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) *

[quote mumsneedwine]@KasparKat we've been doing full live lessons every day. 99% engagement. No syllabus missed. [/quote]
Lucky you.
You must realise that is not the case for many students and school provision is unequal. Just because your children have not been disadvantaged the others don’t matter ?

Do we really need to reiterate that the importance of school isn’t just about learning the curriculum!!

Children’s developing brains are more susceptible to mental health issues and can become a life sentence of problems for many.

8th March makes sense to me, as they would only be in for around 3 weeks, then the Easter holidays would act as a firebreak without having to impose another lockdown if cases start to rise in schools. If you wait till after Easter, if they go back on 12th April that's 7 weeks - that's too long a stretch. Last summer I really wanted them to go back mid-late June for the last 3-4 weeks before the summer holidays (DD did for just two half days for the end of Yr 10!)

I live in France which has prided itself on keeping schools open as a priority. I work in one a few hours a week and find the hygiene measures impressive - everyone (including primary children) wear masks inside and in the playground - no exceptions, hand gel on in the way in and in every classroom, one way system in corridors and staggered lunch. As a country we’re under curfew from 6pm, but not locked down. Personally I believe keeping children at school is the most important thing a country can do as school closures exacerbate existing inequalities and it will be impossible for many of these children to make up the time lost in this way. It also has the knock-on effect of making it easier for parents to continue working from home. If socialising takes a hit for a bit longer then so be it. First things first.

@KasparKat

Haven't secondary schools been having full time live lessons during lockdown? I know it's not ideal but have they really missed a whole chunk of the syllabus? My friends with secondary aged children have said that their DC have been working just as hard as when they are at school.

No, secondary schools here don’t have full time live lessons. They usually have one a day. They can’t have them full time because many households don’t have enough devices to support multiple children accessing live lessons.

@mumsneedwine

I'm 53. Yet I'm supposed to walk into a room with 30 others, no masks, no social distancing, no safety measures (except the magic tape on the floor), 6 times a day. No vaccine. If it's so important to get schools fully open then why not keep school staff as safe as you can so they can stay open ? Vaccinate all over 50 staff this week. Then all others asap. This could be done in 24 hours at current rate. Or are our lives worth nothing ? It's acknowledged over 50s are at risk or we wouldn't be priority group 9.

I agree. I’m baffled why teachers havnt been given the option to have the vaccine.

@mumsneedwine

I'm 53. Yet I'm supposed to walk into a room with 30 others, no masks, no social distancing, no safety measures (except the magic tape on the floor), 6 times a day. No vaccine. If it's so important to get schools fully open then why not keep school staff as safe as you can so they can stay open ? Vaccinate all over 50 staff this week. Then all others asap. This could be done in 24 hours at current rate. Or are our lives worth nothing ? It's acknowledged over 50s are at risk or we wouldn't be priority group 9.

You have magic tape?

I'm 55. Yet I'm supposed to spend all day in a room with 20 children, two other adults, no masks, no social distancing, no safety measures and no windows that open. No vaccine. If it's so important to get schools fully open then why not keep school staff as safe as you can so they can stay open ? Vaccinate all over 50 staff this week. Then all others asap. This could be done in 24 hours at current rate. Or are our lives worth nothing ? It's acknowledged over 50s are at risk or we wouldn't be priority group 9.

@LillianGish

I live in France which has prided itself on keeping schools open as a priority. I work in one a few hours a week and find the hygiene measures impressive - everyone (including primary children) wear masks inside and in the playground - no exceptions, hand gel on in the way in and in every classroom, one way system in corridors and staggered lunch. As a country we’re under curfew from 6pm, but not locked down. Personally I believe keeping children at school is the most important thing a country can do as school closures exacerbate existing inequalities and it will be impossible for many of these children to make up the time lost in this way. It also has the knock-on effect of making it easier for parents to continue working from home. If socialising takes a hit for a bit longer then so be it. First things first.

Yes we should have done that here

I agree teachers should get the vaccine. However which group of people clinically agreed to be more likely to die of Covid do you bump off the list to make way for them? I’m not sure there’s much option other than prioritising them after the over 50s.

@mumsneedwine

I'm 53. Yet I'm supposed to walk into a room with 30 others, no masks, no social distancing, no safety measures (except the magic tape on the floor), 6 times a day. No vaccine. If it's so important to get schools fully open then why not keep school staff as safe as you can so they can stay open ? Vaccinate all over 50 staff this week. Then all others asap. This could be done in 24 hours at current rate. Or are our lives worth nothing ? It's acknowledged over 50s are at risk or we wouldn't be priority group 9.

I agree, they should vaccinate all teachers before those of us in groups 7-9 who are less at risk such as WFH - and they could easily do it before 8 March. I'm your age and would be happy to wait longer for group 9 as I only go out for walks and essential shopping.

I think they should be closed til Easter and then part time.

