So Gav says schools could stay shut beyond half term.....

[Coldwinterahead1]

I'm guessing after Easter. What does everyone else think?

I think Easter but I think schools should really go on a part time basis until their vaccination target.

More than 1,500 deaths today, and last week 8 teachers died. Plus more children needing hospital treatment.
Rather than looking at dates, we need to look at safety and only go back when it is actually safe for school staff and children and their parents

As s**t as this situation is for everyone, peoples' safety is paramount. Also this new variant is affecting more younger people and children. If I was a parent, I would prefer my child to be safe at home, however inconvenient this is.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!

@Doris86

My sons school claims that those in school are at no advantage, as they are being taught the same things as the ones at home.

Complete nonsense. Yes they learn the same things for a few hours. Then the ones in school also get the attention of the teacher and TA for the rest of the day. I’m a KW and my son has been getting LOADS of one on one time with the teacher and TA, due to reduced class size. He has progressed more at school in the past week than he did in the previous 2 months. Really unfair on those children at home.

Exactly. Wholly unfair on the kids at home who are getting precious little interaction with anyone and on top of it all will be behind when they eventually are allowed to return to the classroom. We are going to end up with thousands of children who are behind with their learning along with fragile mental health due to being basically imprisoned for months on end.

The cost to this generation can not be underestimated and will be felt for many years. Some will never catch up at all. It has changed the course of many young lives and not for the better.

@Letseatgrandma

BUT it is absolutely vital to our society to resolve it and get kids back to school. We are failing the young hugely.

Yes, the government do talk about how vital schools are. Except when it comes to them spending a single penny on changing anything inside schools of course. They’re not THAT vital.

They won’t even recommend masks should be worn in classrooms as they need parents to feel schools are safe so they’ll send their children in. Masks make them look unsafe so it’s best to ban them and say they are bad.

I agree. Proper prioritisation that involves addressing it. Addressing covid and the fact that it has exposed an infrastructure of crowded classrooms, inadequate sized schools and inadequate teacher to pupil ratios. It's a big one to sort out and the government must. Hospitals, other emergency services, food supplies AND schools should be protected and up and running.

Agreed Hamish. My son is in reception, and now there are a reduced number he is really building up close friendships with those still at school. The ones stuck at home are missing out on that.

@Thewheelsonthebus23

Why would anyone think September?! Schools only shut as a last resort when hospitals are overwhelmed, same as a full lockdown. By March things should be looking much better, even better in April with vaccines and warm weather. Last year we had a semi normal summer and that was without vaccines!

I agree

First lockdown Had week of March then 2mths off school with opening in June

They can’t keep pubs restaurants shut till summer so will send schools back

I think will be back after Easter

Can’t edit

Plus have vaccine bow as well

I think there will be some year groups back before Easter. Not for any reason other than Gavin Williamson's hatred of teachers.

@noblegiraffe

That depends on the teachers and their unions

Teachers and unions will get fuck-all say.

A lot depends on the data coming out about this new variant and whether infection rates drop quickly enough with lockdown and vaccination.

It also depends on whether the government actually shift their arse on putting measures in place that will stop rampant covid spread in schools like there was before Christmas.

Binning the idea of not isolating close contacts will be a big one, and acknowledging the issues with the mass testing plans due to lack of test reliability.

Schools can open sooner if it is acknowledged they can’t open the way they were in September.

The govt won’t give a stuff about rampant spreading in schools if the hospitals aren’t overwhelmed and the ECV aren’t dying. It’ll be business as usual, whatever the unions say. Schools will reopen as soon as the hospitals stop filling up. The only way they’ll be shut until September is if the vaccines don’t work for whatever reason, and even then they’ll probably still open after Easter.

@Doris86

My sons school claims that those in school are at no advantage, as they are being taught the same things as the ones at home.

Complete nonsense. Yes they learn the same things for a few hours. Then the ones in school also get the attention of the teacher and TA for the rest of the day. I’m a KW and my son has been getting LOADS of one on one time with the teacher and TA, due to reduced class size. He has progressed more at school in the past week than he did in the previous 2 months. Really unfair on those children at home.

