Can we unlock the schools at start of Feb?

[MeandT]

I'm totally supportive of the lockdown BUT by the end of next week, case numbers nationally will be the same as they were at end of November. Hospital admissions are falling again.

Rather than going back into tiers with the shops and food pubs open (where all the spreading happened in December), can we not issue all the teachers with N95 masks (and vaccines for the clinically vulnerable), make all the kids wear triple layer face masks all the time, and just get on with the important job of educating this country's kids in person? Starting again 1st of Feb.

AIBU to ask if we can send the kids back as soon as we hit the case rate we unlocked at on 2nd December?

IABU= no way, the cases will shoot up too quickly again, even if they all wear masks all day.

IANBU = yes, get them back before half term, the only reason it went nuts in December was because everyone was out Christmas shopping and seeing family.

Flinstones ... you are aware how a virus spresds aren't you? And how we are not coping with the current spread?

Imagine if the supermarket workers had your negative attitude noblegiraffe

Yep, thought as much.

Always playing the same tired old tunes.

Flint stones, I look forward forward to your your suggestions on how to make the air cleaning in the school, so neither staff nor students breathe covid in.

That's the problem we all need to work together to solve.

Of course rememberselfcompassion but why schools why our kids when literally everything else is still open! It doesn't make sense. Close everything else & open schools. I am allowed a different opinion & I know it's not a popular one on here but in real life it's what all parents want.

Oh do stop it, Flinstones. You have NO IDEA what teachers have been doing tirelessly since March.
And you also have no idea how relentlessly Noble has been advocating on here for safer conditions in schools so they CAN fucking well open.

why schools why our kids when literally everything else is still open!

Someone break the news to her?

It isn't negative to point out facts.

@noblegiraffe

Imagine if the supermarket workers had your negative attitude noblegiraffe

Yep, thought as much.

Always playing the same tired old tunes.

It's true though!

The govt/DFE need to step up. They need to prove they actually care, and are willing to invest in state education during this Pandemic!?
Teachers, TAs, support staff, catering staff and site staff have stepped up massively. Some have been very ill and some have died!
Staff working for free in the holidays, delivering lunches to vulnerable families, stepping up where Social Care are overstretched. Finding tech for families that need it. Setting up mobile testing sites with willing volunteers at a moment's notice. Training everyone remotely in a matter of days to use software we've never used before. Dealing with a myriad of issues every day...'we can't log on'/ 'I can't make him do it'/ 'wheres our laptop'/ 'she gets distracted at home' 'where are the 5 live lessons a day?' / 'we can't cope with 5 live lessons a day'.... ad nauseum...
Jesus... wtf else can we do?

DFE help us to educate the countries kids SAFELY as is possible. No, I dont know how, I don't have a clue. I really am hoping that is someone else's job 🤷‍♀️🤔

I don't see how teachers working with the DFE will get schools open. Schools aren't closed to protect teachers- in fact most primary staff are still IN school, they are closed to reduce community spread.

There's no point touting other professions who are continuing to operate and berating teachers for not doing the same. No other profession works in such close contact with others with zero protection like school staff do. No other profession has been advised to NOT wear any form of protection like school staff have!

Well, I concede that there are some quite stupid people out there who want schools open at all costs, with no thought for what that means for the wider community beyond their own selfish situations.

Aka, Usforthem. Or whatever they call themselves now.

Or whatever they call themselves now.

On this thread or in general? I’m sure you can spot the ones on here.

Flint stones I'm a parent and I also work in school.

Most parents want everyone to be safe whilst home school is not desirable or easy it's safe. We are in a global pandemic, we are in global crisis, I guess you understand that?

I cannot fathom how some people expect everything to run as normal with covid bombs dropping?

I'm struggling to understand the mentality of where opening things at any cost comes from?

Does positivity convey some sort of amazing new force field which will stop staff and students becoming infected? Jeez.

Patients in hospital don't wear masks only staff..

Personally I think some staff in supermarkets are too exposed and need more protection. Personally I think masks and visors should be worn simultaneously in a supermarket. The box around a cashier should go all the way around...

Their union and companies need to step up.
That doesn't mean other people should accept other un safe conditions...

@OverTheRainbowLiesOz

Does positivity convey some sort of amazing new force field which will stop staff and students becoming infected? Jeez.

Is that the same force field as supermarket workers and many others that have carried on?

Care to explain how everything but schools are open, flinstones?

Is this why hospital is rife with covid and people catching it everywhere?

Unfortunately infection control in hospital has slipped due to a number of things including asking NHS staff to wash their own uniform. This should be done on the highest setting etc and many staff can't or won't do this, it used to be don't for them at proper temps.

Then cleaning was also outsourced, again not the same standards as before. No windows open at all anywhere I've been in hospital recently.... An obsession with taking temps which means close contact whilst they do it but now windows open to actually tackle the problems... Which is one person breathing covid out and another one breathing it In

Then of course staff still do not have proper ppe which is dreadful...

Do you think that's right Flint stones? Or do you think we should all increase everyone's safety?.

@CallmeAngelina

Well, I concede that there are some quite stupid people out there who want schools open at all costs, with no thought for what that means for the wider community beyond their own selfish situations.

Aka, Usforthem. Or whatever they call themselves now.

I think the ops is linked to us for them as unlock schools is whats trending on twitter

@noblegiraffe

Care to explain how everything but schools are open, flinstones?

Do I really! I can go into my local town & every shop is open, what isn't opens is for click & collect, I can buy a new house, order meals & beer from pubs, etc etc This is about proving a point with the government & our kids are the pawns.

Is that the same force field as supermarket workers and many others that have carried on?

With masks
With social distancing which is impossible in schools
With screens
And any that don't have these things should be protected too.

Should have said inpatients on hospital wards (not Covid wards) do not wear masks. Outpatients do but not inpatients.

@Flinstones

Of course rememberselfcompassion but why schools why our kids when literally everything else is still open! It doesn't make sense. Close everything else & open schools. I am allowed a different opinion & I know it's not a popular one on here but in real life it's what all parents want.

But that is what did happen in November - everything shut during lockdown 2 and schools stayed fully open. Look where that got us. We cannot expect schools to fully open and carry on as normal with the infection levels as they are unless we’re prepared for lots of people to get sick and a proportion of them to die.