Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

No school for us til 9th April at the earliest. Royally fucked off now.

725 replies

WeAreFromThePlanetDuplo · 18/02/2021 17:30

Announcement just made for NI that most kids won't be going back to school until after the Easter holidays, and there's no guarantee of that. So fed up.

OP posts:
CKBJ · 19/02/2021 12:23

@HauntedPencil
No mention of “hot housing” just doing the basic reading, spellings and times tables. I can only assume you don’t make time for such necessities and leave everything to school.

Monkeytennis97 · 19/02/2021 12:25

@angrysquirrel73 😂😂 the unions have no power in this at all. This has been said repeatedly in various threads as have the links to their opening schools more safely campaigns. Teacher bashing has been relentless on mn since the beginning of the pandemic.

Woolff · 19/02/2021 12:27

@angrysquirrel73

Woolff this is true when schools reopened they shouldn't be weird, desolate wastelands with only 2 children per room. It's got to be sufficiently 'normal'.
There aren't 2 children per room. There are two per table. About 8 within 2 square metres. That's not allowed anywhere else, except fleetingly and with extra measures. This is inside, for hours and without masks.

It won't be normal though, because they're not allowed to leave the room or change groups.

At our school, children have been universally set when in the building, staying in one group and classroom - not able to go to a higher set for Science to be challenged even if able, because they need to be in the lowest group for support in English.

They've been able to log in remotely to the set they would ordinarily have been placed in though, seeing a wider range of peers and getting a better deal.

cantkeepawayforever · 19/02/2021 12:38

@angrysquirrel73

Woolff this is true when schools reopened they shouldn't be weird, desolate wastelands with only 2 children per room. It's got to be sufficiently 'normal'.
Hahahahahahaha.

It is only on the news media photographs that there have been any desolate classrooms. Classrooms have been exactly as normal in terms of numbers - 30+ children packed cheek by jowl, elbows touching.

The only difference has been fixed seating, facing forwards, rather than being able to group, move or discuss face to face.

HauntedPencil · 19/02/2021 12:40

[quote CKBJ]@HauntedPencil
No mention of “hot housing” just doing the basic reading, spellings and times tables. I can only assume you don’t make time for such necessities and leave everything to school.[/quote]
Interesting assumption.

I can only assume you aren't a teaching professional?

angrysquirrel73 · 19/02/2021 12:41

cantkeepawayforever that makes me feel better :-)

SPRINGTIMEBLUEBELLS · 19/02/2021 12:41

How ridiculous.

March 8th sounded reasonable in all but areas apart from the areas with the highest case numbers. Imagine living in parts of Devon/Cornwall/Scotland etc where the case numbers are in single figures and being told no school

angrysquirrel73 · 19/02/2021 12:42

TBH my children have been at the KW sessions and one child is in a room with 3 other children and the other is in a room with 11 children so not cheek by jowel..

HauntedPencil · 19/02/2021 12:42

You were speaking about children doing an extensive amount of work at home and a reduced school day. To create a world beating system - yet having a nice little snide bash at parents on the side.

HauntedPencil · 19/02/2021 12:45

Cases are at September levels, but consider what was open in September. We are being extended in about strict lockdown here to allow infants to go to school. They've chosen one thing.

Ylvamoon · 19/02/2021 12:47

Agree with this completely. We have all been through too much this time to mess things up at this stage. Risks are still way too high. I'd rather go through a bit more pain and the sensible approach to be applied properly

What ARE the actual risks though when you compare them with all the other risks lockdown has?

I mean long term poor MH for our children & teens.
The stress of loosing your livelihood and no way of getting back no track for a long time...
No job prospects for poorly educated 16- 20 year olds. (I'm sure in a few years employers will be wary of the kids that never sat their exams or had a mediocre uni education)
Missed/ delayed treatments and diagnosis of other illness like cancer.

Add to that the fact that we are discouraged to attend GP surgery or A&E.

Woolff · 19/02/2021 12:50

@angrysquirrel73

TBH my children have been at the KW sessions and one child is in a room with 3 other children and the other is in a room with 11 children so not cheek by jowel..
That's because it's lockdown. When open fully, there is no room for all the children unless crammed in.

I don't know why that should make anyone feel better. Would you cram yourself into a small space with thirty random people at the moment? Breathe their air all day? And feel safe to go near people you love knowing you could harm them by passing it on?

cantkeepawayforever · 19/02/2021 12:51

@angrysquirrel73

TBH my children have been at the KW sessions and one child is in a room with 3 other children and the other is in a room with 11 children so not cheek by jowel..
All our KW sessions are over 50% full classes. They started off with nobody physically touching when seated, but increasing numbers means that many are now back sitting 2 to a small desk.
cantkeepawayforever · 19/02/2021 12:51

@angrysquirrel73

TBH my children have been at the KW sessions and one child is in a room with 3 other children and the other is in a room with 11 children so not cheek by jowel..
All our KW sessions are over 50% full classes. They started off with nobody physically touching when seated, but increasing numbers means that many are now back sitting 2 to a small desk.
TwelvePaws · 19/02/2021 12:51

So if they announce that schools aren’t going back on 8th March based on the data and science, are you going to say that the leading scientists, who are experts, are wrong? And that you know better?

cantkeepawayforever · 19/02/2021 12:54

@Ylvamoon

Agree with this completely. We have all been through too much this time to mess things up at this stage. Risks are still way too high. I'd rather go through a bit more pain and the sensible approach to be applied properly

What ARE the actual risks though when you compare them with all the other risks lockdown has?

