Westministenders: Reployed back to No Deal Planning

[RedToothBrush]

Now Covid-19 is over (yeah I know right) lots of civil servants who were switched from brexit no deal planning to covid-19 planning have been switched back to their original remit.

For some reason this doesn't exactly fill me with confidence.

We've also seen yet another doubling down on the EU not being flexible and how they need to make a deal. And lots of rhetoric about being serious about no transiton planning.

Remember we have something of a deadline looming at the end of next month.

So before we are even out of this crisis, the government have lost interest. Today's press conference was an eye opener - Van Tam openly said that the time taken to get test results was too long and wasn't good enough yet and meant track and trace wasnt still operational despite it being such a crucial factor in being able to go into the next phase as planned on 1st June.

Another deadline we won't make - the Manchester Nightgale still has patients and the local authorities in the NW are going mental. So the government is playing more silly buggers over blame and villianising the evil workshy teachers. Noting the government guidance for teachers on how to teacher children at home says fuck all and the guidance on reopening schools makes a Theresa May dog ate my homework style document look positively well thought out, in terms of practicality. (Not even going to touch on the question of whether its safe - the whether its workable one is more important).

I guess that means things are getting back to normal at least.

A recession looms, but workers rights are now fair game and fully in the government cross hairs - as we see from a lack of PPE for the 'heroes' and the attacks on the teachers. As well as the carers who were sold down river. That'll be the ununionised carers...

Taking back control.

I'm getting increasingly annoyed by people posting on social media that the govt have "terrified us with the disease". No, I am not terrified of the disease, it poses little threat to me or my child. I will protect others as a good citizen. What HAS terrified me is the lack of action and accountability of our government to do even basic infectious disease control. THAT is what has terrified people and I think we all need to be making that point. It's a not so subtle attempt at labeling people "hysterical" rather than holding the government to account for needless deaths.

Poulet
I am aware of people who are scared that the virus will persist on every hard surface and will kill them if they touch anything
low information
they are at risk
but lockdown is a higher risk for them

and frankly those people have no concept of 'holding the government to account'

Yes, the UK govt wasted several weeks - probably they cba because busy with Brexit fantasies

They even had an extra couple of extra weeks to watch what was happening on the continent

I'm not a fan of making this about league tables,
but the UK has one of the worst performances in the Western world,
especially considering the rise in total deaths, not just those officially COVID

Mostly that's done to bad decisions by this govt, plus:
decades of centralisation, umpteen reorganisations, cuts to public health staff, running down the NHS .... and planning for only a bad flu pandemic, instead of a Coronavirus epidemic that has quite different characteristics

There's interesting reports of a school rebellion under way with a 150 different schools from.all sides of the political spectrum refusing to open on that date. So,the Government is backpedalling and saying it's "consultative".

It seems to be Johnson's true operating mode. Talk tough, see what they will accept and give in, if necessary. He did it to secure Brexit and he will do it now, to avoid a countrywide rebellion.

We are so utterly fucked over trade deals with, well...anyone. There's no strategy beyond headline popularism.

ABC
From what I've heard at work the big shire counties are holding out

• all Tory controlled
• all blue MPs
• thousands and thousands of schools

They want access to testing under their control or they keep the doors shut
as somebody who wants the schools open
I totally support them
as its evidence based decision making

and planning for only a bad flu pandemic,

Yes, but even enacting those plans would have been an improvement. We might then have seen hospitals better stocked, and staffing levels increased.

From what I've heard at work the big shire counties are holding out - all Tory controlled

This was of course, like May's plan to reintroduce grammar schools. Some Tory shires like Hampshire, with good comprehensives said No, and the idea was dropped.

Chickens coming home to roost, isn't it? They've lied so often that now no-one believes them when they assure us there is no risk (especially when it's such a complete u-turn in so short a space of time!).

So it’s been insinuated that scientists are responsible for bad decisions. Today it was clinicians.

Who else can blame be shifted to?

No wonder headteachers and local authorities are anxious about opening schools. If a child gets sick or the virus is spread, who’ll be blamed? They will - for not ‘taking enough precautions’ / making the school safer.

But that’s impossible. They can’t win.

Lovely to see you all - and I'm so glad you're still here.

I was locked out of my account through ineptitude.

My daughter's year 12. She's fucked, basically.

One sister works as a community nurse/care and it's terrifying.

It's all pretty grim.

And, behind the carnage, Brexit grinding on ...

