Primary schools back sooner than expected?

[deeplybaffled]

It’s hard to know what to believe, but PHE now seem to be suggesting that primary schools can safely return after half term - which seems to contradict all other recent reports and government comments
focussing around Easter!

In case you are too 'bored' to read it @LucyLockdown

I'll quote a bit:

ten of the UK’s top experts in child health say that anxiety, self-harm and suicidal thoughts are at “frightening levels” among children and many parents are on the brink of breakdown.

@LucyLockdown

You sound like a really nice person. Why dont you go and twitch your curtains, see if anyone has broken any rules this morning? Maybe that'll cheer you up.

Thank you, yes I am lovely! By the way, your anti-lockdown leanings are showing from behind the thin veneer of your ‘concern for the children’.

I'm not sure I believe you.

I'm not particularly anti lockdown since you're interested, but there is a balancing act to be had. I'll happily stay locked in my house for the next 3 months if it means my kids can get back to school.

I've reported you @LucyLockdown since you feel the need to goad others who have genuine concern.

Empathy bypass?

This poster is goading numerous others who rely sensibly addressing her inaccuracies and yet she still keeps on goading.

Yep

I think it's also relevant to quote these statistics (for full source see the Data thread, 18.59 post from yesterday):

60.9% of deaths have occurred in the 5.1% of the population that is over 80
89.7% of deaths have occurred in the 18.5% of the population that is over 65

Only 1% of deaths have occurred in people under 45 (917 people)
This increases to 10.3% for people under 65 (9,321 people)

Yes, yes there will always be teachers and children who are more vulnerable to Covid (along with many other infections/illnesses) and they should be protected.

The fact remains that this disease is of vanishingly small risk to children, and barely more of a risk to teachers than the car journey to work or their lack of exercise and healthy diet,

This poster is goading numerous others who rely sensibly addressing her inaccuracies and yet she still keeps on goading.

Agreed. I think she needs to get out more. Oh no wait....

@siestalady

This poster is goading numerous others who rely sensibly addressing her inaccuracies and yet she still keeps on goading.

Agreed. I think she needs to get out more. Oh no wait....

needs more sex? a hobby?

I am lucky and my children don't appear to be suffering but I am not blind to see that other children (and parents) are.

@FanciedanewnameAnne

I've reported you *@LucyLockdown* since you feel the need to goad others who have genuine concern.

Empathy bypass?

Well done. Fancie

@LucyLockdown, you're choosing to ignore the evidence.

I'd be delighted if primaries opened at half term if this was supported by the advice from the CMO here.

Why is is so wrong to want this to happen? We aren't going to be in lockdown forever

the contempt on here for teachers is appalling.

My daughter's mental health is suffering (she's 10). Mine is in bits (WFH and doing an MA and teaching my daughter and waves around at everything). Husband is a teacher. Suspect our mental health would be worse if he was dead. Anyway, he's in school today (secondary) though WFH part of the time because schools are not closed...

We're all fucking suffering. But it's not wrong to look for some kind of planning to reduce risk, like all workplaces are supposed to provide. And that has to go a bit beyond 'open a window'.

Interestingly there was a report in the first lockdown saying children’s mental health had improved. There are many conflicting reports.

Yes children’s mental health is important, always has been. But for many years it has been left to schools to identify issues and pick up the pieces. Same with safeguarding issues.

But apart from some posters on here (mainly those trying to access services) most people on MN ignored it pre COVID. Now there are many people jumping on the bandwagon. Maybe it is time for more people to stand up and say something needs to be done, and not just expect school to sort out all the problems of this country.

I wonder if it will all go quiet again on here once schools go back to normal.

@BooksAreNotEssentialInWales

The fact primary children don't get very ill or die from a disease, aren't major spreaders and teachers aren't at any great risk is a cause for celebration. I'm not sure what motives people have for saying this can't be true when study after study shows it is. The damage being done to children is heartbreaking and there will be no money or resource to repair it, some won't be repairable. Having a well educated, socially developed population means healthier futures for everyone. This is fantastic news.

