Annoyed that schools weren’t mentioned once in the press conference

[OnceuponaRainbow18]

So masks back in shops and on public transport, where most people are double jabbed and can distance, yet not in secondary schools where majority unvaccinated and unable to distance at all. But don’t fear we can open a window.

Why do schools need a special mention. Sorry don't see the significance. Surely schools can set their own rules.

On Thursday my sons secondary school (and I think local authority) stipulated masks from Monday on buses and all communal areas, classes are optional.

@Comedycook

Thankfully. I don't want my children's education to be affected anymore by restrictions

Mask wearing is hardly a restriction. Masks are coming back into my eldest’s school - but it’s a bit late. Kids aren’t bothered.

I have a dc at secondary and another at primary.

If we’re going to be as straightforward as possible about this, we need to acknowledge schools simply can’t be safe. Their design is based around large numbers of people packed into a small space.

I think the attempts made to make schools ‘safe’, such as bubbles and students staying in one classroom, were largely nonsensical and counterproductive to an extent. People are less likely to comply when they know rules make no sense.

So what do we do? I think it’s either we accept schools being open send cases flying upwards and close them - or accept this and don’t.

They are the choices. Anything else is pointless.

@Viviennemary

Why do schools need a special mention. Sorry don't see the significance. Surely schools can set their own rules.

No, because some parents would kick off. It’s easier if schools are supported by decent public health guidance.

@Viviennemary

Why do schools need a special mention. Sorry don't see the significance. Surely schools can set their own rules.

Not when the DFE tells us we are not allowed to have a mask mandate because it's not legal to exclude someone from accessing a service because they won't wear a mask. And have you tried forcing 17 year olds to wear masks when they can tell you that it's not the law and we can't enforce it?

As if people on here are complaining about their kids wearing masks! Your precious kids will survive wearing a mask, they might not survive being on a ventilator though

If its anything like the daft guidance for masks in shops. All you need to do is download a pass fron the internet saying you are exempt from mask wearing.

I agree OP. It’s so obvious cases are spreading so much because of school exposure, cases dip over half term and rocket back up again when we are all back. Classes of 30 have 4 or 5 kids missing, not because they’re just isolating but they’re testing positive, they actually have Covid. The knock on effect for their siblings, parents, grandparents is high exposure.
Schools are the number 1 place spreading covid right now, back into homes. Not mentioning schools is madness.

[quote OnceuponaRainbow18]@CleanHankie

We’ve been advised this for 5 weeks and only 1/50 kids doing it… and most SLT aren’t![/quote]

🤦‍♀️

Primaries round here are being really badly affected staff and half the children have covid in two classes at DD's school. Bubbles are back and most of the Christmas things have been cancelled 😞

Another school down the road had to close to 60 reception kids last week as a large number of them had covid and so did the staff.

@Viviennemary

If its anything like the daft guidance for masks in shops. All you need to do is download a pass fron the internet saying you are exempt from mask wearing.

That would be a dick move if you didn’t need that exemption. And most people aren’t dicks so I think it’s that the risk of that is low.

Some people need the certainty of central government being clear on the rules. That’s why it helps to have National guidance.

@Viviennemary

Why do schools need a special mention. Sorry don't see the significance. Surely schools can set their own rules.

Because not all schools are capable of installing mitigation's or using common sense.

@ShowOfHands

I'm quite surprised by this thread. My dd's secondary has never stopped wearing masks and all children wear them at all times except when eating or drinking.

Same as ours, their numbers recently don’t seem to be much different to other schools without tbh. They’ve all had a furry of cases that quickly petered out. People saying there is no mitigation what about vaccinations? Yes there must be low take up in some areas but certainly not everywhere. I’d much rather they start giving 2nd jabs than anything else given it’s the most effective measure.

Aye because mask wearing has really made a difference in Scottish schools - still rife in schools here.

People saying there is no mitigation what about vaccinations?