The schools one is particularly interesting because yougov polled feeling about reopening prior to the announcement of 1st June. The government policy wasn't in line with public sentiment. Most people thought it was still too soon.

It was also obvious from the word go that a target 1st June was unrealistic. Why on earth they went ahead with that date is beyond me.

It was pretty obvious from the word go it would slip.

It is interesting to see how it's slipped though. I did think it would merely be Labour councils objecting, so that could play to party politics but the Conservative councils complaining is a great turn up for the books.

We aren't due to go back until the 8th anyway but we've yet to hear a thing from the school. So far the local council has said they will aim to start reopen then, but no firm commitment.

My gut feeling is because we have a week in hand, and there are fears that those who object will have financial strings pulled to force compliance, our authority is heading its bets and waiting to see what everyone else does.

But I am surprised we've still not had anything.

The limbo stuff is frustrating. I won't be sending DS back but I do want to know how they handle the situation.

I think many schools will not go back before 15th. We shall see.

My home schooling efforts are going OK. I'm not the best but DS has suddenly had a light bulb moment and is properly reading for the first time. That's been a joy to see.

Oh, that's lovely that you were there for the lightbulb moment, Red.

I'm finding the return to school thing pretty odd.

It's clear to me that 'return to school' does not mean 'return to normal education'. My worry is that 'return to school' is being bugged up as a 'thing' to hide just how abnormal it all is going to be.

It's going to be far more chaotic here than in other countries that have returned, partly because there has been so little funding for schools in the UK over the years. And there's not going to be a massive injection of funding now, or even system-wise, government-led planning.

Oh well.

I just can't get over what a mess all this is. And I just feel the UK went a bit bonkers a few years ago, and this is the result. ☹️

Hello @thecatfromjapan ! I only rejoined the threads at the start of lockdown, good to see you back.

I discovered today that only 1 child from our class has been in 3 days a week. Again, not teacher bashing, but you'd think they'd have time to do a pre-recorded lesson like every other bloody school locally is managing to do. All we get is 1.5 pages of mostly copied links for reading, maths and one English writing assignment each week - is it wrong to ask what they are doing in the week? I'm lucky I can afford private online dyslexia tuition as they've not offered anything like that, but I get that because SEN is across the whole school and the two people the school have must be stretched very thin atm.

And, oh look, another white elephant in testing terms www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/20/healthcare-staff-to-get-coronavirus-antibody-tests-from-next-week the long awaited antibody test. Roll up for your certificate!

The DC aren't going back to school to be educated because by the time teachers organise and keep control of all the social distancing hand washing etc there will be little time for education. The teachers and schools will be worrying about getting sued if something goes wrong or infected. It's a shit show as usual from this government. No school should go back unless it is as it was before. Dgds high school is definately not going back to at least September and no attempt to let yr 10 and 12 attend is being made. The average age of the teachers is 50 + and a week before all schools closed her school shut as a lot of teachers had underlying illnesses including cancer which meant they self isolated. But a lot of private high schools will open for yr 10 and 12 as they don't want their DC falling behind and they still have to pay fees. It's state kids as usual that are going to suffer the most.

Very few private schools are reopening for year 10 and 12 , or doing anything different for state schools : there has literally been no government advice on this!
Meanwhile, my school is planning on getting all 100 staff in to sit on their arses at school prepping and delivering lessons, with all its shared touch points, inadequate sink.soap and toilet facilities, poor ventilation etc just so we all look busy/ can be checked up on. This notion that schools are somehow militant hotbeds is laughable when you meet most leadership teams! Having a DH with a serious heart condition this rather upsets me so I'd rather not hear on this thread the what are they doing all day stuff, thanks - the vitriol aimed at teachers on MN recently has pushed me over the edge. Sorry to grump jesuis but I have not recorded any lessons either : I don't have anything other than a 10 year old school laptop with admin controls so tight I can't add any software but here I am at 6.46 setting and marking work! and Mumsnetting Presenteeism is a real and stifling thing in most schools. I think it must be dreadfully hard to set any meaningful work to primary school children, recorded or otherwise and the younger the child, the less and less likely it is they will have access to anything to watch lessons on : I am sure this partly drove the return to school of the youngest, no matter how much they dress it up with faux concern for the disadvantaged.
Some guidance coming today, so we hear (7pm I'll bet!)

On the subject of disadvantage, the government allocation and delivery of Chrome Books to disadvantaged students has been a shitshower. Surprise. My school has been told they can have 8 (this is nowhere near enough) and that they haven't been ordered yet...

