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) *

Oh ffs here we go again. Push for things to reopen when the goverment have been warned otherwise. Ignore the experts, do it anyways, a new variant will spread like wild fire, so many unnecessary deaths and then bam back into another 3 month lockdown.

Honety when will they break this cycle it's getting exhausting, at this rate we will be in and out of lockdown till the end of the year again. Other countries have it done it right what cant ours. If they had acted faster this time last year and kept it going we may of not been in such dire circumstances in the first place

Teachers can stay 2m away with ventilation

Not in a single classroom in my school, and all others in the area bar one. Old, Victorian buildings with tiny rooms designed for 10-12 children and high up windows that only open a few inches.

My 2 yo attends a nursery where all staff wear masks at all times. Her speech has come on in leaps and bounds since September, and they don’t faze her in the slightest.

@Iseestupidpeople

Another issue with vaccinate the teachers etc is that basic services are being severely impacted as blood tests smears asthma checks and other clinics are reduced as there are only so many hours nurses can work. People are currently dying because diagnosis and tests are delayed.

Is this the case? I haven't seen anything about this (and I've just booked a smear test and had a blood test a couple of weeks ago!)

Teachers can stay 2m away with ventilation

Even if they could, which is moot, if the pupils are teenagers with adult patterns of transmission his do they keep 2m away from each other? Or do they all become infected are it me with them. It's the issue which makes schools, especially secondaries, vectors for community spread.

And is horribly worrying to those with CEV or CV people in the household (especially those too young to be vaccinated, or whose condition means the vaccine might not work as well as general population)

2m rule be gone in month or so

I'm no fan of BoJo or Hancock, but I have to say I think it's the right move. Yes, it sucks that nothing is open, but getting kids back in school has to be the priority. They are suffering the most from lockdown.

Sturgeon is being very phased in her return for Scotland. I'm sure Boris will be looking closely at the impact.

Govt will let us sit down
Three cheers

Primaries in Wales also opening next Monday apparently!

Yes, sit down in the cold on your distanced walk! What a break through - it will revolutionise our lives. Next he will be as daring as to change the law to allow people to hold hands with their lover on a cold wet walk.

Primaries in Wales are open to ks1 and early years kids.

I guess I'm old and vulnerable because I had the jab a week ago. I hate not seeing my friends , swimming and doing all the things I love. However, staying home is not so awful for us and given that children and their futures should be a priority, I still say vaccinate all teachers before a return is considered. Given that, in the main, the average age of those hospitalised is now down to 30-50 anything else would be irresponsible. And if the vaccination programme is going as well as is claimed, I doubt it would be set back by much.

@TheMoth

Primaries in Wales are open to ks1 and early years kids.

Has it been confirmed if that is to be a full time/every day return for each of those year groups?

Teachers can stay 2m away with ventilation but productive learning can't be done with everyone in a mask.

In many classrooms it is not possible to keep 2m away. In reception and key stage 1 is pretty much impossible.

Not all classrooms have working windows or sufficient ventilation.

Many countries across the world are successfully wearing masks full time in schools, so productive learning is clearly possible. Our children are not different to children across the world particularly.

Do primary children in Wales wear masks to school?

Staggered until Wednesday, then all little ones in and kw hub open.
No masks.

And ventilation just means 'cold'. I will happily run outdoors, cos after about 2 or 3k, you warm up. But unless I can jog on the spot while I'm teaching, my reynaud's will kick and and I won't be able to use my fingers

Schools will have to relax dress codes, so we can teach in coats and gloves. And let kids dress warm too.

Sorry if this has been mentioned already (I’ve skipped chunks of this thread) but there was an article in the telegraph last week about Israel’s roadmap out of lockdown. Interesting as they’re obviously doing really well with their vaccine and are ahead of us.
They seem to be using %of fully vaccinated population as targets for easing restrictions (both doses). If we applied their stipulations here then schools wouldn’t be reopening until roughly the end of may. If we applied their figures but using just single dose vaccinations we would be opening schools at the end of March.
I do think we are in danger of being reckless here. We obviously need to open schools before May, but waiting just a couple of weeks could make a huge difference.

@TheMoth

And ventilation just means 'cold'. I will happily run outdoors, cos after about 2 or 3k, you warm up. But unless I can jog on the spot while I'm teaching, my reynaud's will kick and and I won't be able to use my fingers

Schools will have to relax dress codes, so we can teach in coats and gloves. And let kids dress warm too.

I have arthritis and the cold really affects it. Last term I invested in a ton of thermals and fingerless gloves.

They are idiots. It won't be safe until the virus has gone and all are vaccinated. This is from the 25th January www.timesofisrael.com/mutated-covid-19-strains-are-stymieing-efforts-to-curb-spread-virus-czar-says/

A quote from that article re the mutated "UK Variant"

"She said that “40% of illness is in children, a higher percentage than their part in the population… We see a rise in infections in ages 6-9, which is exactly the age group that is supposed to go back to school” when the tightened lockdown ends at the end of the month. “We’re monitoring it.”"

@Sweettea1

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.

Totally agree. Getting children back to school is not only a main priority for their education but also their mental health. I’m happy to wait for a few weeks for everything else.