Anti-lockdowners pretending to care about kids again

[noblegiraffe]

So it's all over the news about how nearly 400,000 kids are having to isolate because of covid cases in schools. Complaints about how disruptive to education it is and to the mental health of the children involved. This disruptive isolation must end as soon as possible.

Contrast to last November when nearly a million kids were self-isolating in a week. Do you remember the headlines, discussions and outrage about that?

No, of course you don't. Because back then, the solution to so many kids isolating was to put more mitigation measures in schools and attempt to stop so many kids catching it.

Now they can argue that it doesn't matter if all kids catch it, they're all over the 'terrible' isolation figures which are less than half of those last year.

I'm SO done with people only caring about kids and education when they think that they can use them for their own benefit.

If these loud voices could be used to talk about things like the cuts to pupil premium, the pitiful covid catch-up funding, the critical shortage of teachers, the unsafe state of schools, the massive waiting lists for CAMHS and SEN services, then maybe I'd believe them when they claim to care about children.

I've clearly misunderstood what you're trying to achieve.
You can add me to the list of mumsnetters who will not be reading any other threads you start. Pointless ranting is not my bag.
Not that you care I'm sure. Good luck in whatever it is you're trying to do.

I look forward to reading your threads where you change the world, Ruby.

@noblegiraffe

I look forward to reading your threads where you change the world, Ruby.

A beautiful example of resorting to sarcasm and getting drawn into the personal. This is why your threads so often end up about the poster rather than the arguments you present.

To be fair, @Delatron, we don’t really know if mitigations had no effect as we only had mask wearing for about three weeks. And hand gel.

If we planned ahead now, we could sort this out so the autumn term isn’t so bad. I am HOPING the vaccines continue to work but things need putting in place now in case they don’t. It really isn’t just ‘about the kids’ and a need for normality (plays, proms, sports days, induction days). For schools to run, you need adults. The adults continue to need protection so they can supervise your children. Even mild Covid can knock you out for a couple of weeks. If we don’t plan now, you could well be supervising children working online at home again - which you claim you don’t want.

A beautiful example of where people are allowed to criticise me but I am expected not to respond.

[quote Delatron]@christinarossetti19 define ‘safer schools’ I don’t feel school has ever been ‘unsafe’ for my children.

They’ll be closed less when thankfully we do away with all mitigations very soon. Can’t wait.[/quote]
Schools in which the rapid spread of the virus isn't just ignored, where there are mitigation measures in line with other workplaces, and ones that don't have to close for months because of the soaring transmission rates.

For starters.

Oh yes, doing away with all mitigation measures has an excellent track record of enabling schools to stay open.

Bustopher yes I agree.

Currently, the picture for the autumn term isn't very reassuring.

@christinarossetti19 that’s my point. If they end isolations (which they will soon). Lack of mitigations and even Covid cases won’t shut schools anymore. This is what we are heading towards. Obviously many aren’t happy with this. But it will happen.

Your definition of safe versus mine is very different.

I’m sorry but it won’t happen. If the government are ending all restrictions. If all adults are vaccinated. Then they are working towards getting back to normal.

There will be no mitigations. No sending classes home and no online learning. I know that’s hard to hear and many are scared but that is what the government are working towards.

You can’t have no restrictions on the rest of society but just enforce them on children m. It won’t happen.

@noblegiraffe

Oh, and criticising U4T definitely attracts abuse.

What, that bunch of heartless simpering idiots? The Friends of Covid.

Given the way the Tories seem to conduct their business, having read the news over the past 2 weeks, I would be very interested to read an account of how they get so much influence with BJ & co despite being such a small group and so inarticulate in encounters with the media.

I suspect it will one day make a great trashy novel

There will be no mitigations.

There is already going to be testing, which is a mitigation. What do you think should happen to those who test positive? No online learning for them?

"End isolations" is a trite soundbite. "End isolations" needs to be accompanied by a plan.

Is "end isolations" going to be accompanied by "vaccinate the over 12s"?
Current suggestions are that it will be replaced by daily testing. Why? How? What about primary schools?
Are they suggesting that they are planning to try to stop the spread in schools while ending isolations?
If they are not going to try to stop the spread, what to do about CEV students?
Are there risks involved in having covid spread through a large subset of the unvaccinated population and if yes, what are the payoffs?
What are the risks to the vaccinated population?

"End isolations" raises lots of questions that haven't yet been answered.

[quote Chillychangchoo]@Whatever9999

Thanks for replying. It’s confirmed that my kids school really is over the top. I hope the head gains a sense of perspective in September and works with any guidance within reason and with common sense. If not I’ll move them to a less restrictive school and do my research beforehand.[/quote]
Tbh I read some of the stuff on here about schools and I'm incredibly grateful to the teachers and head at the school.my children go to. They seem far more grounded and less terrified than some that I've read and have done everything they can to make things as normal as possible for the children, within the guidelines and additional instructions given by the LEA.
Both my children were in during the last lockdown, one because he is SEN and the other because he was struggling with emotions with his brother being at school.while he wasn't (they were just waiting for.me to.ask for help to give him a place). They were actually taught at school, joining those at home for teams.

