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Original poster

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

452 replies

Adviceneededalways · 27/01/2021 12:47

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...

OP posts:
Windchangeface · 27/01/2021 14:00

Unpopular opinion but I’m fed up of being stuck in my house whilst schools are constantly the main focus.

They’ll get the rates under control, send the schools back and start to consider easing restrictions. Then just as they do decide to release restrictions weeks of kids being back passing germs around will kick in and rates will start to climb again. They’ll pull or heavily limit the easing of restrictions and try to make out its our faults for going to Asda twice a month and not donning full hazmat suits!

It’s exactly what happened last time. It’s ridiculous. I live in a village where everyone is very ‘community minded’ and vocal about following the rules. There was a run of houses getting covid several weeks ago, at the height. Every single one had primary aged kids. They are the only ones who seemed to get it. Not the kids though, the parents. Kids totally asymptomatic.

Everyone loves repeating ‘there’s no evidence mass cases are coming from schools, especially primary schools’ but why would there be when 90% of small children who catch it appear totally symptom free? No symptoms, no tests, no ‘evidence’ but a lot of primary parents catching it Hmm

Thimbleberries · 27/01/2021 14:01

They'd better not put teachers ahead of groups 5-9. The ones in that group will be done along with their clinical priority/age, and the younger ones are not more at risk than others in the community. And it still won't stop the spread. I'd much rather see children off til after Easter, and give the lockdown a better chance of working.

I think groups 5-9 are meant to be done by end of April, not end of March, as there are a lot more people in those groups. And with potential delays to supplies, along with giving second doses, I think end of April is really pushing it too. But it might be OK enough for going back to school.

NoseinBook3 · 27/01/2021 14:02

So what exactly is he announcing at 5pm? Is it going to be a other pointless update of no substance?

Crunchymum · 27/01/2021 14:02

So 3.5 weeks of schooling and then off for 2 weeks for Easter?

Fuck this shit. I am seriously so over this now.

KarmaNoMore · 27/01/2021 14:03

Why would he be predicting opening schools after half term, when we are still weeks away and unsure if the vaccination schedules go as planned or the effect of new covid variants???

Oh yes, because he is Boris. It is like Christmas all over again.

Nerdygirl · 27/01/2021 14:03

My kids class has 12 kids in it and I am furious we can’t go back when there are supposed critical worker classes of over 30 in the local school near us. More and more people will take these spaces as unless you work in no. Food retail or hospitality then you can make a case for critical worker. Perhaps they should focus on stopping hospital transmission as that would help drive numbers down significantly

Vintagevixen · 27/01/2021 14:03

Hope they are opening Primaries at least.

ONS survey found that teachers were not more at risk of Covid deaths due to their occupations.

Doomsdayiscoming · 27/01/2021 14:03

@NotGenerationAlpha

I can't believe people are still talking about vaccinating teachers first. ONS has data showing teachers are not getting it more than the community. I'm in my 40s and DH 50. I really don't think we should be getting it behind teachers in their 20s. On the other hand, if I'm a teacher, I'd be very worried about teaching.

It's a disease that kills older people, and even middle aged people can get it quite badly.

What is your exposure level?

If you have a job that means you can WFH then no, if you do a job that exposures you at a similar level to the “20 something” teacher then of course you should be ahead.

Hazelnutlatteplease · 27/01/2021 14:03

How do you feel about all the NHS workers in their 20s and 30s who have been vaccinated?
If Hospitals cant work there will be more deaths. That means every bit of a hospital needs to work.

Vaccinating teachers before the clinically vulnerable is disgusting
Schools can wait. Hospitals cant

ineedaholidaynow · 27/01/2021 14:03

Vaccinating teachers isn't going to stop children spreading it to the community.

Surely better to try and find ways and getting children back in rotas/part-time so they all get a time in school but keeping numbers low so SD can be practised and possibly masks for KS2 and above

RigaBalsam · 27/01/2021 14:03

@Crunchymum

So 3.5 weeks of schooling and then off for 2 weeks for Easter?

