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...

I don’t have children.

I’m just not selfish. I’d feel like an absolute idiot sitting in a restaurant whilst children’s education was put on hold.

Reply fail to @Sparklfairy

Those posters saying that schools should reopen after half term and that teachers should be vaccinated in half term. So you don't care that immunity for teachers doesn't kick in for around 3 weeks?

Not only that, but there's a more virulent, highly transmittable strain in the community now. 10,000 people will die of (or with) Covid in the next 10 days. According to last night's briefing. Really think about grouping together 10,000 people and what that crowd would look like.
I think some posters have lost sight, or have become indifferent to the the sheer numbers of families affected. 10,000 deaths in the next 10 days but you want more, not less community interaction.

@wonderstuff

Israel are planning to vaccinate 16&17 year olds. Apparently they have seen an increase in children needing hospital treatment. I imagine we'll eventually do the same.

Im glad he is pushing it back, but it's going to be a long 5 weeks.

Israel are looking into vaccinating higher risk children (under 16) - however at present it has not been approved In what appears to be a world first, the Health Ministry on Tuesday issued a directive in favor of vaccinating children under the age of 16 who are at high risk of developing serious symptoms if they contract COVID-19. here is an article from Times Of Israel.

TheExtraGuineaPig and Tianatiers thank you, that makes me feel better. I could understand if it was hours and hours every day but it's really not, and I'm just happy they are in the fresh air playing. She'd gone in before I could speak to her but I've told the DC to come and get me if she says anything again.

@Doomsdayiscoming

Reply fail to *@Sparklfairy*

Don't worry, I'm not desperate to go and sit in a restaurant whilst kids are 'missing out' on an education either.

I do think though that some (too many) parents are sending their children/can't wait to send their children back to school when they could homeschool them. Purely because they realise it's hard bloody work and they just don't want to do it.

Their motive is not "children's education".

@WouldBeGood

Open the schools ASAP.

Thank you for that valuable insight. It made me see a whole different side of the issue.

Can I also remind people that it’s not just teachers who work in schools. I would say that about 70% of the staff in schools are not teachers. They are support staff, office staff, cleaners, instructors, kitchen staff, dinner ladies, one to ones, the list goes on.

This would be a risky experiment (and not suggesting it should happen, just thinking aloud) but considering the levels of infections in some areas before xmas, and schools having (or begging to) close due to the amount of staff and pupils off or isolating, would there be any natural immunity within some schools?

I would like schools to re-open. I have no skin in the game, no children at home, but I see the stress it is causing. HOWEVER, every family with children at school should then be prepared to be very very restricted in ALL their other contacts.

Schools should adopt a zero tolerance policy on families breaking the rules with impromptu playdates and sleepovers. We see families get together in large groups in parks and gardens, even on the day we hit the 100K death mark . During tier 3 dc's friends had playdates, sleepovers and birthday parties. These are normally lovely, smart people but very few have adhered to lockdown or tier rules and don't seem to mind or be aware that their actions kill vulnerable people.

*Don't worry, I'm not desperate to go and sit in a restaurant whilst kids are 'missing out' on an education either.

I do think though that some (too many) parents are sending their children/can't wait to send their children back to school when they could homeschool them. Purely because they realise it's hard bloody work and they just don't want to do it.

Their motive is not "children's education".*

Oh come on. You can't really be that shortsighted can you? I'm assuming the parent that home schooled you and your siblings didn't have a full time job to do alongside the home schooling? I assume you also didn't homeschool in a lockdown where you couldn't see anyone else your own age, or go to the numerous edifying places that proper homeschoolers take their children. I assume also you weren't trying to follow a curriculum set by a school, with no internet/devices/quiet spaces to work.

Just try and see beyond the visibly tiny bubble you currently occupy.

@Sparklfairy
Yeah it is hard .....is it because " I don't want to do it " .....or is it because I'm a self employed sole earner that just needs 1 hour uninterrupted so that I can earn enough money to pay the mortgage?. Tough one !

@DianaT1969

Those posters saying that schools should reopen after half term and that teachers should be vaccinated in half term. So you don't care that immunity for teachers doesn't kick in for around 3 weeks?

Not only that, but there's a more virulent, highly transmittable strain in the community now. 10,000 people will die of (or with) Covid in the next 10 days. According to last night's briefing. Really think about grouping together 10,000 people and what that crowd would look like.
I think some posters have lost sight, or have become indifferent to the the sheer numbers of families affected. 10,000 deaths in the next 10 days but you want more, not less community interaction.

