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

[Coldwinterahead1]

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

@sundowners

Get teachers vaccinated and children back in hugely reduced bubbles, even for 1 or 2 days a week each after half term.

Thank you, this could work if the government hadn't band rotas.

But we are at least on the same page.

if so many in essential retail can stay open then our kids should be in school

I don’t think that really follows though. Keeping essential retail open with restricted customers and everyone wearing masks is one thing. Opening schools will mean 6+ million pupils, 100,000+ school staff and thousands of parents mixing daily at close quarters. That can’t happen until a better plan is made.

@HauntedPencil that’s how I interpreted it. The legislation allows the lockdown to run until the 31st March (the week before the Easter holidays) with a review planned for half term. Sadly, I can’t read Boris’ mind (can you imagine what goes on in his brain!) and much prefer to prepare myself for worst case scenario to avoid further disappointment.

@Flinstones

For me it's not about the standard of remote learning that I'm getting from school, my kids schools have been fantastic I couldn't fault them. For me this just isn't a long term solution for the kids or the parent that's home being forced to be the teacher! I am not a teacher & I'm trying my best I am mentally worn out with home schooling, working, looking after a busy house. This is just an unsustainable way of life especially for the poor kids, the damage to them emotionally & socially is beyond awful. If so many in essential retail can stay open then our kids should be in school.

Yes totally agree about the ‘essential’ retail. Why on earth are garden centres deemed essential for example?

Rotas would’ve been a good idea. They won’t work now everyone is a critical worker. The KWV bubbles mean most schools are at capacity anyway. It’s wrong but if they expect KW to run alongside it, like they did in June. There will not be space in primary. If they go back to the 15 spaces, sd, etc, etc.

Agree totally Flinstones. My mum being a teacher it’s a career I thought about but then realised no... I don’t have near the even basic level of organisation, calm, patience, planning required let alone the actual specialisms in subject matter/ ability to convey this to children and have them engaged.
I’m so impatient and so ratty with my DC after another days crazy juggling act I feel so guilty at the end of each day, only barely 2 weeks in... I don’t want my own very fragile mental state right now to damage them too- on top of everything else they’re loosing.

@3littlewords

So her poat was responded to some added things some didn't yet there is a pack mentality?

You seem to be reading things in to something that just isn't there.

But we are all entitled to our opinions.

FrippEnos yes, if you were on the receiving end of it you’d see it was very much pack mentality. I had to step away for a few hours as couldn’t take it.

What people also don't seem to think about is that retail staff will be getting poorly and having to be off work, just like teachers and other school staff were and are.

But there is slack in a supermarket. Spare staff who don't work full time who can flex up to more shifts. Students on zero hours contracts who will jump at more money. And none of the customers will need to self-isolate because their contact will have been fleeting.

It's totally different in schools. There is no flex in staffing. Every single member of staff is working at full capacity all the time. No money for "overtime." Supermarkets make huge profits. Schools are massively underfunded and run on a shoestring.

And children will have to self-isolate if a peer or their teacher or TA tests positive, because they will have been in intense, very close and sustained contact for hours.

There is no comparison to "schools are safe to open" with "supermarkets can do it."

[quote FrippEnos]**@3littlewords

So her poat was responded to some added things some didn't yet there is a pack mentality?

You seem to be reading things in to something that just isn't there.

But we are all entitled to our opinions.[/quote]
Clearly I wasn't the only one reading things that weren't there! Ironic hey!

I’m sorry but this is total scaremongering. He won’t answer the question because he doesn’t have a crystal ball.

The current plan is to vaccinate the top 4 priority groups by Feb half term then restrictions will start to ease and one of the first things will be the schools going back.

However, if supplies don’t keep up with proposed plan then the vaccination timeline will slip and the schools then can’t open.

The top 4 priority groups account for 88% of total deaths so far so protecting these people will make a massive difference. I think we should start to see figures come down over then next few weeks IF people stop going out unless absolutely necessary

sundowners

I will not argue with how you feel.

I do hope that you are feeling better and wish you well.

