Boris to make imminent announcement on schools, any guesses?!

[Adviceneededalways]

Do we think an extension delaying opening or is he going to try and get children back in sooner...

I have to say I think the latter would be a fucking disaster but I wouldn’t be at all surprised...

@Pleasedontputthatthere

I have to say that MN in general have a lot of folk with very unhealthy attitudes to what will be to most a mild illness. Do we just close schools until there is no Covid?

I don't think the teachers on here represent the feelings of teachers in general either. There are some teachers who will not be happy with any kind of reopening of schools until Covid has gone (spoiler, not likely to be any time soon).

I will wait now for someone to come on and tell me that they have had 68 teachers die in their. ONS published data yesterday saying teachers less likely to die of Covid than the general population and it seemed to me that some teachers on here were unhappy about that.

I am glad to say in real life the teachers that I know don't feel like that and have been happy to be teaching in school. Plus the teachers at my kids' school are epic.

I agree with you completely, well said.

@Hardbackwriter

When my school was bombed in the war (before I was born!) and parents had to home school whilst they made provisions, parents weren't whinging like they are now.

Are you psychic? I'm a professional historian and I think this new research method of 'making shit up about things that happened before we were born' could really revolutionise the field.

Just soar my coffee out reading that

I’m not even asking for schools to re-open until it’s safe to do so.
I will, however, feel justified in having a moan about homeschooling. There are many reasons I chose to send my children to school, instead of homeschooling. None of those reasons I have to justify to condescending, judgemental idiots who think they have the right to cast judgment just because their mother managed it.
Btw if we’re talking about the war, my 99 year old grandfather lived through the first as a child and fought in the second. This pandemic and the isolation it has involved has still mentally affected him a great deal. It’s not about millennials ffs!

@ChimaeraEgg

By 'really', I appreciate that everyone is finding this difficult. Unfortunately it has got to the point where there are people on their knees in desperation, and those that are just finding it an inconvenience, plus various points in between.

What meets your criteria? I am homeschooling a 4.5 year old in a small flat with no outdoor space, while working. However, I also have a husband who is a high earner and my job is part time and very flexible. Am I allowed to struggle?

That's my point. It's not "my" criteria. I don't judge anyone, and haven't here, or IRL.

My question is, is everyone really self reflecting and being honest about whether and why theyve had enough (not just about homeschooling).

Because if they think through the consequences, and if they thought, ok, maybe I can give just a little more, maybe there would be more room and resources for those truly at breaking point.

It's not nice, but there's only so much to go around. It's up to ourselves as individuals to make that call, and be honest as to whether we're making that decision for selfish reasons because it's hard or because we truly have had enough. I think that's the fairest on everyone.

FFS judging by some comments on here we might as well abolish schools altogether as we only have them because of unnecessary pandering to the snowflake generation who cba to home school. And this is supposed to be a site for parents to support one another. Wtf is going on?

I did not expect that the announcement would be that it would be March 8th at the earliest. A small bit of certainty and whilst awful for many, at least we all know. Uncertainty and last minute changes have been one of the hallmarks of the poor response to Covid 19 by this government, let us hope it is the start of some basic planning skills.

In about 100 years time when our grandchildren are going through another pandemic they will be talking about how their grandparents stoically just got on with things without complaints in the 2020-21 pandemic......probably they'll talk about how the country came together and there was an overwhelming community spirit helping everyone to get through it....

Just something that I always think about when people make similar points about war times etc. I don't think there was such thing as blitz spirit or if there was it wasn't quite as rosy as some would like it to be.

@Hardbackwriter

When my school was bombed in the war (before I was born!) and parents had to home school whilst they made provisions, parents weren't whinging like they are now.

Are you psychic? I'm a professional historian and I think this new research method of 'making shit up about things that happened before we were born' could really revolutionise the field.

I may have missed the mark with what you mean.

In the "new" building we had murals and plaques and regularly had assemblies and alumni come to speak about that time.

I suppose it was to instill a certain resilience that is alien and even amusing to some here.

Said it yesterday will say it again today, please do an Italian PM and resign.

Just seeing your fat body, simpering, messy blond hair and hearing you 'ummm' and 'errr' rather than speaking properly with conviction - Sir Kiere Starmer I'm looking at you - makes me want to vomit.

There was no wailing of WE DONT HAVE THE SKILLZ TO HOMESCHOOL

I bet there bloody was.

Two weeks off in Feb, just one in April?

Just a little thought that takes a tiny bit of pressure off.

@Emmie2021

Keir Starmer has said vaccinate teachers over half term and reopen schools

Thank god - someone with a brain at last

That would be far too sensible - Boris couldnt organise it quickly enough after he has faffed and waffled.

Absolutely agree with the comments that most teachers are fantastic. At my son’s school, ALL the teachers and ALL the TAs are still there every day. They absolutely want to be there teaching the children, and would have all the pupils back now if they had any choice in the matter.