The head was very reluctant to bring in masks in the playground, but her hand was forced by the LEA. Similarly they were forced to stop parents at sports day, etc. But have found a way around leavers assembly by holding it in a church where the rules for religious services hold.
Year 6 are also getting a trip to a theme park.
From what I can tell they can't wait for things to go back to normal and until they do they're trying to make school as normal as possible.

@Delatron

I’m sorry but it won’t happen. If the government are ending all restrictions. If all adults are vaccinated. Then they are working towards getting back to normal.

There will be no mitigations. No sending classes home and no online learning. I know that’s hard to hear and many are scared but that is what the government are working towards.

You can’t have no restrictions on the rest of society but just enforce them on children m. It won’t happen.

I'm sorry but schools will be awash with covid in the autumn and It Will Be Shit.

but then we have been here before, haven't we

On the plus side we have vaccines ( a wonderful plus)

On the other hand we have
the delta variant and whatever other variants come along,
likely a bad flu season
almost no mitigations apparently planned
an exhausted NHS with a lot of senior staff resigning & taking retirement

I know that's hard to hear and many are scared but that's what we are facing

You can't pretend this is a problem, it will keep peeking through the whitewash.

Just Like Last Year really, when everyone wanted to believe all the nasty problems had gone away forever and no one wanted to listen to the senior doctors, who are still politely urging caution.

Just Like Last Year.

You can't pretend this is NOT a problem

@herecomesthsun

It’s not “just” like last year though is it?

Apparently it’s exactly like last year. Only on Mumsnet do you hear this.

@Delatron

I’m sorry but it won’t happen. If the government are ending all restrictions. If all adults are vaccinated. Then they are working towards getting back to normal.

There will be no mitigations. No sending classes home and no online learning. I know that’s hard to hear and many are scared but that is what the government are working towards.

You can’t have no restrictions on the rest of society but just enforce them on children m. It won’t happen.

So if the vaccines start to become less effective and you don’t give teachers boosters at the same time as the NHS workers and then teachers are off sick (maybe not dying but sick for two weeks…three weeks…four weeks), who will be supervising the classes? You are right in one point - there might not even be online learning if teachers are too ill to upload lessons and teach online. Is Oak Academy still running?

It isn’t hard for me too hear at all, by the way. I’m really enjoying being doubly vaccinated and relatively back to normal. I’m sorry the children are being sent home. I’m sorry my colleagues are missing things as they are forced to isolate, But things will change if antibodies fail. As someone else wrote, there is a strong possibility this isn’t ‘The End’ and the sensible thing to do is to plan that it isn’t whilst hoping it is. All the wishing in the world won’t make this virus disappear.

@noblegiraffe

A beautiful example of where people are allowed to criticise me but I am expected not to respond.

You wouldn't respond in the classroom. Focus on the primary behaviour, or in this case, coherently making your points and not endlessly bemoaning that people have poor comprehension skills, lumping people together and dismissing equally valid counter arguments.

If you're starting a thread about specific organisations, be clear about it from the title and post rather than phrasing in a generally antigonistic way that many posters feel that you are targeting their points of view.

Ulimately we're all posting on here through choice. You seem to be wondering why it gets personal. That's my opinion on why the threads you start go that way. 🤷‍♀️

[quote Chillychangchoo]@herecomesthsun

It’s not “just” like last year though is it?[/quote]
I covered that.

It is like last year in that everyone wants (in many ways understandably) to pretend that there isn't a problem and not address the issues in advance.

Last year everyone was saying oh it's a seasonal illness, it's all over (it sure wasn't)

This year, on we're vaccinated, it's all over, let's end mitigations in schools (but not vaccinate kids).

There are going to be problems with that, there are going to be a lot of children getting ill,1000s of children with symptoms lasting months and infections going back to families, in tandem with flu.

Teachers as an occupational group won't be in need of boosters at the same time unlike NHS who recieved their vacinations much earlier into the spring. Older/ CEV teachers will be due boosters in line with the population, but younger and lower risk staff will be more recently vaccinated anyway and not in need in the autumn.

Not that anything beyond that point is clear.

@Delatron

Apparently it’s exactly like last year. Only on Mumsnet do you hear this.

Well, in the particular way I explained.

The BMA are expressing concern at the end of restrictions and Chris Whitty is worried about the winter. You hear concern and tales of planning for a difficult winter from the medical establishment. Not just on here (there are of course doctors on here)

Ah Bogof so you're agreeing that you're holding me to much higher standards than everyone else.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not wondering why it gets personal. I know why, anyone posting about this stuff gets attacked.