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?

Yes but I’m not calling you lazy @Waxonwaxoff0 that’s my point

Younger primary should go back at the very least.

I totally agree. An extra 3 weeks of homeschooling is not ideal for kids.

But it’s vastly preferable to another lockdown. If we open up too soon we risk
Spring and Summer.

Disagree so strongly. It took my breath away yesterday when I read on another thread that children have had ONE term of proper education in a whole year. I mean obviously I knew that, but it really shocked me to see it written down.

In what world are we happy to have education as an optional "nice to have" service? Imagine if we shut down police stations or GP surgeries like we have schools? "Oh another 6 weeks won't hurt"

Absolutely breathtaking the way kids in this country have been treated the last year.

I disagree. Schools need to return on the 8th. We need to consider all of the damaging effects of lockdown and in my view the balance will have tipped by 8th March and it will be more detrimental to keep them off school any longer.

This 100%.

It seems like teachers and their unions are trying to stop schools from opening...

@supersonicginandtonic my DC is primary and I agree with you.

@Redtulipses

I disagree. Schools need to return on the 8th. We need to consider all of the damaging effects of lockdown and in my view the balance will have tipped by 8th March and it will be more detrimental to keep them off school any longer.

This 100%.

It seems like teachers and their unions are trying to stop schools from opening...

Agree to a point. My sister who teaches early years is incredibly worried about the children in her class. I think this is unions agitating rather than all the teachers.

@KatherineJaneway

Personally I think they'd be really foolish to just throw open the doors to all years at once. Schools drove the huge spike in cases, they need to go back on a staggered basis.

My kids really need to go back to school and I agree some kind of staggered approach is surely best. Or why has some kind of rota system never been properly suggested. If my kids could just go in once or twice a week it would make a huge difference. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Whilst I agree full school opening with case numbers as they are would be a mistake, my 9 year old desperatly needs some social interaction. Part time or rota, fine, but he needs something. Even one day a week would make a massive difference.
My 11 year old (at secondary) seems fine, but he is struggling too.
The days I go out to work the kids are basically left to their own devices except for DH appearing to produce some lunch. It's not healthy.

In what world are we happy to have education as an optional "nice to have" service? Imagine if we shut down police stations or GP surgeries like we have schools

What do you mean imagine if we shut down GP surgeries? I can easily get an appointment with my GP. But it’s over the phone, GPS have massively changed the way they treat patients. They very much are not business as usual.

If they want to prioritise education (we all want that I think) then there needs to be some funding and some sensible mitigation measures.
It's all very well the government saying they prioritise it but they need to put their money where their mouth is, make classrooms safer and provide supply budgets to cover self-isolations. Or vaccinate teachers (probably cheaper).

I’m not happy but kids will catch up and what’s the point of just yo-yoing between lockdowns? Can’t people see that this is what will happen. Just want one proper hard lockdown and vaccination programme rolled out. More mixing means more variants, which in turn might mean back to square one.

@SchrodingersUnicorn

If they want to prioritise education (we all want that I think) then there needs to be some funding and some sensible mitigation measures. It's all very well the government saying they prioritise it but they need to put their money where their mouth is, make classrooms safer and provide supply budgets to cover self-isolations. Or vaccinate teachers (probably cheaper).

This.

The government have done nothing to make schools safer. All teachers I know desperately want to get their full classes back but want to avoid more disruptions in the future and keep everyone as safe and well as possible.

Completely disagree. Schools need to open for all pupils, or at the very least all primary years, on the 8th March. They have missed too much already and the risks to keeping them off for longer outweigh any virus risk.

@Redtulipses

Of course teachers do. Opening too soon would be counter productive in the future.

The casual anti teacher remarks on this thread

I wonder if teachers and their unions do

A lot of teachers we’re dealing with popped bubbles and whole year groups isolating. That was extremely disruptive and quite unsettling.
Another term of popping bubbles and teachers too sick to work is not good education.

@Waxonwaxoff0

No one said teachers are the only ones working out of the home. People are allowed to share their experiences without others telling them 'you're not the only one'. They know that. It doesn't make their opinions less valid.

@SchrodingersUnicorn

If they want to prioritise education (we all want that I think) then there needs to be some funding and some sensible mitigation measures. It's all very well the government saying they prioritise it but they need to put their money where their mouth is, make classrooms safer and provide supply budgets to cover self-isolations. Or vaccinate teachers (probably cheaper).

Vaccinating teachers would keep the schools open but wouldn’t stop children super spreading the virus backwards and forwards between home and school.

@Redtulipses - trust me, teachers are finding it just as hard to balance working from home with homeschooling their own DC, it’s a bloody nightmare!
We all want children back in school, the question is how to do it in the most sensible way possible that doesn’t risk covid being passed around school and taken home.

Opening too soon would be counter productive in the future.

Based on what evidence? The benefits to children would imo be far higher than the costs of a potential increase in virus circulation. The vulnerable teachers and members of society are vaccinated so there's no need to close down schools anymore.

trust me, teachers are finding it just as hard to balance working from home with homeschooling their own DC, it’s a bloody nightmare

It really is shit. That’s why I don’t want to have to do lockdown again. We should open up slowly.

I am desperate to get the kids back to school, I also work at a school (admin) but surely all teachers should be vaccinated first? It would make everyone feel so much safer..

I completely agree. I don't think we are in the right place for a full opening and after Easter makes more sense.

@siestalady

Disagree so strongly. It took my breath away yesterday when I read on another thread that children have had ONE term of proper education in a whole year. I mean obviously I knew that, but it really shocked me to see it written down.

In what world are we happy to have education as an optional "nice to have" service? Imagine if we shut down police stations or GP surgeries like we have schools? "Oh another 6 weeks won't hurt"

Absolutely breathtaking the way kids in this country have been treated the last year.

Agree with this.

And if they do stay closed for any longer, I need somebody to hold DD's school and teachers to account to actually provide the teaching and education she is entitled to. I've explored all formal complaint routes apart from Ofsted and am just being fobbed off with 'it's not for much longer'. It's an utter disgrace and I'm stuck off the excuses.