it's only approved for people aged 16+.

Mass testing for secondary children before they return to school.

By whom? Where? How? How reliable?

Sage have recommended closing schools for January, with secondary school closures likely to have the biggest effect.

www.politico.eu/article/coronavirus-uk-government-scientists-close-schools-january-boris-johnson/

I've been spouting this analogy for ages now, but it still stands, in my opinion.
If your house is flooding and you've put sandbags out the front, why on earth would you then leave the back door open "because fresh air is important?" Yes, fresh air is important, ordinarily, but in a flood, you get the water down first. Ventilation later.

People also don't seem to realise that if schools are open compliance goes right down in other areas. People think (fairly reasonably really) "well if my neighbours' kids can go to school in a bubble of 100, why the fuck can't I go and see my sister for a cuppa in her home?"

I went to my local park yesterday for a walk. The playground was bumper to bumper kids, all in close proximity, all parents also in close proximity.

My stance is that the moment I test positive I will down tools until I fully recover. Or I could be protected at work - god forbid even vaccinated - and not test positive so I could continue working.

@Wishihadanalgorithm

PP are correct in saying that abuse shouldn’t be happening at home and schools should not be respite from abuse but THEY ARE! I’m a secondary teacher and in the summer had to complete a training course which addressed this issue. The Number of children who became victims of abuse and neglect and those that saw more spousal abuse has increased massively. For so many children home is not a safe place.

I want to be back in my classroom teaching children. If secondary pupils can be vaccinated I would be so happy. Children need to be in school; it is where they meet their friends and learn best.

I despair if I am having to go back to online teaching.

Social workers are being vaccinated, as are SW admin, so they will have to carry this load.

Then we would hopefully have a handle on the virus by Easter

Not with schools open.

Wouldn't people rather they closed for a couple of months and we have a fighting chance of starting to return to normality by Spring, rather than keeping them open and being in on and off lockdowns feasibly until next Autumn?

@Cheeseboardandmincepies

Reception kids are going back in January. All good for me.

Eh? Where did you get that from?

I just hope that whatever they decide they don't wait until the eleventh hour to announce it. The not knowing and being able to prepare is awful

From goves announcement Just now

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/28/coronavirus-michael-gove-reopening-englands-schools-will-involve-trade-offs

Really don't understand what they can trade off??? At least in Tier 4 - everything's shut

That was in response to @CallmeAngelGabriel

orichette, I am in tier 4. What I see around me is not my version of 'everything being shut'.

Exactly. Yes of course social services should be involved but most abuse is unseen. Abuse occurs at every level of society and abusers are often adept at hiding it. We need to keep talking about this. We need to recognise this.

Sky news

That was in response to wishihadanalgorithm

@Onedropbeat

Sky news

Yes they wheeled Gove out to say that before the talks to decide -- so he can be blamed for the U turn maybe??? Not yet clear what is actually happening...

Social workers are being vaccinated, as are SW admin, so they will have to carry this load.

There isn't enough social workers to carry this load. They work in partnership with schools etc to identify abuse. Which is pretty much impossible if it's hidden behind closed doors with no one flagging it up in the first place.

Maybe Gove thinks the kids can board temporarily at their overcrowded state primary schools? Or parents can live in different rooms to their primary aged kids? My DH has bagsy’d the bedroom in readiness...

@Piggyinblankets

orichette, I am in tier 4. What I see around me is not my version of 'everything being shut'.

Interesting, what do you mean? It's extremely quiet where I am - combination of Tier 4 and betwixtmas.

@Orichette

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/28/coronavirus-michael-gove-reopening-englands-schools-will-involve-trade-offs

Really don't understand what they can trade off??? At least in Tier 4 - everything's shut

Tier 4 here too, I agree, nothing else left to close. This is getting ridiculous now, schools should close we cannot trade off everything else just so schools can open. I’m done, I’m going to see my family.