First ministers briefing

[Trichford]

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

We're only where we were in the middle of March - Covid is still in the community

We are nowhere near where we were then. Then there were approximately 1 in 40 people estimated to have it. Now there are 1 in 1000! And cases are still dropping. Obviously the whole of society can’t just open as before in one go but if schools were able to be open as normal without kids and teachers dropping dead all over the place in March why can’t they do so now?

1 in 1000 people. Meaning most schools esp at primary are hugely statistically unlikely to have even 1 pupil with the virus. And yet they have to be treated like lepers and treat others the same “just in case” and suffer this part time school wank?

Nope. Not good enough.

Fab letter @Librarybooksandacoconut and adds extra weight as you are a teacher. What is the EIS's position on all this?

Will send in a (polite) question for Mr Swinney.

1 in 1000 people and half the cases in care homes.

So in reality, probably more like 1 in 2000.

Brilliant letter @Librarybooksandacoconut. I agree with every word. My overall opinion is that that is far from the view of the majority of pupils. I'll be in school today planning for 'blended learning' so will try to gauge others' opinions but from what I can work out most have just accepted this is going to be the case and some are totally in favour of part time schooling. One colleague doesn't think schools should open at all in August. The media has done a cracking number on us in terms of spreading fear.

I had a friend on the phone to me in tears last night, because she's so worried about her wee boy. A few weeks ago, he'd said he didn't want to live like this. Yesterday, he'd heard something on the news about schools and asked her when he was going back. She explained as simply as she could, which resulted in him going into the mother of all meltdowns.

He's 8 years old, and normally the happiest, cheeriest little lad who makes me laugh whenever I see him. I've said it before, but the damage this lockdown is doing to children is something that needs to be addressed urgently.

That is awful @Tomorrowisanewday

Jack McConnell was apparently talking this morning about the lack of urgency in relation to education. I fully endorse his comments.

These are my questions for John Swinney:

By the time schools open in August schools will have been closed for 5 months. The virus is circulating at considerably lower levels than in March when schools were open fully - recent estimates suggest 1 in 1000 people have it currently as opposed to 1 in 40 before lockdown. This means that statistically many schools won’t have anyone at all with the virus. On that basis, it seems on the face of it that the proposed measures for schools are disproportionate given the threat of the virus. Is part time schooling and 2m social distancing really the best that can be done after 5 months of suppression measures, and why? Can social distancing be reduced to 1m to facilitate education, given the much lower prevalence of the virus now?

Do you appreciate that part time schooling will impact more significantly on women, as the primary carers of children, and their careers, and perpetuate gender inequality in society? What is your response to this?

What will be done to ensure the attainment gap between children in more and less deprived areas doesn’t get widened further?

What will be done to ensure pupils with additional support needs do not fall through the cracks? Many parents have had to battle for support for their children with additional support needs. What reassurance can be given that these children will not be failed and will be supported to realise their full potential?

titsbumfannythelot It's not even that he's just missing his friends. He misses his teacher, he's worried whether he's getting his "jobs" right when he's doing the online work. He's a bright wee thing, but his confidence is disappearing. His mum thinks the school have been great, but it doesn't make up for the value that a teacher standing next to a wee one and telling them they've done a good job has.

We had 12 infections across the whole country yesterday, the number has dropped by at least 20 for the last two consecutive weeks. Surely the risk from those numbers is less than the risk that the current format, and the "blended learning" will have on a whole generation of wee ones?

Mine was similar @SudokuBook - along the lines of "it's a lot lower, on a downward trend, how can you justifty part time"

then my follow up

"Can Mr Swinney explain how I am supposed to split myself four ways to work and educate three children all at the same time, and support senior secondary school learning in subjects I have no experience in"?

The issue with testing @SamSeaborn is that the SNP have been promising for weeks now to test every care home worker on a regular basis. The capacity is there and has been for some time- so why have very few been tested?

