First ministers briefing

[Trichford]

Is there one on today? If so what time will it be? Thanks

What I don’t understand is why it is a government job to improve health? Take personal responsibility, people!

Hmm, we'll if we take aside the fact that the SNP government is trying to take away personal responsibility and treat the nation as children, there are many factors influencing diet and obesity such as, lack of education, poverty etc that are very much part of what we pay our government to deal with.aside

While we don't reach our chi ldren, particularly in high school, how to cook and about nutrition and while it's cheaper to buy low nutritional value food than it is to eat well, it's not exactly rocket science is it?

In a weekly basis, I'm usually £40-50 spent before I've got out the fruit and veg aisle. I could probably go to farmfoods and stock up with frozen pizza and nuggets for a week for the same cost and all it needs is shoving in an oven for 20 minutes.

We then expect these same people to raise healthy children with little support.

Really annoyed with how the SNP are doing. Blended learning sounds like a joke and the care homes deaths here is a scandal that Nicola has just blatantly denied. They had a chance to do better and differentiate themselves - more testing, protecting the truly vulnerable - and they failed. Instead we have never ending semi lockdown, negativity and children's education suffering - which it already was in Scotland prior to all this. Not to mention that dentistry appears to be considered cosmetic - no other country has removed this vital health care service (this applies to the whole of the UK). The fact that people think she's doing a good job is beyond belief. I'll certainly never be voting for the SNP again. All she has is the ability to sound statesmanlike and talk a good game. She refuses to take responsibility or denies anything that doesn't fit into her narrative.

I’m so annoyed (as well as with the schooling situation) with the lack of easing in Scotland. This whole 5 mile thing for exercise is ridiculous. Roads are not safe for young children so of course we need to take a car to off road locations for them to cycle. But none of these locations have reopened car parks. I would rather travel further, away from the crowds, but there’s this ridiculous 5 mile guidance. Supposedly guidance but then 2 hillwalkers were charged with reckless and culpable conduct last weekend for being 60 miles from home. The hundred of people who went to Loch Lomond and didn’t socially distanced weren’t charged but 2 people on a Munro were, not with a breach of lockdown legislation but with a random common law offence normally reserved for people chucking stones at cars or similar.

Meant to add, but of course, precious golfers have their sport back - decreasing more green space within 5 miles of lots of people.

And don't forget you can play tennis, croquet and archery! [hmm[

From what I've seen on the roads, people are nodding and saying what a great job Nicola is doing and then quietly going off and doing their own thing.

It's such a nonsense- I've been in the garden centres for something to do and they are full of elderly people, but somehow it's too dangerous to open playparks or try to get schools back properly.

And yes the R rate is high because they messed up over care homes, but my teenager has to pay for the government's mistake by being in ongoing house arrest.

It will be interesting if English holiday cottages open up before Scottish ones. I suspect there will be a flood of people across the border - including us - no matter what the rules are, when people realise no summer holidays, they'll vote with their feet.

If I can go to an Airbnb somewhere in the uk before 11th August then we will be whether she likes it or not

Arguably golf courses didn't need to close in the first place

Zero deaths registered in the past 24 hours in Scotland, just 18 new infections in the country and Glasgow, the biggest LA in the country has zero covid positive patients in intensive care.

No reason why we shouldn't be moving on to phase 2 of lockdown at the end of these three weeks if not before.

It's always lower on a weekend but yes agree that when you look at the general trend, numbers are decreasing fast.

I've just done a 3 mile round trip to the shop for bread and milk and passed 3 separate groups of teens (age 14 to 16 ish) of between 5 and 10 so not likely to be family groups all crowded together chit chatting, including inside the shop. Sooo, I think if we can resolve teacher issues and provide them with a safe workplace then what point is there in not getting schools back in properly after the holidays?

I appreciate there needs to be a plan in case things blow up again in terms of the numbers, but the main plan should be back in as usual for high schools. Appoint a liaison teacher to provide learning packs to those who may still need to shield.

It's providing the safe workplace that is the problem really isn't it. That is very difficult. I'm also sure there are many young people who are sticking to the rules, my own dc included. Why should they have to enter a human soup caused by those who have chosen to mix indiscriminately?

Good news that there have been zero deaths reported today. On the last three Sundays (17th, 24th and 31st May) there were nine deaths recorded on each of these dates.

We are still over two months before DC are due back though Iggi. My Dc are a older teens who have also stuck to the rules but I don't think the human soup will be much more than the normal one that they enter every term they go back.

