How can schools successfully reopen? What the UK can learn from other countries

[herecomesthsun]

Very interesting thread, in the Telegraph, looking at what other countires are doing to make schools safe, here.

www.telegraph.co.uk/education-and-careers/2021/02/14/can-schools-successfully-reopen-uk-can-learn-countries/

The implication is that the UK can adopt some of these measures for schools reopening to be more successful.

For example, in France, some measures discussed that are not currently in use in the UK include:

"-Students must adhere to the one-metre social distancing measures in their classrooms and two metres when in the canteen with pupils from other classes

-Wearing a face mask is mandatory for adults and pupils from the first grade

• Facilities must be cleaned and aired for at least 10 minutes every three hours

When looking at how other advanced nations have navigated school closures, France has one of the lowest closed school rates. Children and teachers in French schools are also no longer allowed to wear fabric face masks, but must instead wear “category 1” surgical masks which offer a higher level of protection."

and so on.

I think it's very encouraging that this is at least being discussed, and in one of the more right wing papers. Let's hope there are government plans to put more measures in place.

Another thread where the same crowd. As if the masks we have been wearing since July made any difference.
How can u make sure 6 year olds even wear them properly, dont swap with their friends, touch them with dirty hands every 2secs, drop them on the floor, pick up and put back on etc etc.
Are we going to now have some mask police in schools?

Why is it the anti-maskers always go for 6 year olds when masks are usually only suggested for secondary or at a push upper primary?

@noblegiraffe

Why is it the anti-maskers always go for 6 year olds when masks are usually only suggested for secondary or at a push upper primary?

Because that is what OP said, 1st grade

So you'd be happy with them in the classroom at secondary?

Yep masks for secondary kids. It is what most sensible heads have been advising their staff and pupils to do since September.

All our secondary staff had been wearing masks all day. Apart from some that take their mask off when at front of class.

The kids had to wear masks in communal areas. Then they were advised to wear masks in class but not forced too. In the average class of 25 students around 15 to 20 would normally keep theirs on for the lesson.

Nature walks all day in inner city schools in March/April. Our lovely UK weather. No thanks.

masks for secondary kids. It is what most sensible heads have been advising their staff and pupils to do since September.
Is it? It's specifically against the guidance from the dfe.
Masks in corridors yes. Masks in classrooms, no.

If you want to follow what some countries have done to make less cases in schools. You should check if the countries are actually testing school age kids properly

From what friends abroad and posters on mumsnet have said. Lack of testing kids is how a lot of the schools have got past isolating to much.

Bit like Spain in the summer suddenly getting less cases when they decide to open up for tourists. The amount of people that came back from Spain then tested positive was criminal.

@PuffinShop

Oops wrong name. I usually keep one name specific for Iceland stuff because it's such a little country, have to get rid of that one now :/ I asked for that one to be deleted, hopefully it can be.

Average class size in Iceland about 18-22!

My GCSE classes are 34 and 36! I’m a practical subject as well.

I wish I had class sizes of 18.

@MrsHamlet

masks for secondary kids. It is what most sensible heads have been advising their staff and pupils to do since September. Is it? It's specifically against the guidance from the dfe. Masks in corridors yes. Masks in classrooms, no.

You can't order them to wear masks

That doesn't mean a sensible head would stop them. Our leadership team is bloody fantastic. They do what they think is best. Sod any government guidance.

Head has worked with PHE and our regional regulator very closely too

Been saying it for weeks now but people really need to give their heads and governors a kick up the bum. Yes the government can make rules and regulations. They definitely need too. However some things can be done without permission or guidance from the education department.

Our secondary has been brilliant. Whereas the primary literally invited the virus into school. Painting lines on the playground for drop off was all they did🤦‍♀️

The trouble is that heads making their own rules causes its own problems!
We've had very few cases in school - but that's more luck than anything.

My friend was banned from wearing a mask in the school where she works. So yes I do agree official guidelines would help.

We are in London so by last week of November both schools had loads of cases. The interesting thing is the secondary staff had barely any cases. Whereas the primary had half the teachers test positive.

