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...

@DfEisashambles and many don't. Many are forced to survive on free school meals.

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?

I'm not saying there is an easy answer. I work in education and have been teaching f2f since September. I understand the fear.

I just think the nastiness aimed at people who are relieved they can still go to work is uncalled for. Surely people can understand why there is an element of relief for some people?

@AaronPurr

Did Boris just say schools are safe....

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

He should visit one then. Come to mine! Come on, Boris! We'll open a window, it'll be fine!

Ps. Not denying schools don’t have PPE. Just saying that our school does.

@GoldenLabbie

Unbelievable entitlement, and disrespect in equal measure for teachers. As you can clearly see in these threads.

@CoffeeCreamandSugar it’s 248 per 100,000

@AaronPurr 10 days of isolation I can just about afford. Weeks of school closures I can't.

In most schools parents only wear PPE (usually a visor or face mask) when dealing with parents and walking in the corridors. Once they get into their classroom or bubble then they don’t wear them.

@DfEisashambles what paper is reporting these areas??

Teachers wear masks and parents send your DC’s to school with masks.

@Piggyinblankets Yep, they said it would be marked as unauthorised absence and they would have no choice. They know our situation as well.

The government are very quick to push the agenda that school is safe and perhaps it is in as much as most children won't be seriously unwell but some parents are in the situation where their children could potentially be one of the unlucky few. And teachers are being thrown under the bus big time.

Thank you for the

[quote Waxonwaxoff0]@AaronPurr 10 days of isolation I can just about afford. Weeks of school closures I can't.[/quote]
But it could easily be weeks of closures. 2 periods of isolation and that's 20 days off work. Some children had to isolate multiple times last term, and this new variant could mean the same again, if not worse, this term.

School isn't childcare in normal times, but is classified as such by teachers during covid. 🤷

I'm pleased to be going back. Pleased for me, and for my children. For as long as it lasts. 🙄

@Lifeispassingby it was the Sun, but it isn’t a proper list just a list of hotspots as it were.

JVT sounds very worried about what is coming.

Here are the hotspots where primary schools WON'T go back on the th

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-primary-schools-shut-coronavirus-23240671

JVT and Whitty are the only ones I take any notice of.

Covid loves a crowd, so let's open schools!

Madness

*the 4th

@AaronPurr yes, I realise that. Luckily though rates are still quite low in my area and we haven't had to isolate yet, so I'm hoping we can hang on until the vaccine starts making improvements. My annual leave starts again in January so I will save it up for any isolation periods if needed.

@Ginkpin

Here are the hotspots where primary schools WON'T go back on the th

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-primary-schools-shut-coronavirus-23240671

If that's correct, then that's not a small number at all.

@GoldenLabbie my daughter has told me that her teachers wear PPE when they are close to the children- not to interact with parents. She said they take it off when standing at the front of the classroom- teaching with the whiteboard. Children at this point are more than 2m distance

My SIL who teaches in a college confirmed it’s the same for her. The students don’t come close to her, they wear masks in the corridors. Windows and doors also kept open for ventilation.

Someone just posted on another thread:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/948580/Contingencyyframeworkimplementationnguidance.pdf

If that's correct, then that's not a small number at all.

Well, it is relatively to the whole of England isn't it?!

49 areas