A ‘Safe Schools’ policy for re-opening education as soon as possible

[herecomesthsun]

from Independent Sage here.

I haven't seen it posted on here yet (please forgive me if it has been, but we have been quite busy with a) homeschooling b) reassuring the kids.

www.independentsage.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Schools-Jan-2021-final.pdf

I think there needs to be discussion and planning now for how schools can best re-open and be safe.

It seems a shame that we have so many threads on which people are unhappy about not having keyworker provision or wanting to continue arguing about schools being open or closed.

It would be good to have some discussion about how they might look like when they open again, if they are going to sty open successfully.

We have some of the largest classes in Europe. We need to get classes down in size and we need to think hard about mitigations that will work. Masks. Forest school. Etc.

Superspready implies mitigations are largely ineffective.

Sorry but you can't be asking for harsher restrictions in March whilst also wanting to reopen schools so this bunch of chancers can do one.

I suppose you could call the cabinet a bunch of chances. But I don't think they are going to do one.

We have to re-open schools at some point. And it would be good to have some contingency planning well in advance.

It would be good to have some discussion about how they might look like when they open again, if they are going to sty open successfully.

Think is, it has been discussed to death but the DfE has made quite clear that it has no interest in paying for and organising the kind of measures which would make a difference, or empowering LEAs to do it, and just expects very school to manage as best they can.

Without funding for more staff and more PPE or flexibility to use other spaces and vary the timetable, there really is a very limited amount that schools can do.

it would be good to have some contingency planning well in advance.

I cannot think of anything the current government hate more than that idea. If you stick your fingers in your ears and hum, eventually there is only one choice left. Then you can say you went for the 'least worst option'.