Considering whether schools might close in Janl?

[PigeonLittle]

Trying to create a title so as not to panic anyone!

What are your guesses, will schools close again?

For a long time I've felt that they wouldn't again under any circumstances. Now I'm not so sure. The spread is being driven by schools though and with the huge number of children with long covid, it's a concerning thought that schools could stay open as they are.

I've felt at times that schools should close but really I think it has to be a last resort, but only if they can finally put proper measures into schools. If they can't do that then yes schools need to close. Really there needs to be proper ventilation, children not attending school if their family is positive and masks. They also need to vacinate all children as an option. Then maybe schools could stay open. A bit of education for the teachers too as to how covid works (and that a bit of extra hand washing is not enough) would be great.

There have been numerous threads on here this week and last about parents taking children out early to ‘save Christmas’. Yes there will be edge cases but generally I totally disagree and think childrens education is more important, but apparently school is optional if you want a day trip and lovely holiday/Xmas break which are all more educational and they don’t do much anyway. Apparently it’s easy as the parents are ‘just working from home’.

If schools close in Jan I wonder how many of those parents will be kicking off when they no longer want to home school, plus the fact they’re happy to have mingled with a ton of family over Xmas and send children back in to spread it around.

How would educating teachers help? They know how covid works! But are stuck with 30 kids in a small room etc....

I reckon some might as they seem to be taking the decision into their own hands rather than waiting for the government announcement. Ds's achool have been threatening to close for weeks. If it does happen I'll be using my key worker status this time round as I didn't last time abd dh had to do the homeschooling whilst trying to run a business at the same time. I'm NHS.

@NameChange2PostThis

No no no no no Schools won’t close Just no. Stop trying to panic everyone *@PigeonLittle*

Sadly, this seems to have been the government policy on schools. It hasn’t worked very well historically for them.

The only person saying teachers want schools to close, appears to be @Dghgcotcitc.

We will have some warning that schools are going to close.
Along with Boris saying that schools will stay open the government will start taking schools who close for lack of staff, or to keep their staff and pupils safe to court again.

That was awful last december wasnt it. Pre vaccines too.

The spread is being driven by schools though and with the huge number of children with long covid

Do you have evidence that

1. the omicron spread is driven by schools?
2. there are 'huge' numbers of children with long covid?

@jgw1

We will have some warning that schools are going to close. Along with Boris saying that schools will stay open the government will start taking schools who close for lack of staff, or to keep their staff and pupils safe to court again.

They can't take a school that closes for lack of staff to court as staying open without sufficient staff would be illegal.

I think it is really cute when people post "along with Johnson saying x" - you still belive what Johnson says? You're a sweetie letting him dupe you over and over again!

Last year he told everyone to go back to school. And shut them the next day. But believe him this year if you wish.

Those posts aren’t serious

@Blubells

The spread is being driven by schools though and with the huge number of children with long covid

Do you have evidence that

1. the omicron spread is driven by schools?
2. there are 'huge' numbers of children with long covid?

a) the charts showing rising infection in school age children

Of course covid spreads in schools.

I mean why are we even talking about this? No one can believe 'covid spreads through human contact, except in designated educational settings'

Should have been 1) not a)

A bit of education for the teachers too as to how covid works (and that a bit of extra hand washing is not enough) would be great.

Nonsense. Teachers know perfectly well how Covid works and that hand washing is not enough. However they’re put in a position where there are few or no other mitigations, so hand washing it has to be. They’re lucky if they have soap or hand gel though. Budgets don’t stretch to additional supplies.

I hope any allowances made for this years exam year groups currently 11 and 13, will be continued for next years exam groups currently 12 and 10. if so. Any talk of downgrading and 'back to normal' results' if remote learning is involved again should go out the window.

A bit of education for the teachers too as to how covid works (and that a bit of extra hand washing is not enough) would be great

What education is it you think we need?!

