January (schools)

[fizzypop100]

If we are faced with remote learning, will school be open for vulnerable children?

It basically depends on how much milder omicron is. Mild enough, we get rid of isolation. Bad enough, we choose schools. Inbetween, we let each school stand or fall individually. We know by now it spreads incredibly rapidly. By the time schools are set to return in January, we'll have the rest of the picture.

@rrhuth

Yes I can't see how it doesn't go ballistic in schools after Christmas. I wonder if there is a short term plan for January? Secondary kids need second jabs, and primary kids need their first.

I think this is another reason they are speeding up the booster program. To create capacity for kids.

It basically depends on how much milder omicron is. Mild enough, we get rid of isolation.

Exactly. We need to see how mild Omicron is! Perhaps it's so harmless that people can just carry on normally?!

It basically depends on how much milder omicron is. Mild enough, we get rid of isolation.

Exactly. We need to see how mild Omicron is! Perhaps it's so harmless that people can just carry on normally?!

Hmmm it’s not what you want to hear, certainly not something I believed would happen again, but all mutterings in CS indicate school closures in January.

I’m not frontline, so will have two young children home again. Panicking about how we will cope. In a govt Covid related response job, lot of responsibility. Was on edge of breakdown last time.

@FutureHope

It would be lunacy if they close.

I hope to God the education minister stands up to the unions this time. Mental health effects of the closures were so damaging last time, not to mention the educational hit.

What do you mean “stand up to the unions”?

You do realise it was the government who advised schools to close don’t you?

The unions were saying they wanted safe working conditions for teachers as COVID would spread rapidly in schools - government said children wouldn’t get or spread COVID and that schools were safe. Turns out unions were correct and government were covering up the figures for children (by lumping all under 25s together) which they then released when they wanted 12-15 year olds to get vaccinated.

I think that the only way schools would close is if:
the virus spread is so extreme that lockdown is the only way to regain control
the school do not have enough staff to open to all

I would hope that the first could not happen if the govment has got their act together early enough (I am not sure this is the case especially if they are too gutless to stop xmas socialising).

The second is likely. If cases go up much more, schools will end up closing year groups alternately so that at least the kids get some days in school.

We have a full class closed and a third of our staff off with covid.
This is a small primary school so that amount of staff hits hard.
The supply we booked last week didn’t even turn up. They have the pick of jobs and there just aren’t enough to plug the gaps.
This isn’t quality education that’s happening in struggling schools , whilst under the guise of being ‘open’.

@cansu yes the virus spread is expected to be extreme. The tone changed over the weekend in briefings. Peak expected late January. I know it’s milder but it’s the sheer numbers.

@MarshaBradyo

Blended working won’t work.

The numbers of KW are too high.

I know. It's hard.

Strong rumblings in my part of South Wales there there will be some sort of firebreak tagged onto the 2 weeks of holidays.

Time will tell I suppose but I really worried for dc1 who is in year 11. Between teachers being off sick, and then when they are in trying to sort out all the kids who have been off at different times, their learning has been severely impacted. This year’s teaching has been so disrupted and disjointed and they have not had a normal year in school since before they chose their GCSE options. They really are at a significant disadvantage compared to others.

The government clearly doesn't WANT to close schools. The economy needs protecting, and if parents can't work, it will do more damage.
However, they didn't WANT to madame masks again, I'm sure. Or WFH.
So it may come to it. Lets hope not. Schools should be the last place to close if it comes to it.

@Blubells

It basically depends on how much milder omicron is. Mild enough, we get rid of isolation.

Exactly. We need to see how mild Omicron is! Perhaps it's so harmless that people can just carry on normally?!

Sadly I really don't think it is going to be like that. I saw hospitalisations are up 30% on last week in London.

School local to me has closed today - 14 staff positive over the weekend.

So, 'schools won't close' isn't really a thing in reality.

School local to me has closed today - 14 staff positive over the weekend.

So, 'schools won't close' isn't really a thing in reality.

@JanglyBeads

OP it sounds like you don’t need to worry. Schools would always have to open for key worker and vulnerable children anyway.

They doesn’t always happen in practice though. My son’s special school said they knew that in theory all the children qualified to go in but they strongly urged everyone to keep their children at home unless their parents were key workers (and they made people fill in a survey more than once to reduce the number as too many people were key workers, so specified that both parents must be key workers) or their child was properly vulnerable, as in wouldn’t get lunch or proper care at home I think.

They won’t close omicron is mild so it will just run its course

@LidlMiddleLover

They won’t close omicron is mild so it will just run its course

Where do you get that information from?

@LidlMiddleLover

They won’t close omicron is mild so it will just run its course

Apart from the post I made 2 above yours of course.

@LidlMiddleLover

They won’t close omicron is mild so it will just run its course

Stop with this made-up-ness.

@LidlMiddleLover

They won’t close omicron is mild so it will just run its course

Except schools are closing now

Do people know if it’s delta or omicron atm

@Staffy1 same with my son's special school
I was so annoyed with hearing vulnerable children with EHCP,s could attend school during the last two national lockdowns
They seemed to forget about special schools where every child has an EHCP

We would need to be in a full lockdown for schools to close. I’m not saying that definitely won’t happen (although I really, really hope it doesn’t) but an awful lot of other stuff needs to get closed down before schools are shut.

So am I expected to just not work if schools close again as there is no furlough anymore? Not a key worker therefore wont be entitled to a place, and can't work from home.

I'll be bankrupt within a month.