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.

I’m disappointed but not surprised.

I am just thankful they are planning to keep schools closed and not re-open them just to close them again after 2 weeks, as I thought that’s what might have happened and that would be way more disruptive.

Primary children are not limited spreaders of this new variant, they are spreading it in the same numbers as everyone else, its worth looking into actual data rather than listening to bias news sources or outdated research.

@TableFlowerss my impression is that a lot of the posts were from teachers or their families. I agree that there were real safety concerns so it’s not necessarily a criticism. However, a vaccination for those at higher risk would be a good start. It doesn’t allow full opening if community infection rate is high but one vaccination provides a good level of cover so does protect staff. I honestly don’t think the majority of parents want schools closed, hence high uptake of school places. I don’t think many parents think school closures are a positive thing for their children

@Updatemate

Then for my key worker / vulnerable classes, I have half the classes in atm. Why nit do that for all?

Genuine question and not being goady, but does your school have capacity to have the other half in part time as well? Or are you suggesting all children (including keyworker and vulnerable) are in part time?

Key worker are vulnerable children who have taken up the places are in anything up to full time. There is definitely the capacity to have all lower school children in part time, leaving 6th form online.

But that is entirely the problem with the government's approach. Not all schools are the same. Not all areas have been impacted the same. Not all schools have windows that open. There should have been definite guidelines relating to opening, referring to local cases, and to each individual school’s capacity and capability.

Schools closing to the majority of students didn't work. In some schools those students still attending are the majority. In some it is all. So the decision the government made did nothing at all to help cases in those communities. My local area has frequently been one of the worst affected in the country. The special needs schools are fully open. In one of them, large proportion of students either live in multi-generational homes, or in close extended family units. How did keeping those schools open fully with no extra adequate procedures help prevent community spread?

Secondary schools are on a par with general adult transmission, but there’s no evidence to say whether it’s because of the school setting or just reflecting the rates in the community.

Not true. Even Boris had to admit that schools were vectors of transmission and that's why they had to close.

bylinetimes.com/2021/01/21/parents-campaign-against-school-closures-receives-pr-support-from-boris-johnson-advisor/

The group, founded on 19 May 2020, has lobbied for schools to remain open throughout the pandemic. Its position is not simply that schools should stay open, but that they should jettison all pandemic safety measures such as social distancing, masks and ventilation.

While a spokesperson for UsforThem told Byline Times that the campaign is an “apolitical volunteer-run” group, it is not only advised by a PR consultant with close ties to the Government, it also receives support from a separate anti-lockdown organisation with pro-Trump, Brexit and Conservative ties.

People saying schools should open with no mitigation against coronavirus (no masks, no smaller class sizes, no rotas)

They have smaller sizes now. So will you take out KW dc?

There are a couple of problems with getting all the children in part time, although this would be my preferred option. First, some schools have half of their students in already as key workers, so there wouldn't be any space to teach the others.
Secondly, there will be staffing issues with staff off sick and shielding. At my Special School we have around a third of children in and would struggle to staff many more classes (if we are to keep them smaller to reduce risk) due to the number of staff who have still not recovered sufficiently after our outbreak before Christmas.
Thirdly, when schools went back for some children last summer there wasn't the same expectation that the curriculum would be provided for all. If they went back now, a few per day, then teachers would not have time to prepare and teach lessons to both those in school and those at home.

@Beyondfedupnow

My child hasn’t been to school since February 2020, he’s CEV, I can’t see him going back for another year, it’s fucking nightmare. I feel like I’m living in a prison despite having a lovely home and secure income. I’m aware I’m lucky to have this, I’m unlucky in other ways. My son doesn’t miss school and is unsociable (autism) so I’m not concerned about his mental health. It’s mine that’s taking a bashing. Here’s hoping all healthy kids get back to school ASAP and a vaccine will be licensed for the CEV under 16’s. They have been forgotten during all this.

Is he over 12? There is some flexibility in guidelines for the small amount of children still on shielding

Ridiculous. Awful. In complete despair. A generation of children hung out to dry.

@MarshaBradyo

People saying schools should open with no mitigation against coronavirus (no masks, no smaller class sizes, no rotas)

They have smaller sizes now. So will you take out KW dc?

Take out KW from what? Sorry, your post isn’t clear.

It’s such a relief that the government are finally applying common sense , schools need to stay closed until after Easter at a minimum.

I’ve been thinking and I’ve concluded that even if school opened with masks for all and ventilation systems in place, possibly even rotas this virus would still spread. It’s a virus...it would find a way.

Other countries have gone down the same route of keeping schools closed...this is not unique to the UK. Some countries/states haven’t seen schools open since the pandemic began. Our schools are particularly problematic due to the large class sizes.

I don’t think there is an easy answer which is why we continue in this way. But if society can’t all get on board, this pandemic is going to drag on much longer than it should.

Not convinced.

I don’t understand why the government keeps painting itself into corners. If cases and hospitalisations drop dramatically which, with lockdown, vaccinations and herd immunity from infection, I think they will, they would be crazy not to reopen schools.

I don’t know why they need to state what ‘will happen’ either way, when they have no idea themselves.

Bubbles are still bursting with fewer children in

Marsha I’m referring to the situation in schools before this closure. When schools were open full time to all yet without adequate safety measures.

I would iike to see a plan. Presumably the Government know at what level the infections/deaths have to be to re-eopen schools. They need to be saying what these levels are. I suspect they have no clue at all.

Tax how will you maintain these current small class sizes?

In some primaries they are at 50% capacity. If you want all dc in school bit smaller class sizes how will you get non KW in?

Add to 50% or displace

As a parent and teacher I can honestly say I don’t actually care about the missed education (all colleges and unis have foundation courses now).

The things I do care about are the socialising aspect, less exercise, staring at a screen all day, less sunlight/vitamin D etc (not forgetting those who have horrible home lives too).

@whiskybysidedoor

I understand some general distrust and fear these are uncertain times, but how have they ignored the experts? Primary school children are limited spreaders of the virus. Secondary schools are on a par with general adult transmission, but there’s no evidence to say whether it’s because of the school setting or just reflecting the rates in the community.

Keeping secondaries closed is a reasonable thing to do at the moment. Throwing money at schools to make them ‘safer’ would be a bit pointless when there’s no evidence to suggest they are unsafe.

There's a lot of evidence to suggest they're unsafe. Teachers getting Covid at 300% the rate of the rest of the population, for example.

Also - I'm sorry but it's just common sense. Large daily mass gatherings with little to no mitigation beyond an open window here and there will spread the virus out into the community. The case rates noticably dropped at half term (we weren't in lockdown). Of course it did.

Back after Feb half term.

I'm not sure a scientifically illiterate school is a 'top school' and I would certainly be concerned about the intelligence of the leadership team if that were a school my children attended.

@EmmanuelleMakro 🤦‍♀️

The gov’t are finally doing it now because our countries dismal amount of infections and deaths are insane and the world has noticed. Their failures have become very apparent. So now the ‘schools are safe and children don’t transmit it’ won’t cut it. They’re not doing it because they actually care.

@TheReluctantPhoenix I agree, I don’t understand this approach either. They’ve said that they’ll give 2 weeks notice, I would like to see them announce every week from Feb half term onwards if this is the fortnight and if not why. Cases are falling 25% week. By March 1st large areas of the country will be virtually covid free with many vulnerable vaccinated. As a parent I will need a justification as to why in order to stop me taking up a key worker place.