I don't think that a safe workplace in school is any different to that which thousands of key workers are already experiencing. They could teach from behind perspex screens, move between classes before or after DC, still receive and mark work electronically so no manky jotters to deal with, teach with doors propped open so no-one touching handles.

They've only just got round to applying distancing to DHs work. Kept apart when actually working but all sat next to each other on the sofa in the base...

!! That's insane. Door are an issue - not class ones but all the fire doors that section off every corridor from the next. Not allowed to be propped open. I do think things are looking more hopeful. And I won't think of second waves! One difference that will continue to have an impact is people in all workplaces will need to be off work faster than normal if they have a fever/cough etc - the working-through-the-pain mentality in many workplaces wouldn't be safe.

We need to remember there will be a huge number of people Wfh for a long time to come (myself included). There are thousands upon thousands who now won't be mixing at work; commuting etc so that will have its benefits. But that's do think if the numbers continue as is as we start to open shops then this part time school pish needs to be relooked at. We're not going to eradicate it in this country.

they are waiting to see if the cases go back up before moving to phase 2. the reason these figures today are so low is because we haven't been in phase 1 long enough to know if its made a difference or not. And lets not forget the protests this weekend and whether they will result in a spike or not.
Teachers are right to be concerned about safety in schools but lets not pretend its not also because they have less work to do for the same pay. And before I get accused again of 'teacher bashing' or get doxxed (which is against MN T&C I believe), I know this from speaking to teacher relatives and teacher friends who are EIS reps.

I cant remember seeing any doors in the corridors in DCs high school. It's fairly new building so maybe they have other ways, the building shape probably helps.

I should have added that DHs work is NHS.

I think I will be more or less full time at home for quite a long time. DC1 lives at home and no idea what will happen about uni and he normally travels daily by train. DS2 should be away to 2nd year in Uni but again, don't know yet what is happening both with uni and accommodation.

I imagine a lot of people are finding working from home for the same pay a bit easier (given lots of people are doing this for the first time), no commute for one thing or needing to wear a suit. For teachers - no discipline problems. I imagine the workload might be less for people without children at home. I'm teaching my own dc as well as doing my own work so I have not noticed an easier life, nor have my friends and colleagues in a similar boat.

As a teacher I am genuinely in favour of schools reopening to everyone. I bloody hate giving emailed feedback for every single piece work, trying to come up with something meaningful for 20 correct capital letters, not being allowed to set individual tasks so we all have to teach the same, knowing that no matter what we do a significant number of parents will not be happy, knowing that the kids who most need education are the ones who aren't engaging at all. The lack of a commute does not make up for that.
Plus my own children should be in nursery, learning to interact with people who are not DH and I! My 16 month old has never been ill. I'm worried this will have long term effects on her immune system.

@SamSeabornforPresident, I feel for you. It must be difficult for the teacher who are pretty much paid for setting work that is ignored and, at any rate, pointless. If anything doing something constructive would help pass the time.

The majority of pupils aren't ignoring the work, and if it's pointless then I guess being in school would be pointless too

@Iggi999, I have said this many times before on this thread. I have 2 children at primary. The traffic on teams has been decreasing constantly and there is more traffic being generated by teachers than pupils.
For my eldest the number of pupils I see can be counted on one hand with fingers to spare (we are hardly ever there these days).
As to my youngest there are a few more and my one is one of the most present because she likes to chat with whoever is there.
I suppose there will be someone lurking, but I doubt it is that many.
Maybe a few do the work, but do not post it, but I seriously doubt it.

Is being at (primary) school pointless? That is a question that I have been asking myself more and more latterly. For sure my youngest, currently at p4, could easily skip straight to S1 (I have seen what is ahead for her) without feeling behind, indeed being AHEAD of many of those who are 3 years older (not boasting, just being factual). That's the CoE for you I suppose... If someone asked me what added value the school offers, free child care aside, I don't really know.

If someone asked me what added value the school offers, free child care aside, I don't really know

For my P3 it offers routine and interaction with people outside of his immediate family. I guess if I wasn't working I could replicate the school day routine of sitting on the carpet talking about what we did at the weekend, the ritual of being chosen to take the register to the office or charge the iPad, except he would get chosen every time which might make it less exciting, we could create some sort of house points system with me and him each being a house on our own, I could play fake lightsaber fighting with sticks in the garden with him at break time and lunch time. But it wouldn't be the same. He thrives on the routines and rituals of school and regularly seeing and doing things with his friends. He enjoys being away from me and coming home and telling me his news. Formal learning he can take or leave.
He is missing his life.