Should schools reopen next week

[2X4B523P]

There's many threads on the coronavirus board discussing schools reopening next week but I've not seen one here where the voting system could give an 'at a glance' indication of public opinion.

It would be interesting to see the figures as it seems at the moment the vast majority feel that it's not safe for children, staff and the wider community to reopen as planned next week.

YABU - schools should open next week as planned, with the staggered return of secondary.

YANBU - keep them closed to most with a similar setup to March until the figures fall and / or we fully know the affect of the new strains on transmission between children.

Unfortunately I don't think the numbers will come down significantly if schools are open, particularly secondary.
I've looked at the government's interactive map for my area. Consistently low figures for covid until towards the end of September. The end of 1st lockdown didn't cause a spike in cases nor did the reopening of restaurants. Schools going back did.
I would keep primary open. Children tend to be in one room with the same staff. And most are brought and collected by parents.
Secondary either at home or on a rota.

I don’t believe my response was hysterical. My personal opinion is that, along with the new variant, school transmission is responsible for the increase in cases, bearing in mind the incubation period. Many hospitals are already struggling, some due to staff shortages, because of COVID isolation, illness and stress. I genuinely don’t think that the country can afford schools to open at the moment, without vaccinating educational staff who have direct contact with children.

Closed.

Even if they are open, I won't be sending mine in. I'm CEV and our local case number are horrendous (almost 900 per 100 000)

Nope.

I’m very concerned as cases spreading so fast and this new strain is getting kids.

petition.parliament.uk/signatures/100564226/signed

Just signed that in fact.

All schools need to close.

They should stay open. Instead of closing maybe they should do part time so all children get face to face every other week, or half the week. No way to closing. My dd will go in as a key worker child just like last time but she's year 10 now and her time in education is running out

Yes!!

Rosebel I agree

YANBU

Yabu.
Keep them open.

Yes they should. My kids have suffered massively with schools closed. The older one falling further behind than she already was, remote learning just isn’t the same, she needs a teacher in person, she’s been in tears doing remote lessons. The younger one more for seeing his friends, he became very withdrawn last time, it was a real worry. 15 cases in their 2000 pupil school since September.

This is already happening here (England)
We would have usually ben going back next week but it's online next week and then go back on the 11th.

@Tellmelies65

No should be online for January I think.

What about those who don't have internet access at home?

I think we need flexibility and options. In many areas the vast majority if children would have online access. If they don't then we need to look at how access can be provided (and maybe those children need to be able to go into school if that can be done safely)

They need to be open imo. This is beyond ridiculous
Agree with this.

We need to follow the science (the scientists are suggesting school closures).

It is beyond ridiculous that the government aren't listening to scientists.

Interesting that at my last refresh the votes cast were 159 and 55% in favour of not opening as planned. I thought it would have been higher based on the general feeling on here,
Your impression about the ‘general feeling’ may be skewed by the fact that these threads get jumped on by a contingent of posters who are obsessed and echo each other on shouting down dissenting opinion /often with a side order of of ad hominem abuse and sweary ranting...
A poll would be more telling - shame it was moved.

@EmmanuelleMakro

Interesting that at my last refresh the votes cast were 159 and 55% in favour of not opening as planned. I thought it would have been higher based on the general feeling on here, Your impression about the ‘general feeling’ may be skewed by the fact that these threads get jumped on by a contingent of posters who are obsessed and echo each other on shouting down dissenting opinion /often with a side order of of ad hominem abuse and sweary ranting... A poll would be more telling - shame it was moved.

We get targeted don't you know by Us4BotheringThem so that would affect any poll on here. Interesting that it is still a majority for not opening despite the bots

I don’t think it will be that simple. If it’s that infectious then there will very quickly be a lack of staff to keep schools open. Schools were struggling last term with this.

There really is no clear best option. I want schools open but if I’m ill, what happens then? We have no funds for supply and no spare staff as we are stretched tight as a drum already.
It’s just not as simple as whether we want them closed or open.

@herecomesthsun

We need to follow the science (the scientists are suggesting school closures).

It is beyond ridiculous that the government aren't listening to scientists.

Absolutely. The scientists, the experts.

Us4them remember Donald Trump suggesting drinking bleach or getting light into the body?... In the words of the two professors from The Mary Whitehouse Experience; "That's you, that is".

@OppsUpsSide

As it stands I don’t see how they can possibly re open next week. I just wish the government would get one with acknowledging that.

This

They should open but only when a workable mass testing system is put in place, run by phe or the army etc not by the school.

It was bad enough when schools were asked to do track and trace. It is organised by people with no background or training and my school is blatantly missing close contacts as it is done by seating plan and the 2m is not checked. Staff are overworked with day to day running without doing sercos job for them as well. Mass testing done by schools will not be consistently implemented or robust enough.

If keeping schools open is a priority and not just a sound bite it is time to prove it and throw resources at the problem over th next week or two.

Not closed but online, which harder for primary and easier for secondary and uni I realise.

Open for y11 and y13 if online does not allow for exam year teaching/pre testing.

This for maybe 2 weeks and review the numbers.

@cheninblanc

They should stay open. Instead of closing maybe they should do part time so all children get face to face every other week, or half the week. No way to closing. My dd will go in as a key worker child just like last time but she's year 10 now and her time in education is running out

This is what teachers and unions have been arguing for since September.

50/50 so pupils alternate online with in school.

Half the numbers on site.

The government ignored it. We are about to have our second lockdown since September.

That's with a weeks half term, 2 weeks holiday and 4 week lockdown already - which is half the time we've been back!

I wish they'd stop saying they want schools closed. No one wants that. They want them teaching differently so they are safer. Like the rest if Europe, America - well the world actually!

@itsgettingweird exactly