Back to school after half term?

[SpringSunshineandTulips]

I really can’t see it. 🥲 4 weeks of this term and then a week of half term. So 5 more weeks. I can’t see that 5 weeks today things will be that different that we are sending our kids back. I really hope I’m wrong though.

I just wish theyd share the plan!

Just announced by minister on bbc - 1/4 in hospital are under 55 so not “the majority” and I imagine many have other issues

Not dismissing those with underlying issues

Just pointing out that today they are opening the vaccines for over 70 and anyone who is cev- many of these under 55 will be cev so will get vaccine in the coming weeks

SO Today they have opened list to category 4 - over 70s and all those cev - that’s a huge factor - once the cev are some things be a lot better.

It's brilliant news that they are moving to the next category but they still have to wait 12 weeks for their second dose though don't they, so that makes Easter rather than half term more likely for reopening of schools.

They said they only need the one dose to lift restrictions

SO Today they have opened list to category 4 - over 70s and all those cev - that’s a huge factor - once the cev are some things be a lot better.

Only in some areas, this isn't across the board. I know 3 over eighties and only one so far has received his first dose. The other 2 haven't even heard and one is 88!

Wow. I'm category 6. I personally want to have had my vaccine and had the couple of weeks (how long is it before it is effective) before I send mine back. I didn't realise it was already at Cat 4. That's quite hopeful.

I'm not quite sure how it works when they start giving the second vaccine to the first lot - won't the rate of new people being given the vaccine slow down?

BBC have just made this clear, it is only in the areas where they have now vaccinated the vast majority of care home residents, staff and over 80s. This isn't the whole country. It is great news and we are moving in the right direction but to suggest it is happening all over the UK is wrong.

@RememberSelfCompassion

I'm not quite sure how it works when they start giving the second vaccine to the first lot - won't the rate of new people being given the vaccine slow down?

I wondered this too!

@Pastanred

They said they only need the one dose to lift restrictions

Really? That seems like rather a short-sighted policy?!

There are only approx 5500 icu beds in uk so it’s wrong to say thousands of younger people are on icu

I was also going to make this point - the numbers are actually very low and there will still be road accidents, heart attacks etc so they're not all full of covid patients either.

Anyway, to go back to the OP's topic, I'd like to think they'd get exam years back after Feb half term but suspect that is wishful thinking. Maybe they will at least reopen outdoor sport so the kids can get out and do something.

Just looked and as of Thursday gone there were 2674 people with covid in icu in England in TOTAL

@Bringonspring

Just reading that it looks like they will re introduce the tiering system in March, I think we could see regional differences therefore. I think primary will go back in March with critical secondary years then remaining post Easter.

If they do that, it will be patently obvious that 'lessons have NOT been learnt'

FFS it would be ridiculous to have schools fully open that soon. 🤦🏻‍♀️

It’s now 3174 actually - that was week or two before but still shows that people saying 1000s of young people in icu is wrong - given 1/4 are under 55 this is more like 800 and some of them may be seriously ill with other issues

Why witches?

99% of the mortality groups will be vaccinated by then so how can they justify further restrictions?

@Pastanred

Just looked and as of Thursday gone there were 2674 people with covid in icu in England in TOTAL

And your point is?

ICU is not the only issue. HDU, wards full of Covid patients, hospital staff off work, hospital staff overwhelmed, exhausted and suffering terribly mentally.

Other patients not being able to get treatment for other things.

@Pastanred

Why witches?

99% of the mortality groups will be vaccinated by then so how can they justify further restrictions?

Because a lot of school staff & parents are in group 6 & most won't be vaccinated by then, let alone have had the period after before its effective.

Because the hospitals have yet to reach peak admissions.

Oh and mortality isn't the only measure

But people on category 1-4 account for 99% deaths so really those in category 6 are not massively vulnerable are they? I say that as a teacher myself

If people are at risk they will be given the vaccine due to their nature of health risk rather than their occupation

If I’m not in the high risk it’s because I’m not at risk - teacher or not

@Pastanred

But people on category 1-4 account for 99% deaths so really those in category 6 are not massively vulnerable are they? I say that as a teacher myself

If people are at risk they will be given the vaccine due to their nature of health risk rather than their occupation

If I’m not in the high risk it’s because I’m not at risk - teacher or not

I think the point of vaccinating teachers and other school staff would be to keep schools open. If teachers and other staff are well, and in school, then their classes can be in school.

If they are ill with Covid, their classes have to close.

So vaccinating school staff is NOT (primarily) about the safety of those doing a face to face job under crowded conditions with little or no mitigation (even if that is desirable), but about keeping schools open more of the time for more pupils.

@Pissedoff1234

I can't see them back until after Easter and I would prefer to have them at home to help the NHS get back on its feet, mass vaccinate and hopefully get out of this mess a lot quicker.

I also don't agree that every child will be disadvantaged. Both of my DS's are far better off academically wise at home. DS1 has SEN (13 yo) so struggles either way but without distractions from classmates he is knuckling down and getting on with his work. He has actively chose a book and is reading it at the moment which he has never done ever. DS2 (8 yo) has mild dyslexia. He is doing so so well as he hasn't got the confidence in class but at home is getting lots of 1:1 time with me. DD1 (16 yo) is missing out as she hates the zoom lessons and DD2 (4 yo) is missing out as she is still at nursery so missing out on all that social interaction and early years stuff. It's swings and roundabouts. Some kids will be worse off and some won't.

You make it sound like it’s roughly equal numbers of children who will be advantages and disadvantages. It’s really really not the case. Yes, some children with SEN will be happier, but a friend of mine on paeds says they are seeing absolutely disastrous consequences of a mental health tsunami among kids. Really terrible stuff, with long term effects. The majority of children will “only” be missing out on critical education and social interaction. It’s simply wrong to imply that the consequences of all this approximately balance out. The number of children actually helped by all this is tiny.

@2020quelhorreur sadly there will be a number of children who will be really badly impacted by this, but will there not be a number of children who will just adjust, so not necessarily advantaged but not badly impacted either. So we need to concentrate on those who are badly impacted.

[quote ineedaholidaynow]@2020quelhorreur sadly there will be a number of children who will be really badly impacted by this, but will there not be a number of children who will just adjust, so not necessarily advantaged but not badly impacted either. So we need to concentrate on those who are badly impacted.[/quote]
I really hope that the government put a significant amount of money into CAMHS or providing some sort of mental health support for these children, as just expecting schools to open and pick up all the pieces is not an adequate strategy. Schools already have nobody to refer them to.