Statement in parliament this afternoon on 'reopening of schools in England'

[DownRightAmazing]

By Gavin.

I'm aware there are a million threads on this generally but this is specifically regarding the statement - any leaks/clues/predictions?

To state my own position: I think schools need to close to all except keyworker and vulnerable children. I feel it's obvious this needs to happen. My own two children are thriving at school and I'm not concerned about them at all - if their (primary) school is open, I will send them - but I worry for their teachers, any vulnerable parents of their classmates and of course the NHS.

My prediction (based on nothing): secondary schools blended/part time. Primary fully open. We are tier 4 fwiw and I disagree with opening schools in January...

@Waxonwaxoff0 Completely agree they're shit. But that's where the pressure should be directed.

Financial support AND job protection for those affected by school closures and/or the need to self-isolate. No one should be having to choose between their health/public health and their job.

What a nasty thread. Everyone keen to throw those they disagree with in the worst possible light rather than making any effort to understand alternative views. I'll be leaving it.

I can't understand why they're kept open. In the week before Christmas one of the primaries in the village I live in had twenty one positive cases over 2 days.

Schools make it easier for me to work but they aren't childcare and it's not right to be sending teachers in there.

My livelihood is NOT more important than their lives.

@SueEllenMishke

And as a CV, over 50 year old teacher, it’s ok as long as you’ve got a job, but never mind if my children end up without a Mum because I’ve got to provide free babysitting for you? Go fk yourself.

No, I won't.

You know nothing about my situation but the reality is that people are losing their livelihoods, their homes and can't feed their kids.

There is more than one perspective here. Laying into people who are relieved that schools are open as that means they get to keep their jobs or insinuating they want schools open because they don't want to look after their kids just makes you sound nasty.

The fear of losing your house and not being able to feed your kids a real fear too and people are allowed to be relieved they may have some respite.

What about those teachers who become unwell and either lose their lives or can’t return to their jobs full time due to Long Covid? What about keeping a roof over their kids heads?

People care more about being financially stable than their health and the health of others. Without health, money in the bank won’t mean anything to you.

Spare a thought for the will be orphans who don’t even realise they’ll be orphans this new year.

@itsgettingweird my ds school said before xmas they wouldn't be doing tests straight away as they needed to work out logistics etc first
Ds college said they were going to send kids home with them , then email couple days ago to say they been told must be done in college so now online work whilst they work out logistics again
How they expect schools/ colleges to just whack uo a covid secure testing centre along with extra staff i do not know

Okay I'm confused

At the moment at our primary school, if there is a positive case among the kids, then the whole year bubble stays home and self-isolates.

Will this still be the case? I'm confused with all the talk about testing instead.

I'm asking because if there are just going to be constant self-isolation periods for the next couple months then surely that is more chaotic and unhelpful than a planned closure of a couple weeks.

I am glad @itsgettingweird - what will your school do? Continue to send home contacts of positive cases or bubbles to learn from home?

I work in a secondary (admin) and my dc go to another and I really hope both schools similarly refuse to take part in this farce and carry on with the self-isolation that happened in the Autumn term. I hope all schools expose this for the utter piss take it is.

Unless we have misunderstood and the lateral flow tests will not be used to keep close contacts in school. I hope we have misunderstood.

@whatshalliget

We all have to do our bit and serve our country selflessly.

With no PPE and no possible social distancing, seeing upward of 150 different children a day?

While the now “tested” children no longer self-isolate when in contact with other positive cases?

Exactly.

It's akin to sending someone front line without armoury.

Quite rightly when his staff had this in March and April we had hour and hours of daily reports about their lives, protection, planes flying out specifically to bring back hauls of PPE.

No one thought it right they should work without protection.

Yet here we are 10 months on and everyone gets on high horse when education staff also don't want to be on front line (and 30 households together for 6 hours in a room is) without protection.

I'm glad I'm not a teacher.

What about those teachers who become unwell and either lose their lives or can’t return to their jobs full time due to Long Covid?

According to a PP, Dulce et decorum est.

It's a glorious thing to die for your country. Or something.

I guess those saying schools can't be blamed for the rise in cases didn't see the graphs showing the huge spikes in primary and secondary age children. They might have been closed for 2 weeks but they've went home to families. Are we back to denying children can't pass it on

[quote donewithitalltodayandxmas]@itsgettingweird my ds school said before xmas they wouldn't be doing tests straight away as they needed to work out logistics etc first
Ds college said they were going to send kids home with them , then email couple days ago to say they been told must be done in college so now online work whilst they work out logistics again
How they expect schools/ colleges to just whack uo a covid secure testing centre along with extra staff i do not know [/quote]
Our local all years special school have said they are not doing tests.

Haha. I don't want to be "financially stable", I've never been financially stable. I want to be able to afford to feed my child. If I can't work my child's health and safety will be put at risk, just in a different way. And yes, my own child is my first priority.

If I can't work my child's health and safety will be put at risk, just in a different way. And yes, my own child is my first priority.

I'm curious, do you have a plan if you're not able to work because your child needs to self isolate?

@WishIWasSomewhereElse

Our area has just released a major incident alert for the NHS. Our cases are over double the national average (they've gone up in just two weeks), but I doubt our primaries will close, even though we are one of the most rapidly raising areas in the country.

What is the national average rate please?

I'm not given to hyperbole but honestly the utter selfishness of some parents on here who just do not give a fuck about the health of teachers and in fact their own children just so long as they don't have to rearrange their own lives too much and/or be forced to do the dreaded home schooling. It's actually really depressing.

@Waxonwaxoff0
many millions of people on benefits manage to feed their children as you could if it ever came to it.

@HmmSureJan I’m sure they’ll be hit by the inevitable chaos coming in schools soon.

Did Boris just say schools are safe....

I'm going to need more to believe these lies.

All these people saying teachers don’t have PPE. They do in my child’s primary school - many of the teachers wear PPE - even our class teacher who is in her 20s. All parents are required to wear face coverings on school premises. All doors/windows kept open (my daughter goes to school in ski wear). Regular hand washing and sanister. Staggered parental arrivals- we have to stand on spots to pick up. Everyone is complying.

We’re in a tier 4 area. We’ve only had 1 positive case in school and no transmission. No isolating. Our school is in a federation and other schools are doing the same.

Paper saying primary school closures will be in some parts of London, Kent, Essex and Hertfordshire.

Wait did he just say all primary schools will go back. What about those special few mentioned by Gav?

Ok good remote rather than closed for exam year

@HmmSureJan

I'm not given to hyperbole but honestly the utter selfishness of some parents on here who just do not give a fuck about the health of teachers and in fact their own children just so long as they don't have to rearrange their own lives too much and/or be forced to do the dreaded home schooling. It's actually really depressing.

It’s nothing new though. I’ve worked in schools for last six years and you wouldn’t believe the entitlement of some parents. I’ve even seen parents whinge because the school closed for a staff members funeral.

There was isolating in one bubble due to the positive case, but that has been it