Petition link to close schools

Singapore has localised school closures. It also has had one of the most amazing responses to this. Lots of quarantining, extensive travel restrictions. Very hi-tech tracing of contacts. High levels of community trust and compliance with government edicts.

I'd love it if our government had taken a similar route to SIngapore, but I think that horse has probably already left the stable. We can't just cherry pick, "Oh look, no state-wide school closures" and correlate from that.

@Langbannedforsafeguardingkids excellent post! So many people just burying their heads in the sand.

As someone who pays a fortune school fees I'd be furious if my DS's school was closed down without a very good reason.

We're not at that stage yet.

@nellodee so true. The amount of germs in schools is unreal and kids may not be as badly affected but they go home and infect parents. Teachers have families. Giant germ playground.

Teachers and children are superspreaders.

I work in a school. Kids are gross. They pick their nose and wipe it on each other, don’t wash hands, leave bits of snotty tissue around, bite their nails, chew shared pencils, pens, rulers, cough/sneeze without covering their mouths and generally spread germs as much as they can.

They then carry the germs into the community to infect other people. They might not catch it but they will spread it.

Staff have contact with this all day. You can’t avoid it, no matter how hard you try. Kids are just not hygienic at all. And in a secondary school, they change lessons every hour. And then sit on a seat where someone has shoved their chewing gum, or at a desk that the previous occupant and sneezed all over. And so the circle continues.

As someone who pays a fortune school fees I'd be furious if my DS's school was closed down without a very good reason.

The very good reason will be because the governments tells them too. As someone else who's paid a fortunate for school fees I'd hope school would follow,the advise given in order to delay the press and reduce fatalities across the community. And no, people shouldn't be then trying to claim fees back, etc. Just like those with children at state schools wouldn't be trying to get a rebate on their taxes etc if schools and local services were closed or curtailed.

Singapore has localised school closures. It also has had one of the most amazing responses to this. Lots of quarantining, extensive travel restrictions. Very hi-tech tracing of contacts. High levels of community trust and compliance with government edicts.

These latter things are what the government should focus on. However, I think we lack the technology and western populations are far less likely to be compliant regarding the measures for containment.

And do people really think that if schools close it will affect exam students? Do they not think there will be something put in place? They will just be regarded as absent and normal absence procedures will be taken.

Aragog Yes, i agree - if told to by the government!

But i'm not signing a petition to ask for schools to be closed, I'm trusting that the experts will advise if and when it's appropriate.

(And I wouldn't expect to get the fees back either!)

Stupidest Corona thread ever. Even my teenage dc don’t think there’s a need for school closures at this point!

The social distance model school closure classes as moderate

And what do teen dc know about how viruses spread?

The very good reason will be because the governments tells them too

Yes but the point of this thread is that they HAVENT advised this yet. It’s a group of parents who know nothing about medicine/ virology

I've just googled that screenshot, Janemarpling. I hope you don't mind me adding the link to the original story as I thought it was really interesting.

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-how-peak-cases-could-be-cut-by-social-distancing-11950397

So presumably those advocating school closures believe that every child in the country should be self-isolating?

Because if schools close then children will just get together elsewhere, in the parks, shops, cafe’s etc.

Expert on five live yesterday saying that school closures are counter productive because those children will still congregate meaning nothing will be achieved by it. And that school closures are very much at the bottom of the list in terms of measures to take.

personally I think all these hysterical discussions need closing.

Nell not at all. Best to read what it is action showing.

Actually!

So presumably those advocating school closures believe that every child in the country should be self-isolating?

Self isolation is different to schools closing. Look at the school closures in other places,such as Italy. It doesn't always mean isolation as well. It's partially to do with reducing the mass gathering of people, not small groups. So not having 100s of children in one location, whereas groups of 5, 10 or,whatever at the park in the fresh air is somewhat different. There are different reasons for school closures and how and why it can work in helping to contain the virus.

Ah yes, because that’s working well in Italy isn’t it? Not.

Ah yes, because that’s working well in Italy isn’t it? Not.

They have only been closed a few days

The model shows 4 weeks for 25 percent reduction.

Its about slowing the spread to summer not stopping it.

It isn't time yet for drastic measures... but I think avoiding places shared with lots of people where possible is sensible...

There is suggestion in Italy that they did too little to late, including closing schools. In China in certain areas there are still many places where schools are closed but it isn't actual isolation, and other areas. And spread is reducing or slowing.

I have a friend living I the UAE and they have closed the nurseries for two weeks. She is on maternity leave so I'd ok from childcare point of view but from her social media looks like she has been out with friends with children most days surely that is defeating the point.
I don't see the point of closing school it will create a childcare headache for millions of working parents and many parents will just take their children out and about in the wider community so I can't see how it will limit the spread.

Schools and universities need to close now. It is the proactive thing to do (in fact, should have been done last week as the latest data was coming in from elsewhere - Italy in particular).

I honestly think life as we know it is over for a while, and I get that a lot of people are in denial because at the moment it's surreal

@Langbannedforsafeguardingkids, exactly this.

That's why we have people trying to convince themselves it's just a cold; that preppers are deluded; that working life must go on.

There is going to be a massive impact on small businesses and the self-employed; it's one of the massive risks of entrepreneurship. It's why I've personally never had the guts to do it myself.

One sector having a go at another is deeply unhelpful. All we can do is get behind out health care workers, our food producers and essential manufacturers if this gets serious. Unfortunately none of the inconvenience to us as individuals, not the economic damage is as important as getting through until the eak is over and a vaccine is rolled out. Denial is what's got us to this stage.