It honestly adds nothing to anyone's 'education' to somehow magically get into your school (private schools in particular are reliant on buses and trains for this) for a 10 minute catch up with a form tutor.

I feel people are beginning to come round to realising what a mess the government is making of this. Put it this way, I wouldn't ask Gavin Williamson and co to organise the proverbial at the brewery.

It's like Brexit but with an added fun smattering of public health and children's' futures!

We’re due to hear the plans from school today. They sent a survey home last week to find out what proportion of children is likely to be sent in and have been working on how to implement it. They have already stressed, though, that it won’t be anything like ‘normal’ school.

We’re in the same area as RTB, so nothing’s going to happen until the 8th. I will be sending DD back if I can, for a host of reasons, but primarily because her mental health and behaviour are suffering and she needs to see some other children.

Rumblings of a rebellion over the NHS surcharge. This looks like a sop to Daily Mail front pages about health tourism. Quite why it applies to people who work and pay tax is bewildering.

Breaking news just now on radio 4 ....Astro Zenica has just been offered a Billion dollar contract to produce vaccine in America. First vaccines here not till September so we have just been sold to the USA😡

Piggy I've reported a few of the bashing threads. People on those really don't get it. My DH has similar issues to yours so I "get" it. I don't think all those people pictured on the front of todays papers, lying on a beach do though.
NDN is a teacher and said they'll just about manage on space/numbers, but the handwashing and supervision of loo visits will be a pinch point. He also said there will be no actual education as such, they've become v expensive baby sitters.

I’ve just bought and carried out an antibody test I bought from an online pharmacy I use to make sure I have back up medication for when the GP practice messes up (eg says I need a review before renewing my prescription but can’t offer an appointment for 3 weeks).
It struck me as I was lancing my finger (ouch) that Govt is probably relying on anyone who can afford it to go privately, which of course is going to disadvantage many who really need a test.

Disclaimer: I know that even if I have antibodies I may not be immune, may not be for long and so on, but it would give me some level of reassurance going back to work (protective of others) and seeing family (protective of me).

I'd be a terrible babysitter too!!

Hi Piggy - retired from Secondary and in FE - had to make a real fuss to get a College laptop and actually had to refuse to leave until they gave me a phone - happily we have a very decent learning platform and learners are engaging well with support via email and phone - but someone (a manager, but happily not mine) did say “but why aren’t you teaching over Teams?” Well, because said laptop has neither a camera nor a mic, dummy. Of course yours has for all those meetings from which come no sensible, realistic advice or planning...

It's clear to me that 'return to school' does not mean 'return to normal education'. My worry is that 'return to school' is being bugged up as a 'thing' to hide just how abnormal it all is going to be.

That it isn't it? And that's my biggest concern personally. In terms of social responsibility I think it's too soon because of the wider risk to the community and the lack of track and trace. So DS isn't going back. I do worry about him but he seems to be doing well both educationally and mentally all things considered. His behaviour has gone through the floor the last couple of weeks but that's more to do with him refusing to sleep with the summer nights kicking in and that's part of a normal pattern for him. He's always been hyper. He needs the opportunity to run around etc at school, but the set up will prevent exactly the thing he needs so I fail to see what benefit he's going to get.

Breaking news just now on radio 4 ....Astro Zenica has just been offered a Billion dollar contract to produce vaccine in America. First vaccines here not till September so we have just been sold to the USA

My understanding is that the UK will get first access to any vaccine that Astra Zenica produce. It won't be ready until September at the earliest for anyone. I have a couple of friends who work there and I believe are involved in the project. The firm made a lot of redundancies a few years back (which affected others I know) so I don't think it's an altogether bad deal provided it does hold true that the UK gets early access to the vaccine. The US has put in similar offers to French firm Sanofi. It strikes me that the US is desperate and lacking in this area (remember they no longer make penicillin anywhere in the US and they have outsourced far more drug production than the UK and EU which leaves them particularly vulnerable from a security point of view).

This might genuinely be a good thing rather than a bad one.

Investment in R and D is generally something I welcome. I hope in this case it is some good news. Could be wrong, but you would expect the US to be throwing money at a vaccine as they don't have the same technical expertise as the UK (and France / Germany) by all accounts.

Indeed. My last school workstation was a desktop pc, no camera, no mic, no ability to take it home. I used a pc at home and a USB stick, no laptop. I don't find laptops very convenient to use. So I wouldn't be able to do video lessons either.

Will we still get first access on vacine if they move production to USA though? Bet there's a caveat that they give priority to USA as part of conditions for deal.