Schools - what are you expecting?

[DBML]

I’m a teacher and throughout November and December our school was hit badly by Covid. We had all year groups off, at least 50 confirmed cases in pupils. Tens of staff off confirmed. One member of staff passed Covid on to a parent who then passed away. One learner passed Covid to her mother who passed away. We had 2 children seriously ill in hospital, luckily now recovered. Horrendous is not a word I use lightly, but it became frightening and eventually unsustainable.

Because some groups were in and others out, remote learning was patchy and difficult to manage. I caught Covid after having a year 7 in my class who tested positive and I was ill for about 7 - 10 days, so quite mild luckily. But I couldn’t breath easily and had panic attacks. Was unable to sleep laying down and was convinced that I had no air. It was awful.

‘Us for them’ is campaigning for us to go back to this again. No safety measures in place...just a full reopening and having been there, I cannot understand why?

I know many posters here want school’s ‘reopened’ again too and as quickly as possible. I was wondering whether rather than just say ‘schools must open’ someone could explain.

I get that home learning is not ideal; can be inconsistent and that working from home is challenging when children are there. I get that parents are worried about their children’s and their own mental health...I get it, because I am trying to work full time and am a parent too. But, having seen how bad schools can get, I also accept that tolerating this situation until cases are right down is necessary.

I don’t want to die. I don’t want my husband to die. I don’t want my son to get seriously sick. I don’t want my pupils to get sick or to lose parents. I don’t want to return to school without anything there to keep us safe. We were not safe.

I was wondering what those who want schools to just open are expecting? Are you expecting children not to catch it? Not to pass it about? Are you willing for some teachers, parents and pupils to die because it will only be a very small percentage and a price worth paying? Are you happy to put up with the endless isolations and then reduced quality of online learning?

And if you just want ‘normality’ do you realise that’s just not possible?

Genuinely interested in the reasoning and not just the statement ‘schools need to open’.

3 teachers and a member of our support staff have died of Covid so I’m firmly in the open after Easter camp, the weather will be warm enough to at least get some air flow throughout, more outdoor activities, cases will have lowered substantially by then with some luck and more will have had the vaccine. Nobody will convince me it’s safe to return after the half term in February if we are expected to open fully again. As it stands it is so far from safe and more measures need to be put in place to keep teachers, support staff and children safe in the workplace.

I'm expecting another 20,000 threads started by teachers pretending to be genuinely interested in what parents want, then telling them they can't have it.

Or a bazillion threads started to say how miserable home schooling is.

A full return for all once the most vulnerable groups have been vaccinated.

Teachers and all other school staff to be offered the vaccine in the next few weeks before a return.

The continuation of improved hygiene practises and ventilation in classrooms.

Making as much use as possible of outdoor space on school grounds during the summer term.

The continuation of the bubbles system but required self isolation when no symptoms to be cut to 7 days.

Masks optional for all teachers and pupils, this to be a central directive rather than up to individual Headteachers or academy trusts. I would send my children in wearing their cloth masks and have been wearing mine on the school run since September.

Changes to term dates, summer schools or all children to repeat a year.

Or if not back this school year it's time for the suspension of the curriculum again, universal basic income, funding per pupil to be diverted to parents in the home for tech and other resources and funding also increased for central education hubs such as the BBC and local funding for extra curricular opportunities for children to socialise.

Some sort of scheme where school leavers from last years cohort down can have fees for exam retakes funded within a certain number of years after they finish and/or extra state financial support for higher education qualifications or vocational qualifications as adults.

Changes not easily reversed and I'd much prefer schools open soon but the time for big decisions is here, the sense of defeatism about opening schools and letting the months roll on while children's mental health crumbles has to end now.

I want there to a sustainable approach to school return that can actually work.
Primarys and Secondarys need treating separately (and middle schools).
I want my childrens teachers to want to be there.

I want the government to be looking at this now, and telling schools so they can plan (not a set date).

I want my children to have more than each other, parents and a computer screen.

Our boarding school all had covid last January February, possibly brought in by Chinese students who all tested positive for antibodies when they flew back in March. Since then we've had zero cases and presumably high levels of herd immunity. So personally I'd like boarding schools and residential schools to go back asap.

There is a massive middle ground between opening all schools with no measures and schools being closed for months and months.

There does need to be more of a push to open schools and also to find out why your school has been so badly affected but other schools have barely been touched by cases.

Schools are just falling off the agenda all the time, there needs to be a proper plan, and no that doesn't mean that I want all teachers to die.

Your waxing lyrical a bit op. Dh is a teacher, he goes to work because that's his job, like retail workers, care home workers, doctors, nurses etc.

@Frodont

I'm expecting another 20,000 threads started by teachers pretending to be genuinely interested in what parents want, then telling them they can't have it.

