The government is about to tell you that schools are safe

[noblegiraffe]

It's being reported that the government are about to embark on a two week PR campaign claiming that schools are safe. We've already seen hints of it in that Warwick report that was widely misreported as showing schools don't fuel community transmission (majorly pissing off the author who advocates a cautious return to schools).

The ONS random sampling survey graphs released today are amazing. They show a huge reduction in the infection rates due to lockdown, but the most incredible reduction is in the infection rate of secondary school children. They've gone from being the most infected subset of the population by far, to the 2nd least (behind 70+). It's clear that despite arguments that secondary kids were catching covid out of school (sleepovers, hanging around in parks etc), this just isn't true and the lack of mitigation measures in secondary schools allowed covid to run riot.

We can't re-open in the same way as in September. That would be madness. I know that people will say that it's fine, vulnerable people are being vaccinated and kids don't get it badly BUT what is not acknowledged is that kids aren't being vaccinated, a lot of their teachers won't be by March 8th, nor their parents and so we still need to keep infection levels down. In addition, rampant covid is incredibly disruptive to education. Teachers off for weeks, kids off isolating, some kids in, some kids out...Sept to Dec was a mess that we should be trying our best to avoid repeating. Vaccinations don't address that issue at all.

Community levels are low, but then they were low in September. Pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops are shut now, but we want to be able to open them. We cannot rely on community levels remaining low to stop covid getting into schools and proliferating.

We need to be careful, because certainly secondary schools aren't safe to re-open in a Big Bang gung-ho way that some are advocating, particularly with a more transmissible variant in circulation. Remember to the week before Christmas when school attendance plummeted in Kent and London? In one LA, secondary attendance was at 17%. And yet the DfE decided to threaten schools that wanted to close early to stop the spread with legal action. The schools were right, and the DfE was wrong. Gavin Williamson can't be trusted to have sensible conversations about safety, he's more interested in bully-boy tactics and setting himself up in opposition to teachers and schools.

What can be done? I think there is room to open schools in some way on March 8th. My personal preference (and I'm no spokesperson for teachers here, other opinions will vary) would be primaries back and exam years back for three weeks, then Easter can be used to examine the impact of the full primary re-opening . I'm not sure that school is such a major factor in transmission at primary as it is at secondary for various reasons, however I'm sure that my primary colleagues have their own ideas about what needs to be done there. If full primary re-opening looks untenable, then I would prefer rotas to only certain year groups in. Some school for all pupils would be better than all school for some pupils as we had last year.

Secondary is a different kettle of fish and should be treated separately. Secondaries were a massive risk for transmission. The word 'bubble' should never be used in reference to secondary schools again, as 'bubble' means a group of people who all have to isolate if one of them catches covid, which went in the bin in secondary around the end of September. There are some easy wins in secondary -
Masks in classrooms would be easy and cheap to implement. Exemptions would apply and clear ones could be provided where necessary for lip reading.
A national programme to improve ventilation.
Testing and isolation of any contacts where positive cases are found to flush out asymptomatic pupils (PCR not LFT).
Moving quickly to remote learning where there are outbreaks instead of trying to keep year groups in and schools open as covid works its way through - the attendance just before Christmas in some schools meant kids would have been better served educationally if they were all at home.

Home LFT testing of kids - I'm not convinced tbh, maybe in addition to above measures, but certainly not instead of them.

So if the government messaging is as it has been: schools are safe and no additional measures to contain the spread in secondary are needed then they are lying and our kids deserve a more consistent and sustainable education than they got from September.

Fingers crossed they are more sensible than we have previously seen.

(If you post, please make it clear if you are talking about primary or secondary as they are very different issues)

I hear everything that you are saying but I still really hope primary schools open on March 8th and secondary just after because I am not sure young people can manage more of this. I do support a regional approach - we live in a rural area and have almost zero COVID (2 cases in 6000 most recently) and so having all these children at home feeling depressed just seems so ridiculous.

I still really hope primary schools open on March 8th

That’s what I said I wanted! I think the Easter holidays shortly after gives us a chance to see if it’s feasible because the two weeks off will dampen down any infection spread (assuming it’s not everything open at Easter).

Secondary teacher here.

Absolutely agree with you.

If the Big Bang happens it won't be long before the ICUs are full of unvaccinated parents and education staff.

Noble - I have two secondary aged kids who are both really struggling. One has special needs, not in an exam year and is simply incapable of focusing on a virtual lesson where the teacher lectures but there is no feedback and no attention if he drifts off.

Every day he is off school is damaging his future prospects.

The difference last term made was amazing. His school stayed open throughout. He had to do some half-days but was never sent home.

His senco has said that they all want to be back in. They can see the damage that failure to provide an education is doing, especially to those who need it most.

Your ‘solution’ would not have him back, even though those who are actually vulnerable to the disease have been vaccinated.

I am not willing for the children of this country to be thrown under the bus any longer. Vaccinate the teachers, fine. Wear masks, fine but it is beyond selfish of adults to deprive children of education and social development.

The thing that I still don't understand regarding primaries is why they cannot use community centres/church halls etc.

For example, in my village school, we have 300 pupils, split across 3 units as we have mixed year groups (1-2/3-4 and 5-6). Down the road literally a 2 min walk away is the community centre which remains shut. The other direction another 2 min walk away is the church hall.

I genuinely don't understand why the school can't be split so that years 1-2 are in the school, years 3-4 in the community centre and years 5-6 in the church hall. The teachers aren't crossing bubbles, so that helps to keep them separate.

