There’s no point with primary schools open

[Agoodbriskwalk]

Whatever you think of them being open, the fact is that with thousands of group gatherings of non mask wearing, non socially distanced, non personal distanced, non handwashing people for hours and hours every day in poorly ventilated building, this thing will continue to spread

On top of that, sleepovers and parties and play dates will continue to happen because ‘they’re in school together anyway’. Do you know how often parents say ‘They're in the same bubble’ like it’s a magical force field?

Families with a mix of primary and secondary kids will allow the secondary kids to meet up even if they’re not in school because what’s the point stopping them when the younger kid is exposed to hundreds of families a day anyway? How can they justify its ‘not safe’ to their teens?

Parents will meet up at the school gates twice a day and stand and chat. Some will also meet in their houses, as their kids are friends and sitting together all day anyway so they know that any Covid family 1 has is most likely going to be spread to family 2 anyway.

Parents will do more things, go more places and take more risks because ‘If we’re going to get it from anywhere it will most likely be from school anyway’.

Ditto teachers. And who can blame them? Teachers should have full access to all of society even under lockdown IMO as they’re not being granted safety in any shape or form so should at least be allowed to have their lives.

Employers will expect employees in in a way that they wouldn’t be able to if primaries were off. But schools are open so there will be an expectation of presenteeism in many many workplaces.

Roads will continue to be busy with schools in so people will get a general feeling of ‘business as usual’ and they will carry on cramming themselves into unnecessary shops.

You might disagree with some of the above. I do. But that’s what is going to happen and there will be many deaths as a result.

I thought that primary aged children don’t transmit the virus the same as older children - so surely safer to be back ?

Firstly, there’s never been any definitive evidence on this and secondly, they’re saying that the new variant probably infects children as much as adults. Also, even IF old Covid infects them less in theory, that is countered by the fact that little kids put things in their mouths, wipe snot on their hands and then on the banister, hold hands and hug and touch each other’s faces, climb on the teacher’s lap, share drinks bottles and so so many other things that adults wouldn’t.

Agreed OP.

We haven’t a hope in hell of preventing unnecessary deaths now.

I do a school run where there is no social distancing at all and none of the parents are wearing masks. Even my 12 year old realises this is going to continue to rumble on because people are d**ks x

Half the classes in dds primary school were off before Christmas. Everyday we would get up to ten ParentMails saying there was another case in school but no need for Dd to self isolate. I had to turn the notifications off in the end, it was crazy.

We are going into tier 4 tomorrow, one of the fastest rising rates, but hey, let's get them all back in school.

@borntohula

Agree with pp, if you were truly concerned you'd take your kids out of school.

except people are getting fined or being told to withdraw their children from school if they do!

Children of primary school age need to be in school it's criminal to remove them for their mental health and well being and for parents who need to work, and their development. It will take a very very long time for many children to catch up to the level they should be at due to school closures last year.

I agree if you are so worried about your children going back to school don't send them especially if your immediate family are vulnerable. And if you are in tier 4 and have older relations you shouldn't be seeing them so where is the risk of passing it on to them ?

Children of primary school age need to be in school it's criminal to remove them for their mental health and well being

That’s just unproven rubbish. Most kids are absolutely fine being at home for a bit.

@sunshineandshowers21 so withdraw them. Coronavirus isn't going anywhere soon and schools can't be kept closed indefinitely.

That’s just unproven rubbish. Most kids are absolutely fine being at home for a bit.

There is a significant body of evidence to suggest that school closures are having an impact on children's mental health. Plus kids have been at home for a bit already - far too long - enough is enough they shouldn't be sacrificed anymore - the vulnerable should shield and healthy should be able to get on with their lives.

And what about families who are struggling, have family problems, have parents who cannot work in the home, domestic abuse issues, suffering economic hardships etc Everything is been left to stagnate in name of Covid

At the end of the day though, the virus doesn’t care if it’s ‘unfair’ to close schools. It just enjoys hopping from close contact to close contact and then into the community.