Had to know if the secondary teachers were hit harder in the first wave. So had a lot of immunity between them or it was the extra measures taken.

Oops I forgot

The REACT study found levels of infection are being halved every 14.6 days. If the rate continues, the UK can expect to reach 1,000 cases a day by the second week of April.

Public Health England has a "high degree of confidence thatthe vaccineswill work against variants", including the Bristol variant of concern.

Sorry ignore that last post. Wrong thread

(Though very good news❤)

@kingat

Another thread where the same crowd. As if the masks we have been wearing since July made any difference. How can u make sure 6 year olds even wear them properly, dont swap with their friends, touch them with dirty hands every 2secs, drop them on the floor, pick up and put back on etc etc. Are we going to now have some mask police in schools?

I'm in the UAE and my six year old has been wearing a mask just fine since September. He understand about Covid as do his peers and he knows not to swap, washes his hands without having to be asked - basically it has become completely routine and a non issue. He changes into a clean one twice a day and puts the dirty ones in a plastic bag to bring home. It's really fine.

@kingat

Another thread where the same crowd. As if the masks we have been wearing since July made any difference. How can u make sure 6 year olds even wear them properly, dont swap with their friends, touch them with dirty hands every 2secs, drop them on the floor, pick up and put back on etc etc. Are we going to now have some mask police in schools?

Well, if MN is a microcosm of the macrocosm then "we" haven't been wearing them properly, have "we"?

6 year olds in other countries where they are mandated wear masks with no problem. Yet again, it's that confirmation bias of England isn't it? The whole "I won't be able to" and lo and behold, you "can't". Talking about 6 year olds is serendipitous really as it reminds me of mine with broccoli. "I'm not going to like it wah wah"

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum, yes you can. Force them. See posts about almost every country in Europe and beyond that has somehow managed to not have the sheet quantity of refusers that England has.

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

Oops I forgot

The REACT study found levels of infection are being halved every 14.6 days. If the rate continues, the UK can expect to reach 1,000 cases a day by the second week of April.

Public Health England has a "high degree of confidence thatthe vaccineswill work against variants", including the Bristol variant of concern.

Very good news!

Would the mask thing be at the pupil’s/parents discretion? I.e. buying some funky patterned thing from ASOS? Or would they get decent quality masks that actually do something to prevent spread (I’m not sure of the types but I’ve see that not all masks are created equally)
Because the former is useless and will probably end up as a fashion statement. The latter seems far more sensible and should be provided by the government.

I really don’t want my kids having to wear masks in lessons. They are uncomfortable and distracting

You could argue that being crammed into corners of tiny Victorian classrooms for hours a day is uncomfortable and distracting, but funnily enough no one cared about unfit for purpose school buildings and rapidly expanding class sizes until recently.

The UK has been one of the most successful countries in terms of vaccinations, far ahead of France or other European countries.

As the vulnerable and the general population get immunity from vaccinations, we shouldn't need restrictions in schools anymore as most young people aren't affected by covid.

Are you suggesting we wait to go back until there is general immunity from vaccines? Because I don't think that is the plan, for a start.

Socially distancing and wearing of masks already the rules in schools but the fact is schools are crowded places and classrooms often very small. You can’t expect them to be able to keep 2 meters all the time - it doesn’t happen.

Best to vaccinate the teachers though and our police it’s ridiculous that they aren’t priority for this. A disgrace.

@MrsFezziwig

This has been done to death

You’re right, but it’s all been “schools must go back in exactly the same format as before” - very little has been done to ensure that schools can not only go back but stay back. I don’t understand why schools are the only part of society deemed to be immune from Covid, and there are very few countries which haven’t put in extra Covid measures such as masks, rotas, smaller classes etc. Hopefully as this is being reported in the Telegraph someone might take some notice. Children are important but if we don’t get the economy going soon they won’t need an education because there won’t be any jobs for them.

Agree completely with this.

I just wish others read calm and factual statements like yours as they are instead of translating them that teachers want schools shut etc etc.