Does anyone here accept that for certain children being at school is actually worse for their mental health than not being at school?

Not that I'm saying all schools should be closed for that reason but the blanket "it's better for children's mental health to be at school" is really starting to irritate me.

There are plenty of other things proven to be "better" for children's mental health that no one shouts about in this country at all but this thing that coincidentally massively inconveniences parents as well as children is suddenly the major factor in mental health.

I find it disingenuous.

@LillianGish

I live in France which has prided itself on keeping schools open as a priority. I work in one a few hours a week and find the hygiene measures impressive - everyone (including primary children) wear masks inside and in the playground - no exceptions, hand gel on in the way in and in every classroom, one way system in corridors and staggered lunch. As a country we’re under curfew from 6pm, but not locked down. Personally I believe keeping children at school is the most important thing a country can do as school closures exacerbate existing inequalities and it will be impossible for many of these children to make up the time lost in this way. It also has the knock-on effect of making it easier for parents to continue working from home. If socialising takes a hit for a bit longer then so be it. First things first.

We need to get covid under control and suppress it to the point where track and trace can work properly. First things first indeed. We risk throwing away all our vaccine progress.

@Chollok

Does anyone here accept that for certain children being at school is actually worse for their mental health than not being at school?

Not that I'm saying all schools should be closed for that reason but the blanket "it's better for children's mental health to be at school" is really starting to irritate me.

There are plenty of other things proven to be "better" for children's mental health that no one shouts about in this country at all but this thing that coincidentally massively inconveniences parents as well as children is suddenly the major factor in mental health.

I find it disingenuous.

Exactly! It’s outrageous.

@KasparKat

Haven't secondary schools been having full time live lessons during lockdown? I know it's not ideal but have they really missed a whole chunk of the syllabus? My friends with secondary aged children have said that their DC have been working just as hard as when they are at school.

Some have live lessons, some have sheets to download. Some families have a laptop each, a printer, fast broadband and quiet spaces for everyone to work. Some do not. Even if a school is delivering live lessons it doesn’t mean the students can access them.

I hate the schools being closed btw and it’s affecting my children in all sorts of ways but I think we need to get numbers right down and many more vaccinated.

Fuck.
I really thought the government would be sensible and wait until after Easter.

Whilst I would love to get DS back to school I think in all in 8 March is not a good plan. We’ve had all in before and it didn’t go well so I really Hope lessons are learnt from it.

The vaccine program is going at a great pace and it would be such a shame if anything went wrong at this stage to jeopardise it, last thing we need is numbers rising amongst the unvaccinated and another mutation that the current vaccines may not deal with.

It makes sense to stagger them back and I think it needs to be worked in with the vaccine groups. Younger primary first, followed by year 6. In secondary year 11 and year 13 the priority.

I also think they need to look carefully at the vaccine scheduling when planning the returns, looking at teachers overall, especially the clinically vulnerable and over 50’s and parents too.

We have come so far but can see if not careful it could all horribly wrong at this late stage if this isn’t handled really carefully.

...have just realised how ridiculous the words - the government would be sensible are, what was I thinking.

I am against the mandatory CV19 measures and hope every child can get back into a classroom, the 100% ban on weddings goes (now almost 2 months without it even if only 2 people present!). People have accepted major breaches of their human rights and now is the time to end it all.

@sherrystrull

I can't wait to see my whole class but the notion they are prioritising children is absolutely ridiculous.

The Government have done nothing all
Lockdown to improve mitigation measures in schools and provided no extra money.

I can just see another 6 months of constant periods of isolation and lots of stressing about staff and children and their families getting poorly.

Exactly this. They aren't prioritising children at all as they haven't bothered to do anything to make schools safer. We should all be up in arms about this but most parents don't seem bothered at all. I feel full of despair today, no lessons have been learnt.

Bollocks

redcurrent

think it depends on school - ds has had 6 teams lessons every day so full on really.

I'd like mine back now - no justification for such severe restrictions now top 4 vaccinated

I also agree with sorting the schools out so when they are open they stay open.

Vaccinate any teachers / staff who want to, let everyone wear masks inside during lessons too ( masks are worn inside anyway at least in secondary just not in lessons so wear in lessons too if makes everyone safer or feel safer).

Lots of countries have kept the schools open, there is one above re France.

Education is too important and they have been closed too long. Online teaching is no substitute IMO,

If some parents disagree and want to keep their children home then allow them to do that but do not punish the majority of others who want / need their children back at school.

@HazeyJaneII

Fuck. I really thought the government would be sensible and wait until after Easter.

what would be sensible about that?

Why should half the kids has to be punished and stay isolated?

The schools should reopen NEXT WEEK after half term, that would be the most sensible things of all. 8th March is already very late.

Schools have shut in March 2019, it's extremely damaging for the kids. There was a brief reopening from September to December, but it's time to reopen fully, not just for the 50% (or more) who are already at school.