Just look at poor Arthur to know that schools shouldn’t close in the way they did previously. Didn’t his father say he was happy playing in the garden and decorating his bedroom?
Anyone promoting school closure as a societal measure should be ashamed of themselves.
Schools like many workplace settings, including hospitals, may not be able to operate while staff are off sick but this will be class based presumably, and very temporary.
Watch that harrowing footage of Arthur crying ‘nobody loves me’ to know that school is some children’s safe place. Because of lockdown, the school accepted the narrative given by telephone from his murderous father. None of this should have happened

@canary1
Citing that case isn't really helpful, because no government is going to allow the NHS to be overwhelmed resulting in other terrible traumas and deaths in order to prevent a future unknown appalling crime like that.

This variant is a major worry, we are facing some very worrying times - I know on an individual level we mostly better protected bythe speed of Omicron means we are facing a very difficult couple of months.

I agree canary. Lockdown 1 did contribute to Arthur’s death as if he had been at school his injuries and his loss of weight would have been noticed.

Should be 'but the speed' not 'by the speed'

A bit of education for the teachers too as to how covid works (and that a bit of extra hand washing is not enough) would be great.

What ‘education’ would you like them to have?

Or do you mean education for those at the dfe who write the schools guidance which basically says wear a mask in a corridor, open a window (unless it’s cold) and wash your hands?

@Pensieve

There have been numerous threads on here this week and last about parents taking children out early to ‘save Christmas’. Yes there will be edge cases but generally I totally disagree and think childrens education is more important, but apparently school is optional if you want a day trip and lovely holiday/Xmas break which are all more educational and they don’t do much anyway. Apparently it’s easy as the parents are ‘just working from home’.

If schools close in Jan I wonder how many of those parents will be kicking off when they no longer want to home school, plus the fact they’re happy to have mingled with a ton of family over Xmas and send children back in to spread it around.

I agree and won't be taking DS out under any circumstances. He's in school until the 23rd.

rrhuth
Schools are critical infrastructure in our society so of course they shouldn’t shut in the manner that they did. Don’t suggest this was an unknown appealing crime, when the mass lockdown of schools had a huge contributory factor of creating the set of circumstances that allowed his murderers to do this.

As I’ve said before, schools may have to make temporary closures while staff shortages occurs due to sickness, just like your local hospitals, GP practices, businesses, supermarkets etc may need to curtail their services due to staff sickness. The point is it is very temporary and you get back up and running.

Citing the case of Arthur is very helpful, that is why I am doing it. So those promoting mass school lockdowns gain some awareness into the damage they caused primarily to young people.Those promoting school closure as a societal measure ( rather than a staff shortage due to temporary sickness) are trying to divert damage from one group in society ( those vulnerable to Covid) towards another group( the young, the school children)

Very helpful if you can remember Arthur’s case.

• unknown appalling

We don’t break up until next Wednesday and I feel that’s too late. I would like the school to finish this Friday or parents to be given the option of keeping their child at home next week. Obviously, I could just do it but would prefer to “have permission”.

Dh is vulnerable. We are all (2 young adult dc) working from home and won’t be socialising over Christmas so, if Covid comes into the house, it will be via the school. However I completely understand the many reasons why school closure would be inconvenient or even disastrous for some families.

@canary1

rrhuth Schools are critical infrastructure in our society so of course they shouldn’t shut in the manner that they did. Don’t suggest this was an unknown appealing crime, when the mass lockdown of schools had a huge contributory factor of creating the set of circumstances that allowed his murderers to do this.

As I’ve said before, schools may have to make temporary closures while staff shortages occurs due to sickness, just like your local hospitals, GP practices, businesses, supermarkets etc may need to curtail their services due to staff sickness. The point is it is very temporary and you get back up and running.

Citing the case of Arthur is very helpful, that is why I am doing it. So those promoting mass school lockdowns gain some awareness into the damage they caused primarily to young people.Those promoting school closure as a societal measure ( rather than a staff shortage due to temporary sickness) are trying to divert damage from one group in society ( those vulnerable to Covid) towards another group( the young, the school children)

Very helpful if you can remember Arthur’s case.

Well said