It just seems to be a tiny minority of teachers on here who despite the ONS data, would have us believe that teachers are at enormous risk. They seem to think if they shout about it loud enough it will make it true.

In the "new" building we had murals and plaques and regularly had assemblies and alumni come to speak about that time.

Do you think there's any chance that plaques and assemblies for primary school children are not always the absolute repository of historical truth? That there's maybe a teensy, tiny chance they might whitewash things?

I would be delighted with catch up summer holiday schools as a parent!

Maybe there should have been this level of fear towards obesity which has been proven to kill people over the years.

People die every day from obesity related illnesses. If we are working towards a society that does all it can to prvent deaths, then surely we shoudl be adressing our obesity epidemic.

Absolutely true. But the problem is that it's something that's going to take a very long time and a massive, radical shift in society. We don't have time to fix the obesity crisis in time for this pandemic.

But I do agree that it should be a very grave concern for all of us as a society, even in non-Covid times. I think part of the problem is that the Govt is still firefighting - so they're not putting any money into things like tackling obesity, improving the space and ventilation in schools, increasing the numbers of NHS staff with attractive retention and recruitment conditions and increasing (safely) ICU capacity. But we're now a year in and so really people could actually be a year thinner, schools could be a year into better buildings and hygiene conditions and a plan to support the NHS much better could be well underway. It's all very short-term thinking.

Keir Starmer has said vaccinate teachers over half term and reopen schools
Thank god - someone with a brain at last

That wouldn't stop community spread, and that is why schools were closed to the majority of children.

@Justthebeerlighttoguide

Neep!! Abdominals😂 sorry...

I was trying to decide if I should ask what it meant or would I look really thick.

@EmergencyHydrangea

There was no wailing of WE DONT HAVE THE SKILLZ TO HOMESCHOOL

I bet there bloody was.

Okay, say there was (pretty likely). There wasn't social media to feed into and perpetuate the idea that we dont need to pick up the slack for a short period though.

People are allowed to be fed up. People are allowed to find things hard. But absolutely no one can deny that some people from the very start have taken the piss, be it pretending they're NHS in order to queue jump, not wanting to wear a mask, bring they're +ve child with them to the supermarket (thread here btw) because they're "fine" or just because their children won't (not can't) do what they say, they don't want to homeschool.

I haven't directed this at any individual, yet have been attacked numerous times. Either you have a guilty conscience or... Nope, can't think of any other reason. Because any other person with critical thinking skills would simply say "ah, but what sparkl said doesn't apply to me" and move on. Not attack me for suggesting we could reduce the piss takers and make life easier for everyone.

God I would love the option of summer school. That’s my dream scenario.

Just something that I always think about when people make similar points about war times etc. I don't think there was such thing as blitz spirit or if there was it wasn't quite as rosy as some would like it to be.

Except I don't think when the the bombers were lying over England and everyone was blacked out with tapes up windows and huddled in the cold around candles, I don't think the blitzpricks were out in the streets with torches waving in the air and shouting, 'Here we are!' at the planes overhead.

Who says that each generation isn't getting stupider and stupider?

I thought yesterday he said 8 March??

@Doris86 is that the ONS data that was based upon 9 months (Mar-Dec) where schools were 'closed' to the majority of people for the first 6 months? Of course the data won't be too bad in that case I wonder what the figures would compare if it was based solely on Sept-Dec? I bet it paints a different picture of the risks to school staff then.

@LucyLockdown

Maybe there should have been this level of fear towards obesity which has been proven to kill people over the years.

People die every day from obesity related illnesses. If we are working towards a society that does all it can to prvent deaths, then surely we shoudl be adressing our obesity epidemic.

Absolutely true. But the problem is that it's something that's going to take a very long time and a massive, radical shift in society. We don't have time to fix the obesity crisis in time for this pandemic.

But I do agree that it should be a very grave concern for all of us as a society, even in non-Covid times. I think part of the problem is that the Govt is still firefighting - so they're not putting any money into things like tackling obesity, improving the space and ventilation in schools, increasing the numbers of NHS staff with attractive retention and recruitment conditions and increasing (safely) ICU capacity. But we're now a year in and so really people could actually be a year thinner, schools could be a year into better buildings and hygiene conditions and a plan to support the NHS much better could be well underway. It's all very short-term thinking.

Common ground reached, look at that! A mumsnet first!

I saw a morbily obese person shouting at a woman in a super market, that got too close to him. Screaming that she will kill him, and she should be ashamed of herself.

The irony of a man who was cleary morbildy obese, screaming at someone else putting his life at risk, was somehthing of a 1990's broadsheet comic strip.

@vintagevixen - who or what are they "catching up" with exactly? An arbitrary measure? A non-pandemic version of themselves that exists in a parallel universe somewhere?