Schools in England should go back at Easter

[GinAndTonicOnIt]

I'm terrified that full return will result in increased transmissions. This will increase the chance of more mutations. Which increases the chance of a mutant that is resistant to the current vaccines.

Or just back with full wards, and yet another lockdown.

I loathe lockdown. I would give anything to wake up tomorrow and life be back to normal. But it's for this reason I think we should wait that extra bit longer. Get those rates right down and vaccines out, then have a return to school that won't result in another lockdown.....!

AIBU for thinking this? Am I wrong?

One term of face to face education in this academic year. One half term of remote learning.

@Raggletagglegypsy

The maths of this equation are quite simple. Schools are unsafe because in opening up further they will increase transmission of the virus. That is why, in terms of the overall relaxation of lockdown measures, restrictions would have to be lifted more slowly in other sectors, if schools are reopened to all pupils. As a working environment, if it is deemed to be adequately safe for teachers to have no meaningful mitigation measures in place, then there is no argument for continuing with social distancing or masks in any other area of society. I think teachers get particularly upset by the disingenuous messaging that attempts to create the impression that schools are safe - whilst absolutely all of the evidence suggests otherwise. So, I do not think that schools should be reopening to all until case levels are low enough for effective 'track & trace' to be implemented and until all teachers who wish to be vaccinated have been. In the meantime (and beyond) massive resources should be put into making schools better working environments for both teachers and pupils - more classroom space, higher ratio of teaching staff to pupils and more outside learning/exercise - that way, they would be more adequate both now, in 'normal times' and when the next pandemic inevitably hits our shores!

Great post

[quote Thisisconfusing]@FrankieTross

Many vulnerables haven’t been vaccinated . They are only getting started on group 6 here.
Also many asthmatic teachers won’t be vaccinated by then, all under 16s vulnerables haven’t been vaccinated and many 16/17 asthmatics haven’t been vaccinated . Having got close family members in all of these groups and, as I said above , the Kent variant caused havoc when the schools were last open please don’t make statements that are patently untrue . Sure granny might no longer be killed ( though to point out many haven't had their full course yet so there is still some scope for that too) but some really quite young people could become very sick indeed. All we suggest is that a slower reopening might just stem possible carnage . We all want our kids to go back . But I would like this to be done safely. We need to get this right once and for all . So this is the last time.[/quote]
Really confused by this comment and what I have said that is patently untrue?!
I fully agree that the Kent variant caused havoc and I also think that returning to school Big Bang style on 8th March is a dangerous move.

@itsjustricemichael I'm in a similar position. Chronic condition and actually returning from maternity leave. But no sign of my vaccine yet. I'm incredibly uncomfortable about the prospect of being back in school full time children with no vaccine protection.

Some schools have had lots of burst bubbles with only 10 kids in each class. Dearly knows how it will work with 30 kids in each class.
This isn't going away soon. Just because they are open wine mean class teaching

@VashtaNerada

We’ll be expected to use TAs to teach I think *@FrankieTross*

Around half the teachers at ds's little school are shielding 😬

^
I just have a horrid feeling cases are going to rise again. It just puts a decent summer at risk, for the sake of 3 weeks. So short sighted.^

I want a decent summer as much as the next person. But really? That's the most important thing? More important than our kids being back at school?

Meanwhile, children have had ONE term of education in an entire year. ONE

I know not all schools are doing this but I’ve been busting a gut delivering on line lessons to all my classes. I’m teaching a full timetable to all my classes trying to keep things as normal as possible.
Burst into tears straight after my last lesson before half term as I was so emotionally wrung out. Teaching on line is really not easy.

Just feels like such a kick in the teeth when parents say their kids have only had 1 term of learning. I’ve been working my ass off these last 6 weeks. My kids teachers have been delivering live lessons got at least 2 hours every day. That’s not no education.

@FrankieTross

Can anyone tell me what the situation is with shielding? With more people added to the list and asked to shield until 31st March? What happens if school staff are shielding until then? How could schools open?

If staff decide to follow the shielding advice, the Head Teacher will need to make a decision about whether they can keep the school open or not (depending on how many staff are shielding). What I suspect could happen is that some staff who have newly been advised to shield will go to work tomorrow because they feel safe enough to be in school with a small number of children, but could decide no to go in from 8th March if all children are back then.

wakeup-

I want a decent summer as much as the next person. But really? That's the most important thing? More important than our kids being back at school?

It’s very likely increased circulation of Covid will lead to classes and year groups being sent home over the spring / summer term.

That will interrupt education.

At the moment I can deliver decent on line learning as everyone is at home and I am well. I’m going to struggle to teach well if I have Covid. Some members of staff were off sick for a month with Covid, needed a reduced timetable when they came back.

Very disruptive to their pupils education.

Where is this three weeks more and we can have a lovely summer coming from? I'm seeing it all over here. No ones promised this at all.

The Telegraph seems to be pretty sure all schools to reopen on 8 March and all students back by 22 March to allow for testing. So it may only be a week of school for some but it looks like it will be before Easter.

If staff decide to follow the shielding advice, the Head Teacher will need to make a decision about whether they can keep the school open or not (depending on how many staff are shielding). What I suspect could happen is that some staff who have newly been advised to shield will go to work tomorrow because they feel safe enough to be in school with a small number of children, but could decide no to go in from 8th March if all children are back then.

Thank you. At ds' school, it was suggested that teachers who had shielding letters were being forced to work from home since January 4th. Can people ignore the shielding letters and work anyway? Are schools allowed to ignore shielding letters in that way?

When do you teach KS1?

