Should schools close again?

[FuckinGoddess]

I’m at the end of my tether.

Worried about Omicron, of course, and the devastating effects it could have on lives.

Worried about children missing out on even more education. Worried about being forced to stay at home again. And worried about people dying.

What do you think will happen? What should happen ?

@Alltheblue

Waxonwaxoff0

My children went to a rigorous primary school and some of them were there this time last year. So I do know. As for knowing what's happening in every primary, do you? Thought not.

I never said I did. You're the one claiming that primaries do nothing in the last 2 weeks before Christmas. Just because yours didn't doesn't mean it's the same everywhere.

t's the UK. It's Winter. It'll be Baltic. Why do people keep saying this?!

In primaries, ventilation is our ONLY effective mitigation against Covid.

For our pupils - 30 -35 per smallish classroom - there is no testing, no masks, no social distancing and no vaccinations.

So however Baltic it is, we have to ventilate, and we do. We are not aware of all those children at higher risk or with relatives at higher risk, but we do know there is at least 1 per class, so we ventilate as our only effective option.

However, we can't afford to ventilate and get the rooms to a normal working temperature, so everyone is always cold. Nor can we ventilate those rooms that don't have windows, so in those we either accept the higher risk or we deprive children of some parts of the curriculum. Money could solve both of those issues quite easily, but we don't have any of that.....

15:14Waxonwaxoff0

I think you need to have a cup of tea and a sit down. It was part of a wider conversation where what was generally happening was being discussed. Go and have that cup of tea.

At this stage I sincerely hope not.

I think there is a much better case for school level lockdowns or mixed learning to limit the number in the building as we move forward.

How do you propose this mandatory vaccination is enforced?

@PurpleDaisies Well for a start, I like Singapore’s idea of the government not paying for hospital care for those who choose not to be vaccinated. Granted it’s a different system there, compared to the NHS but the concept of “you’re on your own” would be a good start.

Businesses should refuse access to the unvaccinated, benefits should be withheld, GP access should be voided. I don’t think there could be a hard line approach that is too severe to enforce vaccines.

It’ll never happen, but it’s still what I’d choose to happen. I think it’s appalling that medical staff are still watching people die horrible deaths, almost 2 years later simply becoase a lot of them are making ignorant decisions.

How do you propose this mandatory vaccination is enforced?

No access to public buildings and higher taxes.

@Derbee

How do you propose this mandatory vaccination is enforced?

@PurpleDaisies Well for a start, I like Singapore’s idea of the government not paying for hospital care for those who choose not to be vaccinated. Granted it’s a different system there, compared to the NHS but the concept of “you’re on your own” would be a good start.

Businesses should refuse access to the unvaccinated, benefits should be withheld, GP access should be voided. I don’t think there could be a hard line approach that is too severe to enforce vaccines.

It’ll never happen, but it’s still what I’d choose to happen. I think it’s appalling that medical staff are still watching people die horrible deaths, almost 2 years later simply becoase a lot of them are making ignorant decisions.

Thank goodness that wouldn't ever happen. What a horrible society that would be.

@Derbee

How do you propose this mandatory vaccination is enforced?

@PurpleDaisies Well for a start, I like Singapore’s idea of the government not paying for hospital care for those who choose not to be vaccinated. Granted it’s a different system there, compared to the NHS but the concept of “you’re on your own” would be a good start.

Businesses should refuse access to the unvaccinated, benefits should be withheld, GP access should be voided. I don’t think there could be a hard line approach that is too severe to enforce vaccines.

It’ll never happen, but it’s still what I’d choose to happen. I think it’s appalling that medical staff are still watching people die horrible deaths, almost 2 years later simply becoase a lot of them are making ignorant decisions.

Jesus Christ, attitudes like this scare me far more than Covid ever could.

Medical staff watching people die horrible deaths from ignorant decisions is nothing new either.

Businesses should refuse access to the unvaccinated, benefits should be withheld, GP access should be voided. I don’t think there could be a hard line approach that is too severe to enforce vaccines.

Very 1980s One Child Policy which left thousands of children neglected and left to die in orphanages, women subject to forced abortions and the creation of a sub-class of people unable to participate in society.

Schools are open but school my son goes to keeps year groups off most week for a couple of days at a time. It seems mostly due to staff absences and can't get appropriate cover teachers. Unless Omicron proves far more deadly than Delta then schools should stay open with face masks being worn and windows open. However my Year 11 says he learns more at home when I teach him (I am early retired teacher) than when he has a TA with no lesson plan trying to control the class and teach them with no assistance. Often he says they are just told to read through books and make notes. I really feel for the exam groups this year. They have missed large chunks of learning for 3 consecutive years. It must surely impact their futures.

The school I work in is limping along ..1/3 of the staff are off with covid

Xmas holidays is a natural fire break. Hopefully schools can all have a deep clean over the Xmas break.

@vikingonthefridge

You literally can not predict the cost of a highly contageous varient which impact childrens health more. Or a varient that overwhelms hospitals resulting in a child with any illness or injury not being able to get medical treatment.

Its all well and good stating schools.kust stay open no matter what but are you going to insist this should still be the case if a varient was making lots of children ver very ill or even if children werent getting ill themselves so many adults were needing medicla care that a child with a brojen leg couldnt get tretment or would you agree that in certain circumstances schools would have to close?