I mean long term poor MH for our children & teens.
The stress of loosing your livelihood and no way of getting back no track for a long time...
No job prospects for poorly educated 16- 20 year olds. (I'm sure in a few years employers will be wary of the kids that never sat their exams or had a mediocre uni education)
Missed/ delayed treatments and diagnosis of other illness like cancer.

Add to that the fact that we are discouraged to attend GP surgery or A&E.

The issue is that if we mess up the return to school (remembering that schools being open contributes 0.3-0.4 to R) then all the downsides in terms of no GP appointments, many workplaces closed etc continue for longer, because of the return to exponential growth of Covid.
MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2021 13:02

@TwelvePaws

So if they announce that schools aren’t going back on 8th March based on the data and science, are you going to say that the leading scientists, who are experts, are wrong? And that you know better?
Does that work both ways? Ie if they go back will people still be saying it’s wrong
siestalady · 19/02/2021 13:02

By that reasoning though, @cantkeepawayforever , schools will never reopen.

Now that the vulnerable have largely been vaccinated, we really have to try and start getting back to some normality; and I dont think anyone on this thread disagrees that schools should be the first place to reopen.

cantkeepawayforever · 19/02/2021 13:06

@siestalady

By that reasoning though, *@cantkeepawayforever* , schools will never reopen.

Now that the vulnerable have largely been vaccinated, we really have to try and start getting back to some normality; and I dont think anyone on this thread disagrees that schools should be the first place to reopen.

They 'only' add 0.3-0.4 to R. If we drive down R far enough,AND we set conditions in schools that mean the rise in R is small enough (through e.g. small numbers returning, rotas if necessary, arrangements such as masks, no after school care in which bubbles mix, all other activity such as parents returning to work out of the home limited) then we will not return to exponential growth. Which is why a careful return is so necessary.
MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2021 13:07

The issue is that if we mess up the return to school (remembering that schools being open contributes 0.3-0.4 to R) then all the downsides in terms of no GP appointments, many workplaces closed etc continue for longer, because of the return to exponential growth of Covid.

For how long us this an issue? Eg Which groups vaccinated

TwelvePaws · 19/02/2021 13:08

Does that work both ways? Ie if they go back will people still be saying it’s wrong

Absolutely, it does. If you read my posts, I’ve said the people saying they should go back on March 8th and the people saying it shouldn’t be til April or June or whatever are just being unhelpful as they’re not basing it on anything. Wait for the data and the scientists who do know better than us.

I’ll always be reassured by what the scientists recommend. If that’s March 8th, great as things really must be looking better. But if it’s Easter or even after, it’ll be disappointing but I will believe it’s the right thing.

MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2021 13:09

Fair enough Twelve tbh I have generally agreed with CMO etc so far

TwelvePaws · 19/02/2021 13:10

And I worded it the way I did, as this thread is mainly full of posters who want March 8th regardless, so it was aimed at those posters.

doubleshotespresso · 19/02/2021 13:14

[quote siestalady]@doubleshotespresso - but what level of risk would you be happy with? 1000 cases a day? 100? 10?[/quote]
I'm sure there's no real magic number, but I'd be wanting to see case numbers specifically under 1000 daily yes, preferably closer to the 500 mark. But I suppose equally the numbers need not only to be lower but consistently stay down. I'm also though In perhaps a different situation re schools as our child (SEND) has been way more receptive to learning at hone and far happier. In addition to this school are unwilling to offer more than an hour daily to D.C. due to the complexity of needs/Covid cuts. So I'm unwilling to place our whole family at risk for the erm, "benefit" of an hour a day .
This is a complete mess that suits very few, I'm just keen that we don't get things wrong this time!

HauntedPencil · 19/02/2021 13:15

@TwelvePaws

Does that work both ways? Ie if they go back will people still be saying it’s wrong

Absolutely, it does. If you read my posts, I’ve said the people saying they should go back on March 8th and the people saying it shouldn’t be til April or June or whatever are just being unhelpful as they’re not basing it on anything. Wait for the data and the scientists who do know better than us.

I’ll always be reassured by what the scientists recommend. If that’s March 8th, great as things really must be looking better. But if it’s Easter or even after, it’ll be disappointing but I will believe it’s the right thing.

Definitely agree with this - I read the technical advice issued here and the Welsh Govt seem to follow it

I think we seem to be in a place where some kids could go back in - but not a wholesale every child primary and secondary whoosh on the 8th - I'm not expecting that though. If they've told him it could push R over one I don't think he'll do it. (Could be wrong)