So it looks like we're being prepared for children not to go back until after Easter

[choosingcrumble]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/children-face-months-at-home-as-schools-stay-shut-until-easter-wp5ltpm82?fbclid=IwAR1l0gRSzuJLIv508reRmBEojbYfoGOsWwe3_pBFmKpA4EbI1IgC5dKC2uE

I suspected it wouldn't be until then, let's just hope that it doesn't stretch into the summer.

[olivehater]

I think it is more dangerous schools I got off. My mum who is in her 70s has been shielding for some time. She just told me she is havine three of her grandkids tommorrow as my sister has to go for a meeting. If they were at school she would have to. People are being forced to rely on grandparents for childcare. The very people we are supposed to be protecting.

[KatherineJaneway]

Which of the Government’s actions demonstrates that they think children matter? Or that they regard education as a necessity rather than a nice optional extra?

As pp said, they wouldn't close schools unless they had to. They want schools open just as much as anyone but it isn't currently safe to do so.

[BungleandGeorge]

[quote Northernsoulgirl45]I have very mixed feelings on this. Homeschooling my 7 year old is hell on earth. On one level I want her back in school.
My middle one is missing out on education and therapy too as doesn't respond well to Teams. However safety is important too. Dh is ECV and I an on the borders of CV.
I feel losing one of us would be more devastating to my dc on an individual basis.
Plus death isn't the only bad outcome. We are hearing more about Long COVID in both adults and children
metro.co.uk/2021/01/25/long-covid-in-kids-how-covid-affects-kids-months-after-positive-test-13962441/?ito=article.mweb.share.top.link[/quote]
I keep seeing the ‘long covid’ statistics being misquoted like in that article though. Having a headache or tummy ache or other minor symptoms within 5 weeks of having covid may be important for population monitoring but it means nothing when assessing risk of long covid. I actually would really like to know how many people are too unwell to go to school or work after 5 weeks, how many have severe symptoms that disturb day to day life.

[ceeveebee]

@Abraxan I’m not suggesting that opening R and Y1 would be possible or practical to do, but that doesn’t seem to stop the government usually...

[Northernsoulgirl45]

I have very mixed feelings on this. Homeschooling my 7 year old is hell on earth. On one level I want her back in school.
My middle one is missing out on education and therapy too as doesn't respond well to Teams. However safety is important too. Dh is ECV and I an on the borders of CV.
I feel losing one of us would be more devastating to my dc on an individual basis.
Plus death isn't the only bad outcome. We are hearing more about Long COVID in both adults and children
metro.co.uk/2021/01/25/long-covid-in-kids-how-covid-affects-kids-months-after-positive-test-13962441/?ito=article.mweb.share.top.link

[Abraxan]

I agree children need to return to school when it's safe for them to do so.
But the reality is that many working age (and parent of school children age) clinically vulnerable adults will not have been vaccinated.

Where we are they are just starting in the CEV group. Hopefully they will have their first dose soon.

But as someone who is CV I can't see me getting my first vaccine for a while yet. Then it's another 3 weeks for that to kick in, and 12 weeks before dose 2.

This group accounts for a lot of teaching staff and parents. Once children go back full time, with no protective measures in place, the huge amount of mixing of numerous households starts again.

[Doublefaced]

@bumbleymummy

Vaccinating the more vulnerable groups will reduce the risk of serious illness/hospitalisations as well. We really are focussing on all the worst case scenarios - the people in hospital, the people in icu, the people dying. We really don’t hear too much about the people who have no symptoms or have it very mildly which is the case for the vast majority of people.

This.

And I say this as a nurse caring daily for dying covid patients.
Time to focus on rebuilding.
The vaccination program is rolling out with incredible momentum.
The pressure on the NHS will ease.
We need to get our children back to school.

[bumbleymummy]

Vaccinating the more vulnerable groups will reduce the risk of serious illness/hospitalisations as well. We really are focussing on all the worst case scenarios - the people in hospital, the people in icu, the people dying. We really don’t hear too much about the people who have no symptoms or have it very mildly which is the case for the vast majority of people.

[Abraxan]

Surely deaths aren't really the only issue?

What about illness leading to hospitalisation, but surviving?
What about illness leading to continuing treatment?
Illness leading to several weeks of work?