Fuck this shit. I am seriously so over this now.

Its 2 weeks from the 8th where we live. Only a 5 week half term.
TwelvePaws · 27/01/2021 14:04

Fuck this shit. I am seriously so over this now.

😬 Sooooo.......

Doomsdayiscoming · 27/01/2021 14:04

*exposes you, eugh

RigaBalsam · 27/01/2021 14:05

@Vintagevixen

Hope they are opening Primaries at least.

ONS survey found that teachers were not more at risk of Covid deaths due to their occupations.

Of deaths but not illness. Plus was mainly done when schools were closed to be fair.
Sparklfairy · 27/01/2021 14:05

@WouldBeGood

Open the schools ASAP.
Never understand this stance just blindly trotted out. Schools (and nurseries) are well known hotbeds for bugs to spread. They pick it up, take it home, spread it to family who go to the supermarket and pass it on... Just why? Schools should be one of the last things to open, and yes I mean after gyms and even restaurants... Maybe not bars and pubs though Grin

I honestly think that all the people who want schools open are those who teacher bash, yet can't/won't cope with homeschooling.

I say that as an ex homeschooled child (brief though it was). But I was sufficiently respectful of boundaries/parents/discipline that if I was given a task, I actually did it. Some threads here are full of parents flapping because their kids "won't" do xyz. Who is the parent again?

motherrunner · 27/01/2021 14:05

I think after Easter too. Gav W said schools would be given two weeks notice from any definite decisions to reopen. In my LEA that would take us to Easter hols.

SinkGirl · 27/01/2021 14:07

I say this on all these threads but it’s pointless opening schools.

My twins attend a specialist school in their early years building. There are 7 children including them and 7 staff, in a separate building to the rest of the school. They were supposed to be going back full time - they went in for two days the first week, staff member tested positive so they had to isolate. During that time the school switched to a rota, two days a week for all students, due to staffing levels.

They went in for their 2 days last week - exposed again, now isolating. Luckily none of us are sick so either we’ve been fortunate or we’ve had it with no symptoms.

If full year groups are in, they’ll all be out again within a week or so, and on and on it will go.

I should add their school didn’t have a single case last year.

Chailatteplease · 27/01/2021 14:09

@Thedogshow you don’t think schools should ever return? You can’t be serious Confused

SinkGirl · 27/01/2021 14:09

Some threads here are full of parents flapping because their kids "won't" do xyz. Who is the parent again?

Please do come and get my children to engage in an activity. Any single activity, I don’t care what it is.

While my kids are obviously at the significant end of SEN, there are plenty with lower level SEN who are struggling massively. If children genuinely can’t engage then don’t assume it’s because their parents are shit.

Doomsdayiscoming · 27/01/2021 14:10

@Sparklfairy
Restaurants before schools?

Get real. Children’s education is far more important than any bullshit part of our consumerist economy.

SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun · 27/01/2021 14:10

I think it is really sensible to wait three weeks after the top 4 groups are vaccinated and then "start to open" schools. Sounds like it will only be a few year groups going back anyway on 8th March assuming the numbers are still going down. Gives us another 5 and a half weeks to get the numbers much lower than they are now and hopefully the numbers in hospital will be dramatically lower by then as the more at risk groups will have a good amount of immunity between them.

Annabell80 · 27/01/2021 14:10

I don't think he's going to say schools are back after half term. I think he's going to say it's being delayed

Vintagevixen · 27/01/2021 14:11

Also I have just read a study from Italy on the effect having schools open during their winter infection spike, plus one from Israel on whether schools are a driver of infection.

Both concluded that schools were not drivers of infection.

In fact there is some evidence that children provide a natural "break" on infection spread of many diseases in the community and closing schools has stopped this. Thinking of stuff like chicken pox/shingles - we don't vaccinate our kids against chicken pox as it helps with a community protective effect against shingles for the elderly.

There is some scientific argument that this may be the same for Covid.

angrysquirrel73 · 27/01/2021 14:11

We are all fncked

Bubblesdublin · 27/01/2021 14:12

Hope to god they open soon