I work in a primary school. 🤷‍♀️

I have 3 kids in primary. Half of ds2's (Y3) class is off with covid. 1/4 of dd3's (Y1) class is off with covid. Other classed are affected too but I don't know the numbers. And I know that in ds2's classroom you can barely open the windows a few centimetres! Dd3's classroom you can ventilate a bit better but will they...? When track and trace phoned me after ds2's positive pcr and asked where I thought he might have picked it up from - school!!!

@Comedycook

Thankfully. I don't want my children's education to be affected anymore by restrictions

Their education is more likely to be affected if no measures are taken and then staff go down with it and can’t come in.

I’m in a small primary school. We are one adult away from closing classes. We haven’t got loads of children off - some but not loads. But we do have several staff members off with it. The supply we booked decided not to come in. TAs are taking classes, as is the head, but one more adult unable to attend and we can’t safely function.

We have returned to masks in communal areas, (adults, not children) and bubbles, to try and ensure that we do stay open and education isn’t further interrupted.

Why wouldn’t you do whatever you can - precisely because we don’t need any more interruptions.

I was just thinking the opposite when reading the news - so relieved schools have been left alone to get on with things this time. Some schools need restrictions some of the time - and it seems they generally have the freedom to introduce them. We shouldn't have to have restrictions just because they're a blanket rule.

I’m a teacher overseas and all our kids and staff wear masks in school, at all times. It’s been no problem at all. I don’t see why it’s such a big deal

Depends what you teach. My subjects are Dance and Musical Theatre. Me wearing a mask is a nightmare. The pupils also having to do it makes effective teaching and learning virtually impossible.

I agree. There could be some attempt at a message of ‘Protect our schools’ just as the public were trusted with the quite complex idea of ‘Protect the NHS’.

Schools themselves may be a vector for transmission, but there are lots of contingent factors where transmission could be minimised—masks and social distancing at pickup and drop off being the main one, but a general attitude of ‘maybe it would be sensible to reduce unnecessary interactions outside the school day’ could be encouraged.

@glitterelf

It's worrying that nothing was mentioned regarding schools and increasing mitigation's. The only mitigation's in my DD's school are placed on the parents and that's it. Also how are people meant to know what strain they have in order for the isolation to be done properly?

Apparently when they do the testing this strain shows up really easily as the result looks different (according to one of the scientists on the radio) so they'll be able to tell people with their results.

Thought you'd think that means everyone who is a close contact/un a household would have to isolate while waiting for the result?

The vaccines mostly protect you, not others. They're effective against serious illness and death but not transmission so why does it matter if the teenagers at the school you work at aren't? Why do we continue to pretend our safety hinges on whether those around us are vaccinated?

Because not all schools are capable of installing mitigation's or using common sense.

And because some LA's won't allow it.

The HT at DD's school has quite openly said she's expecting to lose her job at some point for going against the LA's stance (even thought she's managed to have the only school locally that hasn't had to close the entire school at any point because of the way she's set things up).

@JustLyra

Because not all schools are capable of installing mitigation's or using common sense.

And because some LA's won't allow it.

The HT at DD's school has quite openly said she's expecting to lose her job at some point for going against the LA's stance (even thought she's managed to have the only school locally that hasn't had to close the entire school at any point because of the way she's set things up).

And I bet she's had nothing but complaints from the parents / carers for going against the guidelines?

And I bet she's had nothing but complaints from the parents / carers for going against the guidelines? sad

Yep. I was saying earlier in the thread that the WhatsApp group has gone amusingly quiet this evening.

She's also had a shit load of complaints from parents for not returning to the full uniform policy yet (she told people in lockdowns not to buy new uniform - just to get black/navy/grey joggers/trousers and some plain polos, sweatshirts or hoodies that would be useful clothes to wear if homeschooling came back given lots of kids had pretty unused uniforms that had cost a fortune). Poor woman can't do right for doing wrong. I'm amazed she hasn't quit yet.

I was hoping he’d decide to offer second vaccinations to the 12-15 year olds. They don’t have to take them but mine would to protect our elderly relatives