NHS staff working directly with covid patients don't have correct PPE! We get a paper mask and a plastic apron (my hairdresser wears more PPE than me) and the covid patients wear nothing and cough all over us.

It's not a race to the bottom though is it. You guys expect to deal with ill people, that's literally what you trained for. Not what teachers trained for.

@Agoodbriskwalk

At the end of the day though, the virus doesn’t care if it’s ‘unfair’ to close schools. It just enjoys hopping from close contact to close contact and then into the community.

Yeah it does, and it causes almost NO problems for school children or their parents, just like most other coronaviruses.

You know coronavirus isn't going away, right? It's here to stay, like flu, which incidentally kills thousands of people every year but no one seems to give a shit about that.

Shall we just close schools forever?

young healthy people need to stop being the sacrifical lambs to enable >80yea old Tory voters to still pop to waitrose

Yeah, be better all round if they were just dead.

I work for the NHS. No working from home for me, and I need my children to be in school so I can work.

Then you’re a key worker, your kids are and have always been provided for and this post is nothing to do with you.

@Agoodbriskwalk

I work for the NHS. No working from home for me, and I need my children to be in school so I can work.

Then you’re a key worker, your kids are and have always been provided for and this post is nothing to do with you.

I'm a key worker, and I want my children to go to school as normal, with the other children in their class.

The school provision for 'key workers' children during the last lockdown was appalling, basically just shit childcare by people who wanted to be sat at home on a laptop drinking tea

As a parent of Primary and Secondary dc we have not broken a single rule. In fact dd1 was self isolating until 21st December and has been for one walk since. Dd2 and dd3 has not left the house at all.
Not sure how Ifeel about schools returning. I could probably deal with a week or two of Primary Age dd being off. Her mental health would be fine but is about to be assessed for ASD and is struggling academically. She does not take Home Education from me well with meltdowns. But I suppose I smobe of those parents who can't control my kids.
Dh is ECV aswell do of course there is a risk but cases were extremely low in Primary. Only one it two cases..

Are you a teacher OP?

Yeah it does, and it causes almost NO problems for school children or their parents, just like most other coronaviruses.

Well the ‘Covid is harmless, just like flu, just like a cold’ argument is a separate thing. Whatever conspiracy theory you believe, this country and most of the world is treating it as a very dangerous virus that we must avoid spreading. Except in schools. You can’t use both arguments simultaneously.

Are you a teacher OP?

Absolutely not. Couldn’t be one and now wouldn’t be one after the way they’ve been treated.

Secondary cases were higher but dd1 has exams this month so needs to be in school.

By that I mean as per the other thread.

@Agoodbriskwalk

Yeah it does, and it causes almost NO problems for school children or their parents, just like most other coronaviruses.

Well the ‘Covid is harmless, just like flu, just like a cold’ argument is a separate thing. Whatever conspiracy theory you believe, this country and most of the world is treating it as a very dangerous virus that we must avoid spreading. Except in schools. You can’t use both arguments simultaneously.

It's not a very dangerous virus for the majority of people. It kills some people, mostly elderly or vulnerable people, but occasionally some healthy people. JUST LIKE FLU, which we have a spike of every year, and kills thousands.

The death rate is around 0.8%, which is skewed by a death rate of 12% in the over 80s.

The 1918 flu epidemic had a death rate of 2.5%

Ebola can be 50-90% (although not with western medicine)

I honestly believe we are going to look back on this and be shocked at the hysteria.

I'm a key worker, and I want my children to go to school as normal, with the other children in their class.

That’s pretty selfish. It’s not enough that your kids are catered for you want all the kids back in as part of their ‘school experience’.

The school provision for 'key workers' children during the last lockdown was appalling, basically just shit childcare by people who wanted to be sat at home on a laptop drinking tea

Sorry your children’s teachers are so rubbish. It’s not my experience of teachers at all. You do sound very bitter that some people can work from home though so maybe think about a career change?