@DecemberSun

It’s a shame teachers aren’t more like other key workers such as NHS staff, shop workers, public transport staff etc. They accept we are all in this together, accept we need to keep the country running and just get on with their jobs.

The ignorance is staggering.

All the people you mention can wear masks, the people they deal with have to wear masks and social distancing is enforced. If we are all in this together let the teachers have the same protection as the workers you mention.

I cannot believe the level of ignorance that must exist to not know that.

I couldn't have put it better myself!🤔

3littlewords

As I said we are all entitled to our opinions.

All posts are subjective and we all read nuances that may not be there.

I think the government have really cocked up with letting so many people have a KW place as going back, rotas will be impossible

The top 4 priority groups account for 88% of total deaths so far so protecting these people will make a massive difference. I think we should start to see figures come down over then next few weeks IF people stop going out unless absolutely necessary

The vaccination of those four groups will massively help prevent deaths, not so much admission to ITU as they are also full of people much younger (45-70). We can't let the virus rip through society and those age groups. We just can't. There will continue to be no health provision for any other conditions.

It's not ideal, even in an emergency situation, it's not ideal. But schools in the UK have really stepped up. Plus the keyworker provision wasn't offered across Europe. God knows how people coped, maybe lost their jobs.
In the UK we are bending over backwards trying to provide the best remote lesr ring possible, along with keyworker and FSM to all that need them. Still people moan.

The government needs to make companies furlough a parent so they can devote their time to their children. This will also allow more children to be at home as schools are still too busy.

@sundowners

I read a lot about the virus. Its all about priorities. Yet again the parents commenting as usual are likely: 1) not even parents themselves 2) not parents of more than 1 primary age kid 3) not working 4) definitely are not juggling home-schooling a SEN child with working too.

But @sundowners there really was no need to post something like this - when you know nothing about the personal situations the posters on here, apart from that you disagreed with what they were posting? That was what I was responding to - I didn't see that as jumping on you or pack mentality?

@Kitcat122

The government needs to make companies furlough a parent so they can devote their time to their children. This will also allow more children to be at home as schools are still too busy.

Who is going to do the work then? The colleagues who don't have children? That's unfair.

If I were furloughed someone still needs to do my job, the work isn't going to just disappear.

They can't send kids back to school until Key Workers have had both doses of the vaccine. They are considered high viral load so need both doses more than the elderly. Originally they'd planned to have vaccinated this group by half term...I suspect May is more likely.

3littlewords

It's perfectly possible to be very concerned about the negative impact that remote working/learning and the current restrictions are having on adults and children alike and recognise that the solution to that is, in substantial part, the government actively engaging with how schools can be opened again as safely as possible, as soon as possible.

They're the same thing, actually.

The NAHT has asked the government to work with them and PHE to implement mitigation measures to make schools as covid-safe as possible.

As far as I know, the government doesn't seem to be taking up their suggestion.

Government have just changed the guidance on school rotas to allow them again if needed. Might pave the way to a quicker return (though is so think we’re talking Easter still...)

@Beverley71

I’m sorry but this is total scaremongering. He won’t answer the question because he doesn’t have a crystal ball.

The current plan is to vaccinate the top 4 priority groups by Feb half term then restrictions will start to ease and one of the first things will be the schools going back.

However, if supplies don’t keep up with proposed plan then the vaccination timeline will slip and the schools then can’t open.

The top 4 priority groups account for 88% of total deaths so far so protecting these people will make a massive difference. I think we should start to see figures come down over then next few weeks IF people stop going out unless absolutely necessary

Well you are optimistic!

Hospitals are still going to be in crisis the 2nd week of Feb. They aren't expected to peak in the South East for a week or so yet. And it will be later in other areas. Especially in the northwest.

And working age groups will still not be be vaccinated.

If its spreading in schools like wildfire, after Feb half term is nonsense.

I need to be optimistic for my kids sanity. If Feb comes and it’s not time for them to go back then we will deal with it then, but for now we can’t think beyond that.