This

@ineedaholidaynow

Interestingly there was a report in the first lockdown saying children’s mental health had improved. There are many conflicting reports.

Yes children’s mental health is important, always has been. But for many years it has been left to schools to identify issues and pick up the pieces. Same with safeguarding issues.

But apart from some posters on here (mainly those trying to access services) most people on MN ignored it pre COVID. Now there are many people jumping on the bandwagon. Maybe it is time for more people to stand up and say something needs to be done, and not just expect school to sort out all the problems of this country.

I wonder if it will all go quiet again on here once schools go back to normal.

I know this report comes up all the time but it was completed in May

Very early on just after Easter break

You really think its ok that there are children out there who might not see another child in person from mid Dec through to after Easter??

Playgrounds are open.
Our local ones are packed every day.
Round here children are out and about and seeing other children.
There appears to be little to no social distancing in the playgrounds either.

Especially if schools remain closed to all but critical carer/vulnerable children, Maybe we should consider opening up other outdoor child centred places where parents can then take their children to socialise with other children, and decide themselves if they are happy to take the risk for their own family and household.

It means children can see one another, socialise and play together, and its outdoor which is significantly safer.

It’s not goading to disagree with you.

Calling people 'twats4themselves' because they have genuine concern about their children.

I also don’t agree that the group I referenced has any genuine concern for children.

I highly doubt it, or if it’s true I highly doubt it’s safe.

My twins attend a small specialist school - they’re in a separate building with a class size of 7 plus 7 staff.

They’ve been in for two blocks of two days and have had to self isolate after both blocks due to contact with a positive case. If schools do reopen they’ll be closing left and right or bubbles bursting.

Honestly that would be a mistake, if they open up too soon after lockdown we'll end up right where we started yet again.

God, I hope this is true. I hope secondaries and universities do the same.

I really hope they do open properly soon

Our school is rural, no cases so far. Most of my dds friends are in because their parents are key workers, only 4 in her year (out of 14) are not in and she misses her friends terribly

As a primary school teacher, I'm desperate to go back. I'm running 25 intervention groups a week plus daily check ins and show and tells. Yet it is not the same quality of education they should be getting if we were in. I can see some of them are really struggling to learn in crowded houses with little siblings etc.
Re vaccines, I think there's a case for pushing critically vulnerable school staff as well as special school staff and pupils up the list. I'm not convinced about prioritising every adult who works in a school. We have on average some of the youngest teachers in Europe and I don't think I can justify getting a vaccine as a healthy 23 year old when my 87 year old diabetic nana hasn't got her 2nd dose.

@Bear2014

Good - this needs to happen! Primary school is about far more than learning - it's socialising, cooperating, playing. My two are miserable at home. Obviously sometimes kids will pass the virus around and take it home but families should not be mixing with grandparents or vulnerable relatives when we are on the home straight with the vaccine. My kids haven't hugged my parents since July and my Grandad since last February. It is sad but their education is more important. Families with vulnerable adults who have not yet been vaccinated should be allowed to keep their kids at home for now but most should be back in.

Have you not been paying attention?

parents are the age group that are in hospital now. Stop pretending it's only elderly grandparents.

@BubblyBarbara

I honestly think this is causing real damage to children that will last for years.

If you go to Russia or much of Eastern Europe you notice how people don’t smile much and are rather cold to strangers until they get to know you? It’s because they were treated so harshly for decades under communism. The younger generations will be like this here too in future

Really? Children are much more resilient that you think, they aren't being oppressed under communism.

They want to go back to school, but to put them and the staff at risk would be a shambles at this point.

Why the hell aren't you campaigning for SAFER schools?

This.
Why aren't parents fighting and making themselves heard about this.

Rather than just saying open schools, why not be shouting 'how can we make schools safer for all?' And trying to push the government to look at the huge amounts of recommendations, or advice and suggestions out there.

Why, instead of just wanting schools open 'as normal' (because that didn't work well last time for many many schools) aren't you pushing for things like rotas to allow social distancing, increased use of masks, etc?

Surely all children being in school 2 days a week could benefit families more than some children not being in at all. Yes it would be a huge crack down in critical care provision,, but it's probably workable.