That's not true of all schools and certainly not true of my DD's school. She's Year 7 and doing online learning with everyone else. The school is simply providing a quieter space in which to do it and supervision to ensure the children keep socially distanced.

I think till September.

I’m amazed parents put up with it.

I think they'll open again in the summer

More than 1,500 deaths today, and last week 8 teachers died. Plus more children needing hospital treatment.
Rather than looking at dates, we need to look at safety and only go back when it is actually safe for school staff and children and their parents

I’m amazed parents put up with it.

It's a no brainer for me. I want to keep my children safe. Low risk yes but I have lost a child in late pregnancy. A child is irreplaceable. And many teachers and additional teaching staff/mid-day supervisors (and potentially the wider community) are putting themselves at risk also for some people who have no decent reason to send their child to school.

I have a pre-schooler and a primary aged child. My husband is a keyworker but works from home full time. We are juggling work schedules and care of pre-schooler to ensure dc gets a decent education whilst at home - they are getting one to one time on subjects from us because we are making time - working later etc. to make up the time.

There are people who know their child shouldn't really be at school. They must know it.

It was never going to be half term. Even in Boris's first speech it was after half term plus 3-4 weeks at the earliest if lots of unrealistic targets were met. He should never have said the words half term because if course that's the bit people cling into and remember.

Hopefully after Easter.

I’m amazed parents put up with it.

Well they don't really have any choice, do they? How are they going to force schools to open?

I have a pre-schooler and a primary aged child. My husband is a keyworker but works from home full time. We are juggling work schedules and care of pre-schooler to ensure dc gets a decent education whilst at home - they are getting one to one time on subjects from us because we are making time - working later etc. to make up the time.

You are the lucky ones! Many people are in back to back calls or have inflexible employers. Working later or making up the time are privileges.

Fuck off Gav and fuck off anyone who thinks that schools should be shut beyond Easter. It is not acceptable for our kids or us parents - we are not fucking qualified to teach and our kids need socialisation with their fucking peers.

The D of E needs to prioritise:

Lateral flow tests
Infection control procedures
visors for staff and students

I get that at the moment it’s a non starter but once the peak comes down they must get their arses into gear.

We are the 5th wealthiest economy in the fucking world and online learning is second rate bullshit.

I still think after half term. People are getting really angry about school closures how and by then, huge amounts of vulnerable people will be vaccinated and there will simply be no need to keep schools shut.
I am a teacher btw and really hoping we will be back after half term and I genuinely think there’s a good chance

@MadameTuffington

Fuck off Gav and fuck off anyone who thinks that schools should be shut beyond Easter. It is not acceptable for our kids or us parents - we are not fucking qualified to teach and our kids need socialisation with their fucking peers.

The D of E needs to prioritise:

Lateral flow tests
Infection control procedures
visors for staff and students

I get that at the moment it’s a non starter but once the peak comes down they must get their arses into gear.

We are the 5th wealthiest economy in the fucking world and online learning is second rate bullshit.

I agree.

@MadameTuffington
I totally and utterly agree with you. Teacher and parent here

For those desperate for schools to reopen ASAP once it’s reasonably ‘safe’ to do do please consider making some noise about it. Write to your MP, local councillors, write in to newspapers, tweet etc (can’t think of anything else). I only hear the shrill voices of those that want schools to stay closed (I think probably forever !)

Every school day is a ‘super spreader event’.

If the government allowed a football match to go ahead, with tens of thousands of fans, or a music concert, people would be horrified and agree how stupid that was.

Yet, opening schools to millions of children across the whole country...that seems to be OK. People are happy to take the risk...or get others (namely the school staff) to take the risk.

The government cannot open the schools yet and will not open the schools until the virus has stopped infecting thousands of people every day and not until hospitals are not struggling. The longer it takes for people to get their head around that idea and prioritise staying at home, the longer it’s all going to take.

People want to know ‘when’ schools are going to go back? ‘When this will be over?’

I’m gradually coming to terms with the idea that ‘it’ll be over, when it’s over’. There is no end date and we may as well get used to the provision that is available and make the best of it.