Will schools re-open?

[TVDFan]

Do you think schools will re-open after the February half-term?

YABU - Yes I think they'll re-open after half term.

YANBU - They will remain closed for longer.

@Picinned if schools do end up being closed to the majority untill September then pupils will have to repeat a year. For secondary in total that will equal a whole academic year missed inside school. I really wish people would stop saying schools are open, to the vast majority of kids schools are certainly not open.

TVDFan

We have not felt safe in schools. Masks are not allowed to be worn in classes and visors offer no protection. There is no physical way of social distancing in classrooms and we need to be able to get close to pupils to be able to best support them.“

Teachers and school staff have been treated appallingly throughout, no regard whatsoever for their safety. I’m astonished we haven’t seen mass resignations.

(I have no connection with schools, other than one still in Yr 13)

Special school (300+ pupils 200+ staff) here in an area with high transmission rates and tens of cases within school. Operating as normal - minimal social distancing as not possible for many of our cohorts. I get the rationale and I really do want to support our young people, but how do we ever hope to get a handle on transmission with so many exemptions to the lockdown rules...

People saying school is currently childcare, its not. They are still doing the same work set at home in my DDs with their teacher. My DD is still receiving her additional phonics/maths input etc.

She was in march-july too. This is much much more normal school now with just half the class at home

@Mumofsend how is that fair to all the kids not in school? Great for your child but it's just widening the gap. 😠

@Marzipan12 my child has an EHCP. Trust me its not widening the gap, hopefully it may reduce the gap actually.

I think the majority of kids in in her school (based on her year group) are vulnerable kids not keyworkers

Well closing them probably won't make the difference they're hoping for as a lot of classes still have the majority of their kids in!

I don’t understand how it’s fair either. The kids in school have a teacher right there in the classroom to answer any questions and help them understand. The kids at home have an email address and then have to wait days for an answer, by which time they’ve forgotten what they were stuck on. How is that “teaching”?

For those saying once more people are vaccinated can I ask how many people this needs to be before the unions will allow teachers back? Most teachers are under 50 and will not be in phase 1 of the rollout, phase 2 will not start till at least Sept 21 so do you feel schools should be closed the whole of 2021! Children will not get the vaccination unless they have an underlying health condition so linking schools re opening with the vaccine makes no sense and is very damaging to childrens education.

Exactly Lemons.

Katedan the closure isnt due to the unions but to the spread. Currently its overwhelming the hospitals.

When there is less spreadnin the communty it is much safer for pupils and staff to be in school.

I would still hope after nearly a year the govt could prioritise funsing tk make schools safer or smaller groups or any of the things often mentioned for schools safety that could have been implemented but weren't.

Where did you read phase 2 of vaccines won't be until September?

I fully suspect we’ll be looking at September.

Instead of prioritising certain kids I strongly belive schools should be on a rota system so all kids get chance for at least 1 week out of 3 in school. I understand keyword erstwhile need places but the rest of the children need an education and frankly they have missed far to much. We have to reach a stage where everyone's education is prioritised not a select few.

The reason for all restrictions including schools being closed is to reduce the pressure on the NHS and not eliminate the chance of people being ill. This is why the priority list for vaccines is the at risk groups and not the working population. As soon as the pressure on the nhs eases then restrictions will begin to be lifted.

Teachers may therefore be expected to go back before they feel safe as if they do get ill there will be capacity in the NHS to treat them. This is the case for everyone. The real danger then would be the risk of long COVID.

They will however be more confident that they won't pass COVID on to elderly vulnerable family members as they will be vaccinated.

I think they’ll be closed until after Easter.

@Marzipan12 one week out of 3 in would be catastrophic for children with additional needs. What you actually want is to throw SEN and vulnerable kids under the bus

Actually one of my kids has additional needs. My other child in year 8 needs to be in school, he needs teacher input and he needs his education just as much as my other child. These kids are literally bring thrown under tne bus as you put it my Son's education is equally as important as my special needs child's education.

The 8 stage plan that is published is phase 1, I.e persons over 50, frontline workers and people with underlying health condtions, as others have said this should reduce the pressure on NHS but will not see school infections reduce, I am group 6 and my predicted vaccine is Sept 21 to Feb 22 so that gives you an idea how long this will take to rollout even if it goes well. Schools reopening cannot be linked to vaccines as people suggest above. Covid is only a significant risk to older and vulnerable persons once they are immunised schools need to go back to face to face teaching.

Don’t believe it for a second. The unions don’t want teachers in the classroom without appropriate PPE or other safety measures in place. The data supports that teachers are more at risk of infection than other jobs. The remote learning is now set up and considered by most as a viable alternative to in-school learning. This shit is going to drag out over summer if not over next winter. I can’t see my kids back in school for a long, long time.

The news articles I have read this morning have mostly attributed the uncertainty to the new variant and the fact that they don't know whether a lockdown like we had in March will be enough to flatten the curve and bring the R below 1 this time.

It's going to take a couple of weeks to see the affects of the current lockdown before they can plan to reopen.

We've been in school since September without appropriate measures. Of course we will have children in school before next winter. That would be unworkable.

Easter

@Tyranttoddler

We've been in school since September without appropriate measures. Of course we will have children in school before next winter. That would be unworkable.

I agree. But I doubt it will be ALL children and that’s my point. My kids won’t be seeing their classroom again for a very long time.