Or a bazillion threads started to say how miserable home schooling is.

You could always just, you know, scroll on by and not open them?

I was fooled by the thread title.

"Schools are just falling off the agenda all the time,"

Falling off the agenda?? What are you on about? Keeping them open (due to them being top of the agenda) throughout the ridiculous November Lockdown Light is one of the main reasons our numbers are currently as high as they are.

The certainty some people have about who gave who Covid is laughable - especially when it comes to school settings.

People can pick up Covid anywhere. You cannot ever be certain how or where you or anyone else got it.

@CallmeAngelina

"Schools are just falling off the agenda all the time,"

Falling off the agenda?? What are you on about? Keeping them open (due to them being top of the agenda) throughout the ridiculous November Lockdown Light is one of the main reasons our numbers are currently as high as they are.

Numbers aren't falling though! They've plateaued in my county. All slight drops can be explained by lockdown. I can't see locally schools making much difference.

I’m happy for schools to put in any safety measures.
But even without, I’m sending in my foster children. I understand that this may put others at risk, but my foster children are literally at risk - just not of Covid. I have to put them first. If I don’t, who will?

I think it's rather disingenuous to say that homeschooling isn't ideal. It's totally, utterly and completely inadequate. DD had work today which she completed in less than half an hour.

This arrangement is detrimental to children's education and their physical and mental health. I don't know what the answer is, but the current set up isn't it.

I think that more and more people will be hostile and polarised in either opinion. Therefore what's the point? My opinion quite frankly changes nothing anyway. It's not our call to make. To think we have any sway is pointless wastse of head space

@Pleasedontputthatthere

Itsgetting - under current rules those households should have no or very few contacts anyway. However, attendance at this stage should be optional. If someone is at high risk then they can keep their child off.

That's not true.

A child bringing it home asymptomatically and passing it to two parents who work out of the home and siblings who attend school have loads of contacts.

It can be transmitted up to 48 hours before symptoms develop.

@CallmeAngelina

"Schools are just falling off the agenda all the time,"

Falling off the agenda?? What are you on about? Keeping them open (due to them being top of the agenda) throughout the ridiculous November Lockdown Light is one of the main reasons our numbers are currently as high as they are.

Proves my point.

Government has been head in sand, Unions have done little more than schreeching and we are now where we are. Having schools just opening as they were was not a plan, there was no plan.

My kids ( aged 12 and 10) are happier at home and there mental well being is healthy now they are at home learning and not worrying about caching covid at school where there is no social distancing and they have to sit in freezing cold classrooms all day as all doors and windows are open for ventilation. They are still getting all the lessons they would have at school So I am not worried about them missing out on education, they have been talking with friends in the live lessons and via what’s up so keeping social life up. I do not believe schools are safe you can’t mix with your own family who you trust as it’s too risky yet I have to send them to school to mix with 60 + and 200+ kids who I do not trust and there parents could work in high risk jobs. If and when schools go back every child in all years should wear a facemask at all times and it should be if you are happy to carry on homeschooling then get the choice to do so with work still set from school, this can allow schools to open with few children in.

@StamfordFig

The certainty some people have about who gave who Covid is laughable - especially when it comes to school settings.

People can pick up Covid anywhere. You cannot ever be certain how or where you or anyone else got it.

True.

It if the only place you've been is a supermarket with masks and SD and a classroom with 30 people no masks and no SD it's a pretty easy guess.

[quote DBML]@Waxonwaxoff0

So are you of the mindset that some casualties are OK?[/quote]
I am. Nothing is worth an indefinite lockdown

A guess. Yes. Just that.

I've seen a few posters on MN recently calling for the summer holiday to be moved and children in school over the summer months.

Out of interest, how do you think this is going to be staffed?

I would like each year group to be looked at separately, an impact assessment done and their specific age related needs considered. A 4 year old and a 13 year old are completely different when weighing up needs, risks and benefits but everything seems to be grouped into "schools open" or "schools closed".

Special School staff in our LA have been vaccinated this weekend. The Director of Education and Director of Public Health have worked very closely throughout and I have to say, as a school leader, we've felt very well supported. That's not to say staff have always been entirely happy, but the LA have supported schools very well, been
very considerate of staff wellbeing and arranged for these vaccinations over the weekend. Moves are afoot to try and extend this to other schools. This is what you should be lobbying for, rather than indefinite partial closures.

I don’t want schools to open but if they have to I would like a rota so that they are only at half capacity and can be spaced out. I would want it in writing that it is guaranteed that rooms will be well ventilated with windows open regardless of weather so children should wrap up. I want staff vaccinated and to wear either masks or visors in class. Children from year 3 upwards to wear masks inside.
Perhaps even Perspex screens around desks. In summer outside learning where possible.

I want parents who send their child to school whilst symptomatic (known) or awaiting test results fined.