I would also counter that people have forgotten that people die, have done and always will.

Yes, any death is tragic.

However, do we have such empathy for random cancer, heart attack, stoke deaths.

The way people talk, it is as if we will only accpept a society with Zero deaths.

Vintagevixen

Also from that study...

Italy's mitigation methods...
mask mandate for all personnel and students in common areas and for high school students also when seated at their desks (and always for teachers, combined with face-shields in certain settings), compulsory 1m seat to seat distance, frequent classroom natural ventilation, ban on school sports and music, reduced duration of school hours and reduced school duration.

Mask wearing is so popular in the uk and we dont even have space for all students to have desks 1m apart. They weren't back full time.

They also have a functional track and trace.

It's not really comparable

Re. sitting in restaurants and pubs - Greg Fell - directors of public health in Sheffield and Richard Harling - his counterpart in Staffordshire - have just said to the House of Commons science and tech committee that pubs and restaurants have never been Covid hotspots.

Also care homes deaths are accounting for huge numbers of our deaths - maybe we could all concentrate a bit on actually protecting them or forcing the government to.

So maybe we could look at slowly opening both bars/reastaurants and schools??

[quote Dontforgetyourbrolly]@Sparklfairy
Yeah it is hard .....is it because " I don't want to do it " .....or is it because I'm a self employed sole earner that just needs 1 hour uninterrupted so that I can earn enough money to pay the mortgage?. Tough one ! [/quote]
Maybe the teachers who are saying ' now you realise how hard it is' could try something.

Maybe you could teach, whilst simaltenoulsy submitting 25 annual tax returns, whilst answering emails and calls from clients, and on hold to HMRC.

Or while conducting a court hearing

@PastMyBestBeforeDate

The ECV and over 70s should be up to full protection by then

Only first jab though not both.

They will need to vaccinate the teachers before schools go back, not because it will stop the spread, but because teachers make more fuss than any other profession. It is not right but it is the way it is, and needs to happen to allow our DC to get an education.

@Emmie2021

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

Thank god - someone with a brain at last

Great! (that is sarcasm just in case you missed it)

Im really not against vaccinating teachers but the teachers don't look after the children 24/7. There are also vulnerable family members at home - not all the vulnerable will be vaccinated by the end of half term. So whilst I care about teachers I also bloody care about the wider community.

It is a fucking ridiculous idea. They need every single person who is vulnerable vaccinated and/or community cases dropped sufficiently and the NHS not to be about to break beyond repair before they should be considering open schools.

I had really high hopes for Kier Starmer and the repairing of the Labour party but he is no less a fool than any others. Shame.

@Hazelnutlatteplease

Vintagevixen

Also from that study...

Italy's mitigation methods...
mask mandate for all personnel and students in common areas and for high school students also when seated at their desks (and always for teachers, combined with face-shields in certain settings), compulsory 1m seat to seat distance, frequent classroom natural ventilation, ban on school sports and music, reduced duration of school hours and reduced school duration.

Mask wearing is so popular in the uk and we dont even have space for all students to have desks 1m apart. They weren't back full time.

They also have a functional track and trace.

It's not really comparable

Agree with increased ventilation, possible rota systems etc. Much more investment into a proper plan - which of course typically our government ignored!

Not sure about masks at desks - correlation does not always equal causation. Italy and Spain have been wearing masks everywhere including outdoors for ages and they have had a pretty bad second wave so... doesn't seemed to have helped them much.

Starmer isn’t great with his suggestions - well two main ones stick out

@stopringingme

Petition for getting staff in special schools vaccinated

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/566217

They really need to be vaccinated as they have to provide personal care to the children

Please sign and pass on

As do vulnerable parents and guardians at home.

Maybe you could teach, whilst simaltenoulsy submitting 25 annual tax returns, whilst answering emails and calls from clients, and on hold to HMRC.

I am teaching live to my class, some at home, some in school, and I have my own child (not old enough to shut up) sitting next to me. It's fucking shit. Lots and lots of us are in the same situation, difference being that none of my 'clients' even have the capacity to understand the shitness of it.

I had really high hopes for Kier Starmer and the repairing of the Labour party but he is no less a fool than any others. Shame.

Agreed.