We appear very focused in death rates, but for the working population death isn't going to be the biggest generally.

[Abraxan]

@ceeveebee

Personally I think they will open primary schools to reception and Y1 after half term, as they did last June. And then they will be able to say that “schools are open” which allows them to open other things like non essential retail (which, let’s face it, is not as high risk as schools)

For an infant school that's most of their school anyway.

At my school we didn't have room to reopen to year 1s under the guidelines last time.

We have 40-50% in most days who are key worker or vulnerable children. Add all of reception and year one and we have only a very small number of children not in. Could be up to 225 children in, 45 at home, so not really worth not letting the others in tbh at that point,

[Parker231]

It’s going to take a while for the benefits of the vaccinations to show in the reduction of death figures. The over 80’s and care home patients and staff and some NHS staff have had a vaccination (a small number from the early vaccination protocol have had two).

[Doublefaced]

‘If the schools reopen without changes to how they have been operating, ie rota attendance, masks for all, vaccinations etc we will be back at square one with no reduction in transmission and deaths.’

The most vulnerable are being vaccinated. Of course there will be reductions in deaths!

[Parker231]

@DrRamsesEmerson
“Which of the Government’s actions demonstrates that they think children matter? Or that they regard education as a necessity rather than a nice optional extra?”

I think protecting the health of their teachers, children’s family and general public is a sign of demonstrating education matters. If the schools reopen without changes to how they have been operating, ie rota attendance, masks for all, vaccinations etc we will be back at square one with no reduction in transmission and deaths.

[Frodont]

@ceeveebee

Personally I think they will open primary schools to reception and Y1 after half term, as they did last June. And then they will be able to say that “schools are open” which allows them to open other things like non essential retail (which, let’s face it, is not as high risk as schools)

Yes this is a possibility.

[ceeveebee]

Personally I think they will open primary schools to reception and Y1 after half term, as they did last June. And then they will be able to say that “schools are open” which allows them to open other things like non essential retail (which, let’s face it, is not as high risk as schools)

[DrRamsesEmerson]

@ErinTingey

However in 2020 and 2021 we decided children did not matter and we should ensure hospitals were not over full with the old and vulnerable. We put those above children and our general rights and freedoms It was the wrong decision as I have said since March 2020.

Of course children matter

Which of the Government’s actions demonstrates that they think children matter? Or that they regard education as a necessity rather than a nice optional extra?

[Frodont]

@KatherineJaneway

Primaries after half term according to the Times.

That's not fact.

It's not fact, no.

It's been put forward as a suggestion by PHE if cases continue to fall, which hopefully they will.

[MarshaBradyo]

@KatherineJaneway

Tears here tonight as my DC had their hopes of a return dashed. It is awful the way they have their hopes up and it is all dragged out again just as it was last summer.

I'm sorry they are upset but as pp said, you need to manage their expectations. No way are schools going to open in the near future

It’s possible not definite

[KatherineJaneway]

Primaries after half term according to the Times.

That's not fact.

[Frodont]

I'm sorry they are upset but as pp said, you need to manage their expectations. No way are schools going to open in the near future

Primaries after half term according to the Times.

[KatherineJaneway]

Tears here tonight as my DC had their hopes of a return dashed. It is awful the way they have their hopes up and it is all dragged out again just as it was last summer.

I'm sorry they are upset but as pp said, you need to manage their expectations. No way are schools going to open in the near future

[ErinTingey]

However in 2020 and 2021 we decided children did not matter and we should ensure hospitals were not over full with the old and vulnerable. We put those above children and our general rights and freedoms It was the wrong decision as I have said since March 2020.

Of course children matter

[Frodont]

Mine aren't interested in consoles or gaming. They come into the kitchen and have a drink and a chat.

[BungleandGeorge]

I think there is a group of kids who really like consoles and games but a lot of them really aren’t interested! Personally I can’t study properly for long periods without breaks, it doesn’t really matter whether it’s a screen break but I need a break from concentrating on learning. I’m not sure how long these breaks are but 10-20 minutes to make a drink etc is fine

[CallmeAngelina]

Can't remember which secondary school teacher on one of these threads somewhere pointed out that when they schedule in regular breaks to their online live lessons, the kids use it to go straight onto Fortnite or similar.