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.

Gov will close all schools in T4 untill the Feb 1/2 term. They will announce on Weds.

I'm usually firmly in the schools need to be open camp, but your choices don't allow for a middle ground I'd be ok with, which is temporary closure or blended approach but with a significantly improved setup from what we had in March and full accountability on the part of schools for quality of online provision, replicating as closely as possible the full curriculum, delivered by teachers, via a range of media.

I accept that closures will reduce transmission, and wouldn't be nearly so resistant to closure had we not been so badly failed in the spring. So with provision similar to March, which was in our case pretty close to nothing at all, I can't support closure.

@Smiledwiththerisingsun

Gov will close all schools in T4 untill the Feb 1/2 term. They will announce on Weds.

I really really hope you are right. It would be madness to keep ploughing on as we are.

@Deliaskis

I'm usually firmly in the schools need to be open camp, but your choices don't allow for a middle ground I'd be ok with, which is temporary closure or blended approach but with a significantly improved setup from what we had in March and full accountability on the part of schools for quality of online provision, replicating as closely as possible the full curriculum, delivered by teachers, via a range of media.

I accept that closures will reduce transmission, and wouldn't be nearly so resistant to closure had we not been so badly failed in the spring. So with provision similar to March, which was in our case pretty close to nothing at all, I can't support closure.

From October schools have to have provision in place. Williamson made it law.

I also agree there needs to be flexibility dependent on area and local risk. DD has been in school since September with full curriculum plus enrichment and extra-curricular activities, and not a single case. Would it be better for her school to go online? For teachers or children? I realise there is significant regional variation, but we still had attendance at around 80% at its lowest I think last term, which means most children were being taught most of the time (compared to March when most didn't receive any teaching at all for months). So some ability to flex based on local need would be better than national closures.

@Deliaskis makes sense and something that teachers have been asking for since August.

@Monkeytennis97 I know provision is supposed to be in place, but from what I read the guidance seemed to be quite woolly, and again allowed for a huge gap between the schools who really make an effort to do it well, and those who don't. I have I suppose no faith in our school to do anything differently, and the other local primary schools were the same. This makes me sad because they've been so fantastic since September, in the way they've adapted the school environment and the learning activities they've provided, I'm a huge supporter of the school in general. They did very badly at online provision though. So it's really hard for people in our situation to support blanket closures, especially with no cases in school.

We had the sane experience @Deliaskis
So yes funding/safety measures rather than closures although I’d support a short closure if required, which we probably need.

They need to be closed. Chsnge term dates, cancel half-term, whatever helps contain numbers and prevent further transmission. It's already out of control here, the idea tha households could not mix less than a week ago but suddenly it's fine for bubbles exceeding a 100 pupils to mix is unthinkable stupidity. It's inconvenient yes, ideal no but we must all do what we can, children and their extended families are safer at home it's as simple as that.

I think, with the numbers rising as much as they are and the new variant worries, schools cannot safely open for in-person teaching at the moment.

If they do, the government are just asking for trouble in my opinion. Numbers will only rise more and there will be no chance to get cases under control.

I would however definitely support and encourage opportunities for children to attend school during the week in small groups, possibly for outdoor learning time, to ensure they are still able to have social interactions.

YANBU

Yanbu I was on the shielding list sending my kids to school is causing me daily panic attacks.

"often with a side order of of ad hominem abuse and sweary ranting..."

Should some posters go and look that one up, @EmmanuelleMakro?

Yanbu

While it is important to protect cev staff, surely the main issue is that of children spreading the virus in the community once they return home at the end of the school day. I have seen first hand how quickly the virus spreads from an asymptomatic young person.
One the testing regime is up and running effectively, that should help. But I see this taking some time based on the government's apparent inability to establish track and trace, devices for home learning, support for schools to have adequate protection for staff and students etc

They should definitely open

I'm not sending mine back to begin with.

I would be holding them back for as long as possible, eg primary 2 days of first week back and a week after that. Same with secondary dc.

Ideally it would be for 2 weeks to try and see what's going to pan out with the new strain but I'm not sure how long I could tread water to keep them off with '' illness ''

YABU

If they close - then they ALL need to close. No matter which tier you are in etc or how much schools have been affected.

It needs to be a national effort at stopping the spread. No more disparity.

In the SE the least week of term, the infection rates were 2500/100,000 for secondary kids, but primary weren't far behind on around 200K.

How can they even THINKG of either sector remaining open? It's insane. Hospitals are on their knees as it is, and we haven't hit the peak of those infections coming through the system yet. Opening schools will just be the dam bursting open completely.

The announcement re the army testing kids seems to very much imply they will be open

But the army won't be testing kids. Their "help" is going to be in an advisory capacity from the end of a phone.

YANBU
Insane to open schools imo

"But the army won't be testing kids. Their "help" is going to be in an advisory capacity from the end of a phone."

Which you won't be able to get through on no doubt!