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.

Teachers should be vaccinated before children go back.

Unfortunately for primary and EY teachers and careers some parents and gov’t do view as childcare.

@DfEisashambles

So Sky news is saying there’ll be no change?

Have they even had the meeting to discuss it yet?

So if teachers are instrumental in social care, why aren't we being vaccinated?

Somewhere someone said SWs are being vaccinated.

Beyond lunacy that school staff aren't.

@CallmeAngelGabriel I don’t think it’s completed but several pp are confusing this thread repeating what Gove has said this morning or on old announcements.

We are all waiting and old announcements don’t help - for a minute I thought Sky had actually announced it as a new thing.

So if teachers are instrumental in social care, why aren't we being vaccinated?

Because you are not a priority as far as the government is concerned.

We are tier 4. I'm a TA late 50s .Teacher over 60. If we close until Feb half term I think our class have a fighting chance of having us in good health for the rest of the year. If we dont. Well who knows.

It's almost certain they'll close schools in tier 4 areas. Hospitals are in a dire way at the moment.

@squiddybear

I don't understand the logic. This morning BBC news, sky news etc all headlines with how the NHS is starting to struggle and how cases are rising followed by but schools are going back! It's ridiculous and we are ending up in an endless cycle of open closed. Close the schools until feb half term. Tell people now so arrangements can be made and proper online teaching can be put into place

That is a far to sensible suggestion

I won’t cope if this happens. I understand why it might need to, but I won’t cope. We have no childcare bubble for support, DH and I both have very busy jobs (like most people). We clung on by our fingernails during the last lockdown, but the thought of doing it again is enough to make me tearful.

How are schools going to be providing quality remote learning (does that mean virtual lessons? Or do twinkle worksheets that we had last time count again?) and also be in school teaching KW children, vulnerable children and exam years? Is there enough resource to go around?

Social workers aren't being vaccinated to protect the individual social worker, but rather the client groups that they work with.

Teachers were not considered priority for initial vaccination as initial approach was based purely on reducing mortality and hospital admissions.

I don't believe there is any hard evidence that shows teachers are dying at a higher rate than any other profession- please excuse the bluntness as that is what it boils down to - however that might be different after last term when schools were open.

I'm now convinced that the priority for teachers getting the vaccine- or at least vulnerable and teachers over 50 - as it keeps the schools open which is very important for DCs education and for the economy and means teachers are safe as they are highly exposed.

However the quid pro quo is that deaths and hospitalisations won't therefore go down as quickly as if we'd stuck to initial vaccination prioritisation order.

We all just have to hope that the Oxford vaccine gets approved and that there are ways to increase the roll out rate.

I wondered if anyone can confirm as I may have got mixed up. Gove was talking on the news this morning (it looked live) saying primaries are going back in a week as are some secondary school year groups.

Is the meeting with ministers happening today after Gove’s comments? Sorry for sounding stupid!

I think may be sensible to close them for a couple of weeks and really get vaccinations out and hopefully numbers down
But only a short close of an additional 2 weeks on too of xmas hols aa hopefully this will be enough to get numbers down along with vaccinations being given especially if we can start rolling out oxford one if approved

@Gingerbreadchoc just watched Gove’s interview this morning. He was sent out to say he ‘hopes’ that the original plan can be stuck to but there will be more announcements so the meeting hadn’t taken place yet.

The same way Boris kept saying he ‘hoped’ Christmas wouldn’t be cancelled.

Yup the meeting's happening now, Gove was just giving this morning's current policy.

Shouldn’t all school staff be vaccinated?

In the I work in school support staff, lunch staff, TAs etc, welfare are utilised to make up short falls all over

Than you for the clarification

My son is year 11 and supposedly one if years going back with less in school obviously better but will school be able to split classes ? I mean if he is still going to be sat with 30 people per lesson thats still no sd and lot of mixing , cant see how teachers will teach smaller classes as well as online though ?
Tbf his school have been very transparent and email regularly so I am sure once goverment decide they will let us know

@Gingerbreadchoc

I wondered if anyone can confirm as I may have got mixed up. Gove was talking on the news this morning (it looked live) saying primaries are going back in a week as are some secondary school year groups.

Is the meeting with ministers happening today after Gove’s comments? Sorry for sounding stupid!

Yes @Gingerbreadchoc - but it’s not you being stupid, it’s the government as per usual! Seem to have told Gove to say the party line prior to meetings today, maybe so they could emphasise that their intention was to keep schools open - or because they hope to actually stick to the plan, who knows. Either way, the decision hadn’t been made when Gove spoke - but his comments were picked up by the papers as an ‘announcement’.

This is what I understand anyway! It is very confusing.

I really hope the Government prioritise vaccinating teachers, and that way schools have a better change of staying open. They keep saying education is a priority. If that is the case then surely vaccinating teachers should be too.

Schools will close, if it spreads among children how do we know that primary children won’t be the next high case rate. I forgot codv doesn’t spread in schools because their is magic fairy dust around them that protects children and teaching staff.

All schools and nurseries should be closed in tier 4 until further notice. London healthcare is starting to resemble Lombardy in March. It is very very serious. We have vaccines, it won't be forever but I suspect reports of 6 weeks are accurate.

A way how mass testing for school children would be home testing kits for each year group before they return to school

Grove should learn to keep his mouth shut.