I have kept my children at home, when they could be in school.

That means my children are not getting as much support as they would be if they were in school.

My youngest, because we are both working full time, one out of home and we do not have the time to complete all the home learning. We do as much as we can but once we have done the basics that's pretty much it.

My eldest can manage the online learning a lot better but she's only 9. She needs more attention from us too, but we can't do it because any spare time we have is focused on her sibling who has missed probably a significantly higher percentage of his whole time at school so far. And who needs our full attention due to his age.

You may very well be providing an excellent online provision. Our school do too, but there is only so much that can be achieved and I find the failure of some to recognise that is extremely concerning.

Online learning can be amazing, but if a child doesn't have a computer each and good enough Internet connection to access it, and for younger children, a parent to talk them through what they need to do to access it, then its pointless.

Covid won't be gone at Easter. It won't.

The choice is go back to school in March with the risk of covid or go back in April with the risk of covid.

There is no "covid free" option, unless we strictly lockdown (the UK hasn't done this at any point), for months and give up on teaching this year and part of next year.

So given the numbers are very low in the community and by 8th March all the most vulnerable will have been vaccinated and the very top groups will have had the 3 weeks needed for protection to work - we might as well get on with it.

Delaying won't make the problem go away.

Where is this three weeks more and we can have a lovely summer coming from? I'm seeing it all over here. No ones promised this at all

That’s probably me. Sorry if it came across a s some sort of guarantee of “just another 3 weeks and summer will be wall to wall parties.”

I’ll just state my opinion. Plan A is reopen schools, I strongly suspect that letting unvaccinated kids mix with their mostly unvaccinated teachers and then go home to their mostly unvaccinated parents will lead to Covid spreading.
If Covid spreads it is going to lead to more restrictions in summer (I’m thinking June to
Sept as summer not just the summer hols).

Option B is wait till after Easter, Covid levels will be much lower after 5 more weeks of lockdown.More of the population will have been vaccinated and the risk of transmission is reduced. It’s not eliminated, but hopefully it is reduced and more people can have a more normal summer.

Sorry if I wasn’t clear. Also it doesn’t matter what I think Bojo is going for the popular option of open everything up and it will be fine.
Well I remember how reopening schools in September would be “fine” and that rapidly turned to shit.

Online learning also doesn't work for the youngest, particularly Reception who are supposed to be learning through play.

DS2's teacher sets some brilliant stuff, but it's basically work for me to do with him. Unfortunately, I can't recreate a classroom environment or interaction with his peers, which is what he really needs. Meanwhile, there is currently a minimum of 7 of his classmates in school per day, and rising.

I'd forgo a decent summer to get him and my other three children back to school rather than another 8 weeks of them being isolated at home.

It actually makes me really mad when people refuse to see the damage that this is doing to children from all walks of life.

It may be that it is too dangerous to reopen schools.

But don't undermine how shit a situation this is for children just because you don't want schools to reopen.

Don't pretend that online is equivalent to school and don't pretend that we have not done serious damage to our kids over the last year.

Unavoidable- possibly? But surely we should at least acknowledge it, as the decisions that are being made now are going to impact many children for the rest of their lives.

give up on teaching this year and part of next year

I’m getting really pissed off with this give up on teaching thing. I’m teaching live lessons every single lesson (secondary school). My kids primary is doing live lessons every day.

That’s not giving up on teaching. I don’t accuse my GP of “not practicing medicine” because she spoke to me over the phone instead of face to face.

Sorry, but I was emotionally wrung out after teaching last term. And people suggesting a blanket no teaching happened, really pisses me off.

But don't undermine how shit a situation this is for children just because you don't want schools to reopen. Don't pretend that online is equivalent to school and don't pretend that we have not done serious damage to our kids over the last year

I’m in the same shit situation as you. Doing a full time job at home whist supporting my kids (primary) with home learning. It’s shit, very shot and I’m not going to say otherwise.

Sorry @FrankieTross you agree with me !

That should have been to @MargosKaftan

Well if Easter is the magic date, let's reopen schools 2 weeks after March 8th and send them all through the Easter holidays. Bring the holidays forward.

Noone will be going anywhere anyway.

@WhenSheWasBad I don't think people are saying that no teaching is going on. It's the difference in learning for children compared to being in school.

My children's teachers have been amazing throughout this - I am present with them whilst they are working and the work is clearly carefully planned with supportive resources. But my children are not deriving the same benefit because they are not at school, becoming more and more downbeat at the lack of isolation (no peer contact for all bar once since 18 December - even my upbeat one is distinctly flat) and becoming increasingly distracted. They also know that no one is going to look at the work they are doing, other than the few pieces they are asked to submit, as that's what happened last time.

I also suspect that a lot of people whose children are currently home but may be eligible to be in will take up places if a return is announced. Creating more work for teacher and further impacting those at home.

I really feel for teachers as I think they are pulling out all the stops but there will be a mountain to climb when children return as online learning just isn't as effective for so many children (in the same way that many online work meetings etc aren't so effective - I minute meetings as part of my job and there is definitely less discussion to note now!).

If people think it will suddenly be safe if teachers are vaccinated. Well that should apply tto the parent. I am over 50, have asthma and I am obese (worse since Lockdown) bu not group 6. Our area have only finished group 4. Having said that I am at breaking point trying to homeschool my year 3. It is affecting my physical and mental health. So if they invite EY and KS1 back only I will cry. She will have missed out by a year again and is so behind now. I am willing on a personal level to take the COVID risk but obviously not for me to say or do. At least ECV DH has received his 1st dose.