primaries back on 4th, secondaries 18th so says TES

[Oilyvoir]

www.tes.com/news/exclusive-new-school-opening-delay-agreed-ministers

I completely understand that teachers may have a different view for valid reasons. But, as a parent, I would be willing to send my children back to school if it's open and most of my friends feel the same. There will always be people on both sides of the debate on schools opening or not.

I’m a HLTA in primary and I’m really worried about returning. I work across the school in all bubbles, covering teacher ppa time. We had an outbreak just as term ended. I don’t feel safe, I can’t keep 2m from children as the classrooms aren’t big enough.Several staff are 50 and 60+.

However I haven't seen in the government's plans (such as they are) that they expect parental (or other) volunteers to actually be performing tests on school pupils. I would imagine that it would work in the same way that our testing centres did.

Do you get that schools are filled with children and universities are filled with adults and that this makes a massive difference?

StylishMummy

I'd be bloody livid if they close early years and primary. Our children cannot be sacrificed for something that kills older people/those who are sick already. I'm CEV before anyone jumps at me.

And do you spend 6 hours a day in a small, badly-ventilated room with 30+ other people? Or are you a SAHM or safely wfh? I'm clinically vulnerable, and over 50, and I am bloody livid at your attitude.

@Iamnotthe1 only in secondaries though.

@noblegiraffe

Infection rates in secondary schools dropped significantly over the half term break and that was only a week off, so hopefully with two weeks off for Christmas, plus an extra couple of week's delay, the infection rates in secondary kids will come down to more manageable levels and other measures will be implemented to bring them back.

Ours did that, but around half the school was isolating the week before too.

Two weeks after half term and the cases shot back up, and within 3 week, 3 year groups were off for another fortnight and around 50% of staff.

We had almost no cases before the half term isolations too.

Tier 4 guidance about schools have been changed.
Government have now taken out the following sentence from their guidance - 'Senior clinicians still advise that school is the best place for children to be, and so they should continue to go to school during term time.'

Says it all really.

@ths1

I completely understand that teachers may have a different view for valid reasons. But, as a parent, I would be willing to send my children back to school if it's open and most of my friends feel the same. There will always be people on both sides of the debate on schools opening or not.

As a parent hoping and planning to send their children back to school next week, are you also someone who has refrained from meeting up with their friends over the holidays? Refrained from hosting other people in their homes or visiting theirs? Not letting your children mix with lots of other children at playparks while you stand around chatting too close to other parents? Avoiding non-essential shopping and being careful when you do have to go food shopping?

Because I see far too many parents who aren't doing any of this, who have been hosting multiple families at Christmas, and who are regularly at the playparks surrounded by other people while their children mix freely ... but they expect me to educate and keep their children safe next week, because obviously my health doesn't matter to them at all.

@Char2015

Tier 4 guidance about schools have been changed. Government have now taken out the following sentence from their guidance - 'Senior clinicians still advise that school is the best place for children to be, and so they should continue to go to school during term time.'

Says it all really.

😲😲😲😲😲

[quote PastMyBestBeforeDate]@Iamnotthe1 only in secondaries though.[/quote]
Yes, that's true for the moment.

They intend to roll it out to primaries before Easter.

Not concerned for us, but am worried for PILs in their early 70s, who look after DD four days a week. They’re fit and healthy but our school was overrun last term with Covid.

Maybe you and dh should look after your own kids then if you are really bothered for ils.

Given the number of cases are rising like they are it’s absolutely madness to expect any school to open exactly as it was before Christmas and expect a different outcome. Staff , children and their family’s all put at increased risk.

@Char2015 id really appreciate it if you'd read and reply to my questions to you on my earlier post? The information would be really helpful.

Special schools are ment to be back on 4th
No differentiation for what kind of special school either or how vulnerable pupils maybe

Because I see far too many parents who aren't doing any of this, who have been hosting multiple families at Christmas, and who are regularly at the playparks surrounded by other people while their children mix freely ... but they expect me to educate and keep their children safe next week, because obviously my health doesn't matter to them at all*

@2020isalmosthindsight Absolutely agree. I’m a secondary teacher but have primary aged children. They have not had any play dates since before Lockdown in March. Since Sept when we have been to the park it’s been to ride bikes, playgrounds are out of bounds. I am doing everything to keep ourselves and their teachers safe. On the other hand I see parents of children in my DC’s class having get togethers.

*As a parent hoping and planning to send their children back to school next week, are you also someone who has refrained from meeting up with their friends over the holidays? Refrained from hosting other people in their homes or visiting theirs? Not letting your children mix with lots of other children at playparks while you stand around chatting too close to other parents? Avoiding non-essential shopping and being careful when you do have to go food shopping?

Because I see far too many parents who aren't doing any of this, who have been hosting multiple families at Christmas, and who are regularly at the playparks surrounded by other people while their children mix freely ... but they expect me to educate and keep their children safe next week, because obviously my health doesn't matter to them at all.*

Yes I have refrained from this. My children have not left the house, except for two walks in the countryside, since 11 December when school decided to go online for the last week. They have seen no friends, nor have I. One of us goes food shopping at 7am once a week and all other purchases are online. We're not all irresponsible parents.

And, as I said in my post, I can understand why teachers have reservations, hence why I was speaking only as a parent as other parents have said they wouldn't be willing to send their kids back.

How accurate could the result of a self-administered test be? I gather it's not massively accurate when performed by an adult?

I'm trying to imagine my ds12 performing his own nasopharyngeal swab. He has ASD which makes it even harder, but my neurotypical dd14 wouldn't be happy to do it either and I suspect she wouldn't do it properly.

What a bloody shambles!

Any teaching staff reading this. Don’t doubt your intuition. There are several at my children’s school I hope will stay safe. I hope they won’t become complicit with our Government and will take the time off however they can (Drs note anxiety whatever) and come back post vaccination and continue their amazing work. Education is dead if we become complicit with our Government.

Please Teachers protect yourselves for your own families and for Education. It’s literally a few months at most!

Nothing has officially been announced yet why not wait until then before getting upset or whatever
Half want schools open , half want them shut so always going to be a lot unhappy
Regarding some saying let people keep them off thats all very well but how do teachers teach half a class and half at home at the same time ?
It would make sense to be to have a 2 /3 week hard lockdown from the 30th incl closing schools and really try to get the numbers down so that kids can go back in with just a short disruption , then hopefully more vaccinations would of taken place as well

since 11 December when school decided to go online for the last week.

I didn't think schools had been allowed to make decisions like this?

[quote pusscatsinblankets]**@DayBath* @PandemicPavolova* we can also consider the timeline of how long the new variants have been around. I'm happy to be corrected and pointer to reliable info that says otherwise, but there hasn't been anything reported about an increase in the admissions of children with covid. By now, you'd expect cases to start reaching the hospitals. [/quote]
Just because there aren't children in hospital doesn't mean they are spreading it. They may not get serious symptoms but they are still passing it on

Some are getting bad symptoms. Don't know about you but I don't want my children to be ill with this shitty virus.

"I didn't think schools had been allowed to make decisions like this?"

Our school is independent so I'm guessing they had the choice. I did read about the Greenwich schools not being allowed to,

My daughters friend was ill with it.

She is 14