Breaking PM Covid statement 8pm

[MissMarpletheMurderer]

Will he be on time? What will he say?

@MrsTerryPratchett It's not you who needs to apologise but the government but it is much appreciated.

I am scared for the mental health of my teenager tonight. I will have to leave him tomorrow to go to work but right now I am scared to so I need to think of a solution.

@Thefaceofboe

Keeping nurseries open to all is essential.

Why not just for keyworker like last time? Why should nursery staff be at risk when schools aren’t opening? Insane

I'm assuming nurseries rely on paid spaces so maybe having one or two children in wouldn't be financially viable? Not sure how it worked in lock down 1.0

I think the reason nurseries are staying open for all children, not just key workers'/vulnerable, is because most are privately funded. If they cannot charge fees to non-key worker parents since they can't take their children, many would have to close for key worker children as well. Nursery key worker "hubs" don't work for little ones who need familiarity and continuity...I imagine many key workers would stop working rather than put their tinies in an unfamiliar place where they don't know the staff.

That would be my guess as to why they are open to all children.

Oh and before the whinging starts teachers are not on effing furlough. DH was working 7am-9pm doing online learning last time.
Every. Effing Day. Including weekends.

@justanotherneighinparadise it was so wrong to make children go into school today, why couldn't he make this announcement on Sunday. The damage that one day in school could make.

The stress parents were under deciding whether to take children in today. The stress teachers were under to decide whether to make a S44 claim

@MessAllOver

I think the reason nurseries are staying open for all children, not just key workers'/vulnerable, is because most are privately funded. If they cannot charge fees to non-key worker parents since they can't take their children, many would have to close for key worker children as well. Nursery key worker "hubs" don't work for little ones who need familiarity and continuity...I imagine many key workers would stop working rather than put their tinies in an unfamiliar place where they don't know the staff.

That would be my guess as to why they are open to all children.

I think that makes a lot of sense. In lockdown 1 ours opened to key worker kids for about 6 weeks but they couldn’t sustain it and ended up closing completely and putting all staff on furlough.

@TheSunIsStillShining

This is comedy gold "devolved nations share my convictions and are taking similar steps."

No, you buffoon.... They have takeN steps before you. as usual.

I noticed that too. Wales and Scotland have already locked down and cancelled exams.

I have not been the most supportive on here about teachers. Some of the language around parents and children has been pretty off colour.

However, were I a teacher I would be utterly and completely apoplectic right now. What a colossal waste of time, energy, stress and how stupid? FFS, I apologise teachers.

@MrsTerryPratchett I haven't always supported the majority view of teachers on here either, and I'm school support staff myself. The whole situation has been really hard for everyone, parents of school aged children included, and it's understandable that tempers get frayed sometimes.

I'm too exhausted to feel apoplectic at the moment but agree that the handling of this has been an absolute shitshow. Still, relieved that they have finally made the decision, even though it will be very hard for many parents and children. This is the first time since the pandemic began that everyone I know IRL has been on the same page about schools, even the people who usually lean more towards keeping them open.

MrsTerry no need to apologise. But it's always appreciated. The issue has been the insistence "schools are safe" without allowing data to back it up being published. So the teaching staff and unions have been fighting a battle they can't evidence other than anecdotally.

That information has come to light recently. And even Boris tonight admitted they are vectors for the virus - the point teachers were trying to make but was lost in translation I think.

I'm most surprised he had the balls to admit they are a vector for the virus but still declare them safe - oh but closed.

@justanotherneighinparadise

Completely agree. I am SO pissed off ive just risked my child’s and family’s health for one fucking day of school.

I am SO pissed off that I kept my child off, for very good reasons (we were shielding) and the school were so unsupportive.

There has been no consideration for parents and families, for either of us, that's how it seems to me.

Schools get judged and sanctioned on attendance, so they can't afford to be supportive even if it goes against their own moral code or natural instincts.
Once again, THIS IS NOT SCHOOL'S FAULT.
Blame lies squarely with the government. Don't vent your spleen at teachers.

@Mummyoflittledragon

Not surprising. Why didn’t they take the decision sooner? Each day in education is important in children’s lifetimes apparently.

All today did imo is spread it around rather than educate the kids.

This Government can never own an error can they. Pathetic attempt to spin it again. It really annoys me how stupid they think the public is. I hope MPs / journalists grill him on it though he never gives a straight answer anyway.

@MrsTerryPratchett

I have not been the most supportive on here about teachers. Some of the language around parents and children has been pretty off colour.

However, were I a teacher I would be utterly and completely apoplectic right now. What a colossal waste of time, energy, stress and how stupid? FFS, I apologise teachers.

Haven't read past this, so someone might have said it:

Thank you. You are one of the few who can admit to being an ass. I remember your posts on school threads and they were not always nice and mostly I think I argued against you. But apologizing publicly is not something many do on MN (or irl). Even if nobody else does, I appreciate it. (even if I'm not a teacher)

@TheBuffster

Schools get judged and sanctioned on attendance, so they can't afford to be supportive even if it goes against their own moral code or natural instincts. Once again, THIS IS NOT SCHOOL'S FAULT. Blame lies squarely with the government. Don't vent your spleen at teachers.

So we had one school that has been very supportive throughout in all sorts of waysand one that has not.

If my child at the latter school had not developed a close friendship group I would have taken them out by now. I am beyond disgusted at how this has been handled, And yes it was their fault.

How on earth are schools supposed to know what to do when they find out information at the same time as the public.
Maybe if you tried to work with the school they'd be more inclined to help you.

Hold on @TheSunIsStillShining I didn't say I was an ass. I was a bit though

I only hope the effort that teachers and staff made to get kids back into school won't be lost in a sea of 'why weren't they ready for online?'

What a shitshow.

@MrsTerryPratchett

Hold on *@TheSunIsStillShining* I didn't say I was an ass. I was a bit though

I only hope the effort that teachers and staff made to get kids back into school won't be lost in a sea of 'why weren't they ready for online?'

What a shitshow.

Okay, sorry for that :) Today was not one of my finest days in general and I may have been harsh when I didn't need to be. All good?

Oh, it will be... There will be a race to the bottom of how bad their kid's school is and how rubbish teachers are in general.

I absolutely got that Sun! I know you were being gracious. You weren't harsh at all.

I still can't quite believe the timing of all this.

Me neither. Many people (here, elsewhere, in rl) have been foreseeing this as it was the only logical consequence of non-action.
And yet, even sunday evening urging everyone to go in to school (where open), not letting businesses prepare better, just so at 8PM this narcissistic twat can be on tv is just ridiculous.

I really wonder if we could file a class act lawsuit(?) for negligence and endangerment against this gov?

One can dream...

@MrsTerryPratchett

One can dream...

If only, it'd make up for so much.