Early data suggests this varient may not cause the situations above but its very narrow minded to state that there is no risk of that situation ever arising as we just dont know.

puppeteer
It’s true it would help some things. But it wouldn’t help stop Om. Which is what we’re talking about.

As the actual scientists say that it would help, I will believe them.

@cantkeepawayforever

t's the UK. It's Winter. It'll be Baltic. Why do people keep saying this?!

In primaries, ventilation is our ONLY effective mitigation against Covid.

For our pupils - 30 -35 per smallish classroom - there is no testing, no masks, no social distancing and no vaccinations.

So however Baltic it is, we have to ventilate, and we do. We are not aware of all those children at higher risk or with relatives at higher risk, but we do know there is at least 1 per class, so we ventilate as our only effective option.

However, we can't afford to ventilate and get the rooms to a normal working temperature, so everyone is always cold. Nor can we ventilate those rooms that don't have windows, so in those we either accept the higher risk or we deprive children of some parts of the curriculum. Money could solve both of those issues quite easily, but we don't have any of that.....

It's not ok though when children are suffering from chilblains on their fingers because it's so cold as per a thread on here the other day. Windows would be better opened wide when kids are on breaks and lunch/pe and then closed when they come back in. There's evidence that cold temperatures suppress your immune system so all being sat in the freezing cold could just be making everyone more susceptible to catching it and helping it spread around.

I think it’s appalling that medical staff are still watching people die horrible deaths, almost 2 years later simply becoase a lot of them are making ignorant decisions.

You think that medical staff didn't see anyone die horrible deaths before Covid? What planet are you on? Perhaps someone working in medicine who didn't expect to see people die horrible deaths just maybe might have chosen the wrong career.

Horrible deaths can occur because of all sorts of life decisions. Guess what - death is inevitable, and there's a reasonable chance it won't be very nice.

It's not ok though when children are suffering from chilblains on their fingers because it's so cold as per a thread on here the other day. Windows would be better opened wide when kids are on breaks and lunch/pe and then closed when they come back in. There's evidence that cold temperatures suppress your immune system so all being sat in the freezing cold could just be making everyone more susceptible to catching it and helping it spread around.

This is a genuine question. Why are these classrooms so bloody cold? A couple of windows opened just a bit provides decent ventilation. Is the heating not on? What are these schools where the children are so cold actually doing.

There was a story yesterday about a little boy being put into an outbuilding with no heating because he had cold symptoms. He waited there quite some until his mum could get there to fetch him. By the time she did so, he was hypothermic. If accurate, this is so appalling.

@FuckinGoddess

I’m at the end of my tether.

Worried about Omicron, of course, and the devastating effects it could have on lives.

Worried about children missing out on even more education. Worried about being forced to stay at home again. And worried about people dying.

What do you think will happen? What should happen ?

Not read the thread, but replying to the title of the post only. Yes, i want schools to close for a bit now. Why? Because it would be nice to have an extended Xmas break and not worry about kids being ill for the 2 week Xmas holidays. Totally selfish reasons, I just want a long Xmas break with kids and family.

No.

@HesterShaw1

I think it’s appalling that medical staff are still watching people die horrible deaths, almost 2 years later simply becoase a lot of them are making ignorant decisions.

You think that medical staff didn't see anyone die horrible deaths before Covid? What planet are you on? Perhaps someone working in medicine who didn't expect to see people die horrible deaths just maybe might have chosen the wrong career.

Horrible deaths can occur because of all sorts of life decisions. Guess what - death is inevitable, and there's a reasonable chance it won't be very nice.

I suspect you’re being purposefully obtuse. In the midst of a pandemic, having the system you work in being overrun and pushed to breaking point because people won’t have a vaccine is different t than business as usual

[quote Covidworries]@vikingonthefridge

You literally can not predict the cost of a highly contageous varient which impact childrens health more. Or a varient that overwhelms hospitals resulting in a child with any illness or injury not being able to get medical treatment.

Its all well and good stating schools.kust stay open no matter what but are you going to insist this should still be the case if a varient was making lots of children ver very ill or even if children werent getting ill themselves so many adults were needing medicla care that a child with a brojen leg couldnt get tretment or would you agree that in certain circumstances schools would have to close?

Early data suggests this varient may not cause the situations above but its very narrow minded to state that there is no risk of that situation ever arising as we just dont know.[/quote]
It's a covid 19 variant. There is absolutely zero reason to imagine it's going to be anything other than mild for children, like the other variants, and as such it's frankly self-indulgent to argue that something so unlikely merits serious consideration. It also speaks volumes that even whilst engaging in said speculation, you're still failing to engage with the known harms of school closures. You're also operating on the assumption that closures would actually assist in covid suppression efforts, which is increasingly less likely the more they happen, for reasons I have already explained.

We know nationwide school closures have awful consequences. That needs to be the focus, not trying to get people to accept hypotheticals that may do little to assist and will cause serious harm.

No - the damage that has already been done to our children's mental health by closing schools is truly awful.

They are starting to close here I'm in Surrey. 14 teachers off and and 15 kids missing from one class. It's very worrying. I don't want the schools to close bevause my kids have sen needs and need to be in school, but on the other hand I don't want them getting ill.

No and neither should unis.Bring in vaccine passports and masks everywhere and if necessary shut everything else or we will wreck our kids' futures aswell as their mental health