Because the SNP are totally incompetent.

R rate down to 0.6 to 0.8, indications that it will continue to fall.

But no, you can't go and visit your mum who you haven't seen since Christmas, and the kids most certainly shouldn't expect anything frivolous like full time school in 8 weeks time.

I've also added my questions to John Swinney. Thanks for highlighting this.

@SockYarn the EIS is mainly concerned with the risks to members (which tbf is one of the main purposes of unions), but as someone who is left wing and and very pro-union I am really upset with the lack of focus on the impact on pupils. I emailed our local secretary about what I was supposed to do for child care after our director of education sent a letter out to all staff saying it was going to be very limited and that we should ask friends and family instead. The response was ‘Try not to worry, I’m sure there is a plan nationally’. Really delighted there are lots of seminars on understanding risk assessments but literally nothing on how teachers with children are supposed to work.

Thanks for the npfs link. I will send my own version on similar themes today.

I think she is outraged that she hasn't managed a Jacinda so she could declare she is the best woman in the world, shut the hatches and declare Scotland Covid free and wait for independence to be handed to her on a plate while we all say Hurrah...

😂😂 I have often thought she has an Ardern complex

I have never voted tactically in my life but IMO the sole focus next May needs to be stopping the SNP getting a majority at Holyrood.

The current situation is bad as it is, but I dread to think what depths of incompetence they would reach with a majority of MSPs who cannot criticise or challenge them.

I'll be voting for the candidate with the best chance of defeating the SNP in my constituency next year. The regional lists will be more difficult, but I think it will be vital to monitor the polls closer to the time to see which party is best placed in your area.

I had thought that myself
I think she is a bit too dour for that.

Don't get me started on unions. I emailed my rep to find out what the heck is happening with my job, return to work, any childcare issues etc who said she was too busy with her actual paying job.

So I then emailed the regional full time guy who has helped me before and was always available and he said their priority was PPE and whether key workers should refuse to work at all without it. Talk about walk outs and strikes and stuff like that.

If you aren't a key worker, the unions won't care. I know lots of people who have lost their jobs or are at risk and cannot get any response from their unions. They are prioritizing key workers. So in the case of education its keeping the teachers safe but the other paying members who are struggling to work and home school can get fucked.

I emailed the head of education in our authority to complain about the amount and the standard of DDs work and she will raise it with the headteacher (who I had also spoken to and said I was making a good point only to do SFA since).

what I mean is the education she's getting is utter crap.

As for NZ, I don't think it is because of what the prime minister is like and more to do with the population, rurality, lack of land border etc.

So you can't really compare NZ with Scotland other than the fact they both have female leaders.

I don't fall for the trap of thinking low deaths = fab leader

next, I'm not confused in the slightest re NZ, I was making a joke about NS and her personality/way she thinks and I definitely don't think she is a fab leader.

Surely the point is to reduce resurgence during flu season? Also asymptotic covid people have had signs of lung damage on radiographs so there is a risk that even healthy people might suffer more from the normal cold/flu leading to pneumonia.

These measures are only to reduce the risk of people dying. Someone will be along to tell me the fatality rate is .1% or whatever it is in children, but that still a child who died needlessly. Not to mention the transfer to adults who have a higher fatality rate

Sorry I wasn't aiming that at anyone specifically, but I do see lots of people online who sing their praises just because they are women leaders, rather than being good leaders. Other countries have done well but they have male leaders.

Jacinda is more likeable. Nicola looks like she wants to headbutt you. She even does that annoying head movement when she talks.

@itsasmallworldafterall, your argument is clearly fallacious.
To give you an example, one dead person in car crash is one dead person too many. So, we stop all the cars from running. We have saved that one life, but what is the cost to us all? Instead we live with and accept the risk that come with driving a car.
We have to do a risk assessment and compare risks and benefits and make a decision.
To base one's life on "zero risk" is no life at all.