I really thought there was going to be a primaries U-turn today

[Flower2021]

For once I am astonished that the government has made a decision and stuck to it!

(I mean, it’s the wrong decision, but still.)

Lots of schools locally are choosing not to open at the last minute.

I'm pretty confident there will be a u turn but not for a couple of weeks. The death rates will continue to rise, cases will rise and the government will have to act. Sadly it will be too late for many.

I think they’ll be forced to shut schools once parents refuse to allow children in, much like the week before lockdown in March.

Do you think enough people will keep them off?

Anecdotally I don’t know anyone who will unless they’re made to... nobody wants to homeschool again, a lot are struggling with work. I wonder what attendance will be like... I wonder what the “middle” group of people who aren’t vocal in either camp will really do.

(I don’t know either why, no school aged kids here. I think I’d keep them off, and expect others to do likewise; but a lot of decisions I thought would go one way have gone the other recently!)

We’re on the boundaries of two counties near London. I have one primary aged child off and the other one still due in on Wednesday.

It is the right decision and I am glad it has been kept to..although I have no faith in the Government continuing to stick to its word.

It is the right decision to keep them open. Government by Twitter and mass hysteria has to stop.

And to re-iterate whats said above..I only know one parent who doesn't want their children to return. All the rest, which include doctors, hospital staff, stay at home parents etc want their children to return. I don't think people on here are representative of the general view.

The day is young

Our schools have been closed in this area and to be honest I was hoping they wouldn’t! We are not seeing relatives and the school only had 2 cases last term. I do wish they would vaccinate teachers though. Anyway, our primary has chosen, on the advice of the local council, to close until the 18th. Am not looking forward to homeschooling.

So many parents will keep their children off in the schools that will open, I think that primary this week will be like a very precarious house of cards!

Is it correct there is a press conference today?

@AaronPurr

I suspect a u-turn is coming. Unfortunately I think it will be late Monday evening.

He certainly paved the way for one this morning with not ruling out tier 5 and closing more schools if needed.

Cumbrias public health officer has written to DfE asking them to close schools up here. At the moment there is only very high levels in the NE of the county but other areas are increasing (but from low levels)

All the rest, which include doctors, hospital staff, stay at home parents etc want their children to return. I don't think people on here are representative of the general view.
This.
And the teachers aren’t either. In RL my teaching colleagues want to -be back on School -we have not been peddling doom and gloom or threatening to resign or ‘get ourselves signed off for stress’.

DS's school have massaged to say their reviewing their risk assessment and will let us know tomorrow if they will be open for the rest of the week (tomorrow was already an inset day). We've just gone up to tier 4 but aren't in the areas told to close, from the tone of the message I'm 90% sure they'll close, and I'm sure others will aswell, taking the decision out of the governments hands.

We're on the border of two councils (same county) and the neighbouring council have issued a statement basically saying they don't think the government is taking it seriously enough and they are supporting heads if they only want to stay open for vulnerable/ key workers and won't fine any parents if they choose to keep their kids at home.

Well, I've just had an email from DD's Primary School saying they are closed from Tuesday (they had a teacher training day on Monday) except for keyworker or vulnerable children. I am in the West Mids.

Do you think enough people will keep them off?

Just going by what happened towards the end of autumn term, Dd6’s prep gave parents the option given the rise in cases only 5 out of 14 went in. Granted this was when everyone thought Christmas activities would go ahead as normal.

Broadly speaking every parent wants children in school, we all know homeschooling is shit. But it’ll come down to wether staffing levels will remain the same. They won’t. Therefore schools will be forced to close one by one, with or without government approval.

Starmer has just called for a national lockdown within 24 hours, hopefully Boris will see sense

@triceratops12

It will happen, just not yet. Give it until the end of next week.

Yes. Some parents will keep kids home. Some teachers will not go in. The numbers of cases will climb and climb. By the end of a fortnight, but probably by the end of the week, primaries and secondaries will close (prob till Feb break) to all but keyworker / EHCp/vulnerable kids Johnson will say: 'alas, I tried to keep them open as they were safe, but science /teachers/parents/kids made it impossible for me, alas'

Agree that in real life parents will send kids and teachers will go to work. It’s a real echo chamber on here (for all sorts of things not just schools) and it is very unrepresentative of what actual people think sometimes.
I hope the gov keep schools open where it is possible to do so and I am happy to send my own kids back as soon as I am told I can.

@Smile3

Is it correct there is a press conference today?

Not that I can find Smile3.

@EmmanuelleMakro

All the rest, which include doctors, hospital staff, stay at home parents etc want their children to return. I don't think people on here are representative of the general view. This. And the teachers aren’t either. In RL my teaching colleagues want to -be back on School -we have not been peddling doom and gloom or threatening to resign or ‘get ourselves signed off for stress’.

Never underestimate the benefit of being anonymous, I have stuck my head above the parapet on Facebook today and had 68 posts so far saying I'm loon and kids need to be at school and 10 posts supporting me. I've had 486 DMs agreeing with me but they are too scared to say so IRL, including a lot of teachers that are not planning to return next week. I know two of these people that have contacted me have been posting positive messages about how safe school is on the schools Twitter feed.

I think the majority will send their children in too. Back in March that was the case at DS's school, hardly anyone was off until they closed.

I take it they've decided schools will stay open?

Mine will be going in. My DH and I both work at home, and if the kids are home full-time it will be very difficult. I can't work and look after them at the same time. Lots of people have jobs they need to keep! The thought of having my children whinging around me, and the pressure of knowing I also need to be educating them (when?!) fills me with dread.