Sunday Times just reported that all schools in England will be back on 8 March

[LimitIsUp]

This quote from the article:
"All schoolchildren will return to the classroom on March 8 under plans to start lifting the lockdown, Boris Johnson will announce in a national address next week.

Under the government’s blueprint to reopen society, adults will initially have only small new freedoms so as to prioritise the return of schools — a move ministers know will raise the coronavirus R number for infections.

Adults will be allowed to sit down outdoors for a coffee or on a park bench with one friend, or with members of their own family — a slight relaxation of the current rule, which permits outdoor meetings only while standing up.

The decision to reopen both primary and secondary schools goes against the advice of some government scientists. But the prime minister was swayed by faster than expected reductions in hospital admissions and infections."

I can link to the article but for those of you without a subscription, there is a pay wall

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/back-to-school-on-march-8-as-johnson-starts-lifting-lockdown-0v5zbz5bt

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• Title edited by MNHQ (it said October, we've changed it to March as reported) *

Didn't see that thread Lumene, it seemed to fall out of active conversations fairly quickly. Perhaps it need to wrongly cite October in the title to get maximum exposure

Omg I was about to cry

Milky tea, extra sugars for the shock

Other papers reporting other options.

Apparently there's a dd ate about letting some go back MARCH 8th and seeing how it goes.

Others are saying all of them going back a couple of weeks later but 'big bang' style.

Lots of 'leaks' do god alone knows what will happen. They're busy slogging out how many deaths is acceptable.

@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants which other papers please?

Yes, I'd like to know too please

@LimitIsUp

Milky tea, extra sugars for the shock

Definitely

OP, work on your proofreading. This is an unforgivable slip of the fingers.

Oh give over.

I hope they do. My DD is only 10 and her mental health has taken a nosedive since Xmas.

His optimism will stop the virus spreading.

No need for pesky safety measures.

Telegraph are reporting 8th March for primary schools and a week later for secondary schools.

Matt Handcock or maybe Hunt - I cant remember which - said they needed new daily cases new to be down to 1000 for for track and trace to cope before the schools reopen. The people in charge of the Zoe app study are predicting daily news cases to be done to 2000 by the 8th of March and 1000 a week later if cases continue to follow the current trend.

Presumably the suggestion of regular lateral flow testing of students (particularly at secondary school) will be revisited

That's interesting Thatwentbadly - seems to track

@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants
Which dd ate what? Or did you mean date?

@blueshoes

OP, work on your proofreading. This is an unforgivable slip of the fingers.

Get over yourself, it's a mistake.

With no extra safety mitigations for children or staff, still no real recognition this is airborne, and it's been stated a few times that children are much more likely to get the new variant than the original. I'm disabled and though I'm not on a priority list for the vaccine I am still so, so scared I will catch it when the DC's go back. It feels inevitable. Though I know they need to be back in school for their well being.
I don't know what the answer is .

a slight relaxation of the current rule, which permits outdoor meetings only while standing up

LMAO is this true? Such micromanagement. No wonder people in the UK have no idea if they're coming or going.

a slight relaxation of the current rule, which permits outdoor meetings only while standing up.

I didn't know there was that distinction. Even with that specific detail, they're clearly not missing any opportunity to discriminate further against (and make life as unpleasant as necessary for) the elderly, the disabled and anybody else who struggles to stand for very long. You know, the very people the government have (in spite of all of their previous many demonstrations to the contrary) suddenly told us that they care most sincerely about.

Thanks Fuckingcrustybread - not like I killed anyone is it

@Octane

a slight relaxation of the current rule, which permits outdoor meetings only while standing up

LMAO is this true? Such micromanagement. No wonder people in the UK have no idea if they're coming or going.

I was wondering this too

Is it actually in legislation that meeting outdoors means standing up for the duration?

So the wheelchair bound can't meet outside?

It's too soon. I do want kids to go back but would rather wait an extra week or two (or three) and play it safe.
Why will the silly twat not listen to the scientists?

So do we want schools open or not? Personally I think children getting an education is more important than adults seeing friends indoors. Simple if everything opens at once then we will be locking down again in weeks. so let's get the children some education first or are they not important because well their children so dont matter. Yes sod the schools an the children let's open up the pubs an be done with education.

Well that was an adrenaline dump I didn't need