Schools - why are they doing this?

[Scrooge89]

Why are the media preparing us for school closures? They simply can’t do this to us…

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-59673271

Not to my children. My youngest struggled so much at home and was one of the 25% who couldn’t go to school (although I saw how much some people fudged the key worker card I may have to do it).

Because the reality of it is that lots of schools are on their knees and are running out of staff

https://news.sky.com/video/covid-19-an-emergency-situation-for-the-nhs-says-dr-david-nabarro-of-the-who-12496638

I think we are beginning to get the idea that the situation is extremely serious.

Of course they can do it if they have to do it. I teach. We want schools to stay open to all but if it isn’t safe then it isn’t safe.
Do you have any idea how scary it is to be in a work place where covid is taking out large numbers of staff and pupils alike yet you you still have to chance your arm and go in?

Unfortunately, the fact that homeschooling was awful for many families (including mine) doesn’t change the fact that many schools are already having staffing problems which are likely to be much worse in January.

Are you asking why they are making sure they are prepared? Seems sensible to me.
Surely it's better than being unprepared for potential announcements?

Half of our school classes are already at home because of staff shortages - too many staff off with covid to be able to operate normally.

My child’s school are doing testing and a staggered return. I hope they don’t close.

If there's no one left to staff schools, then they will close. That's the reality of the situation.

They don’t want to close but what else can they do if they don’t have enough staff to open?

@Noworneverever

Are you asking why they are making sure they are prepared? Seems sensible to me. Surely it's better than being unprepared for potential announcements?

Exactly. Would you rather they stick their heads in the sand and pretend it's all going to be fine?

They're preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.

Touchwood neither of my DCs schools have had to close. There was covid in elder DCs class beginning of school term in Sept identified by parents doing LFTs and two kids were off. Other than that it’s been fine! I do know both schools have restricted ‘outsiders’ coming on site eg no nativity/carols service etc

Perhaps if the government had funded covid mitigations such as ventilation then covid wouldn’t whip through a school at such an alarming rate? No point in sending schools a bunch of carbon dioxide monitors if there is nothing you can do when it flashes red.

What's the alternative. Schools are already on their knees due to how many staff are off with covid and where I live there are many schools who have already closed partially or fully as they cannot get any supply cover.

Who do you propose teaches your child if all the staff are off and there is no cover, the caretaker??

Surely it's much more sensible to prepare in advance for closures than spring it on parents last minute when it's already clear there is still likely to be huge staffing shortages when term starts back in January.

If there are no staff to teach, what do you expect them to do?

To be fair it’s only ‘taking out’ large numbers of pupils and staff because of the isolation rules not because they’re all actually ill.

If it wasn’t covid and just a normal cold/flu whatever most people who are isolating would have been perfectly fine to come in.

And yes I have worked in a work place where lots of people were dropping with covid and I still had to come in.

There is no supply cover as they’re all being used or have covid.
Parents send children in when their whole family has covid. Child then infects the class plus teacher (this is me now) so no staff.
We thought at one point last week we were going to have to ask dinner staff to cover classes and put a film on.
We need to be prepared for remote learning. Better prepared than not.

Unfortunately schools/colleges have not had any support aside from very basic measures in this pandemic.
Staff have had little support and the only thing I've seen come through are co2 monitors which get ignored because being cold trumps breathing in covid air apparently.
Trickle down advice and guidance doesn't work.

Jenny harries has said this is the most critical point and yet most teaching staff are still surrounded by maskless millions in cramped spaces, other teachers in stuffy cramped staff rooms and yet when we go into a shop now etc we have to wear a mask?
Every one is screaming, don't mix but staff have too.
Students are not complying with masks or windows, there is no support.

Feel so sorry for the kids and all school staff

My dd school has warned us, rota, in and out (best if both worlds) blended learning and priorty to exam years.

Do you not see the problem if covid overwhelms the nhs?
I read people saying it doesn't matter as kids don't get sick from it, I'm healthy etc.
It's not getting covid you need to be scared about. It's having no ambulance when you are in a car crash, no doctor to check your child, no midwife to deliver the baby, no anesthetist, no surgeon, no beds. No cancer care, no cancer referrals, no chance to be given stroke medicine in the golden hour. That's nothing to say of the no police, supermarket workers, bank staff etc that could all be off work at once.
Lockdown isn't to stop people getting it, it's to stop everyone getting it at the same time.

Measures are so non existent that this is going to rip through. A school or class can’t open if there’s no teaching staff. Schools have worked so hard to stay open on a bare minimum of staff.

No one wants things to close including schools but if your child isn’t looked after safely in school due to staffing then that’s an issue.

@Whichjab

Do you not see the problem if covid overwhelms the nhs? I read people saying it doesn't matter as kids don't get sick from it, I'm healthy etc. It's not getting covid you need to be scared about. It's having no ambulance when you are in a car crash, no doctor to check your child, no midwife to deliver the baby, no anesthetist, no surgeon, no beds. No cancer care, no cancer referrals, no chance to be given stroke medicine in the golden hour. That's nothing to say of the no police, supermarket workers, bank staff etc that could all be off work at once. Lockdown isn't to stop people getting it, it's to stop everyone getting it at the same time.

Exactly!

I don't think people realise that if this becomes as serious as they think, everyone is going to struggle to receive basic medical assistance and treatment if needed.

Schools open = more covid transmission and therefore a worsening of the situation.

Big buttons, I'm wondering about the this, the mental stress and emotional toll is going to come out soon.
It's because in large measure of of trickle down commands and dictate without actual mandatory measures put in place "we suggest lateral flows are done" but without asking for proof who knows.
The symptoms list is years out of date now!
Nothing matches we suggest students wear masks, we suggest this and we suggest that.
Nothing can be done for students who don't comply. Many staff also won't hear the word covid mentioned, they think it's stuff and nonsense.
It's a chaotic bun fight and yet others are having to wear masks and sd?

It is really going to come down to numbers. If too many staff are out classes can't be covered.

I'm definitely hearing of more dc being ill