Obviously, this is a unique situation to our particular school, but why can't these empty buildings be used? Why can't schools be investing in outdoor marquees so that learning can take place on the playground? Particularly as the weather starts to get warmer? Surely it's better to get kids having an education and finding out proactive solutions to make it happen?

The excuse always seems to be money. Why has not a single penny been invested in education whereas the magic money tree is coughing up for every other sector?

I'm aware there's going to be cities where this is difficult but there must be solutions that can happen. It very much feels a "won't" rather than a "can't"

I think primary needs to reopen as soon as possible. Secondary for exam years with masks. Remote learning for other secondary years until Easter?

I see no reason why masks can't be worn by secondary age pupils and junior school pupils.

I don't think a regional approach is fair now seeing as cases have really come down in all areas.

I'm secondary, but only teach y10 upwards so I'm only talking about them for now.
On the issue of who comes back, I'd like y11 and 13 to stay at home until there is a clear plan about how they're to be assessed.
We can and have been teaching them remotely. The danger of gung-ho return is that we get them needing to be in and out again - which will have a detrimental impact on our ability to assess them fairly.
Once there's a plan, let schools decide how that works. We cannot have all of y11 and 13 doing assessments at the same time. We don't have the space - so let us sort the logistics.
Get years 10 and 12 in - probably on a week on/week off basis so we can have smaller classes. That'll mean they might get practical lessons in the subjects they've done no practical in.
And masks in classrooms. I cant go into the bakery with one other person without one, so the logic of being in a room for 2 hours and 32 other people defeats me.

@Eyewhisker
But they aren't vaccinating teachers.

Everyone needs to be back, even on a rota basis. Some F2F education is what the young people deserve, having sacrificed so much time already.

One has special needs, not in an exam year and is simply incapable of focusing on a virtual lesson

I really sympathise. I should have said that with mitigation measures a full return to secondary for all year groups should be pencilled in for after Easter when even more groups are vaccinated, the weather’s better and (fingers crossed) infection and death rates are even lower.

The situation we had before Christmas was disruptive to education and poor for pupils with SEN as well, particularly those with anxiety who thrive on routine. There’s no solution that is good for everyone.

why can't these empty buildings be used? Why can't schools be investing in outdoor marquees so that learning can take place on the playground? Particularly as the weather starts to get warmer? Surely it's better to get kids having an education and finding out proactive solutions to make it happen?
The excuse always seems to be money. Why has not a single penny been invested in education whereas the magic money tree is coughing up for every other sector?

Simply that: money. Schools were told they weren't allowed to do this and no money would be forthcoming to do it. Why not? Because the government simply aren't that bothered about education.

I would love to see an army of vaccinated oldies coming to help catch up kids education instead of swanning off on SAGA hols (bookings up massively!!) I have been shopping for the older population in our village, picking up prescriptions, moving out of the way when I see them out walking, calling to see how they are doing (all whilst homeschooling 3DC's) ....and I feel a bit let down now that they are going to have this lovely vaccinated life and we are going to be struggling on with trying to catch DC up. Before I get lampooned I don't really mean this, but I do feel so sad for the children and teenagers they have been so bloody good and they have lost so much and the teens in particular get so much criticism from society in general.

I absolutely agree with everything you say.
I have secondary school children and they themselves actually would prefer a rota system (one week in, one week remote learning). But no one (other than their teachers and parents) is interested in finding out what secondary school children themselves think.

The excuse always seems to be money. Why has not a single penny been invested in education whereas the magic money tree is coughing up for every other sector?

This has been the case with this government for the last ten years. Education has been badly hit by funding cuts, redundancies, reduction in provision and was pretty much on its knees before this. The pandemic has really highlighted how reluctant the govt are to spend any money on it.

My students would be appalled if MrsHamlet's mum rocked up... they think I'm terrifying!!! 🤣

it is beyond selfish of adults to deprive children of education and social development.

Of course it would be, under normal circumstances. But these aren’t normal circumstances and the risks and benefits to the community of opening schools have to be weighed in the balance, as do ways of opening them so as to maximise benefits and reduce risks.

@dipdips yes I hear you. Every time I hear the SAGA holiday ad on the radio I get a bit grrr... still, it probably is jealousy on my part.

"The government is about to tell you that schools are safe"

For the majority of children/youth they are: Covid, or otherwise.

@PurpleHoodie

"The government is about to tell you that schools are safe"

For the majority of children/youth they are: Covid, or otherwise.

But schools don't exist in a vacuum from the community.

My voew is no point going back till situation improves as its likely that we could have yr groups isolating for 2 weeks again. Which means unable to leave house at all. If schools end up having to close again this o feel is worse than getting infection rates lower before attempting to reopen things.
Mine wont be going back yet

the teens in particular get so much criticism from society in general.

I’ve been so pissed off at the endless comments that I’ve seen about how they’re recklessly having parties and hanging around street corners and spreading covid that way when the graph clearly shows that school was the major issue. Not their fault.

@Monkeytennis97 Glad it isn't just me! Ban all SAGA holidays until every child has caught up to where they should be. My Mum has been amazing, she has been helping homeschool via zoom so I shouldn't really moan.

Every time I see or hear a Saga holiday ad I resolve to never go on such a thing, and I’m well over 60. They sound horrendous. Anyway, when schools and colleges do go back, I’ll be in the classroom, teaching. Hopefully I’ll get my second jab soon.