When are we going back to school 2

[RaraRachael]

New thread as the last one was getting full. Feel free to discuss, moan, speculate on anything to do with Scottish schools and what may/not be happening.

@lidlfix Article 81 of what exactly?

Of the government guidance on preparing for the start of the new school term.
Published today

Ah- thanks @mistressgiggi. Paragraph 81, not article 81. That’s why I was confused. I thought Lidlfix was trying to reference the UCHR!

Or the ECHR even 😆

Article wasn't the right word choice. But I might peruse the EUHR articles to find one that I can bat back at the hardliners who are now reading the guidance and are not so triumphant

ECHR I can't get the initials right either

Well, I for one am glad the schools are going back and think that the minimal risks to those concerned far outweigh the risks To the futures/mental health of the kids being stuck at home for another 6 months with blended not learning.

If teachers want to wear masks, then I don’t see how they can actually teach and make their voices heard over a rowdy classroom. Nor would I want to wear one of these things in my workplace but, each to their own ....

The risk is not "minimal" to those concerned ffs. The risk of death or serious impairment can never be described as minimal.
What you hope is that it is unlikely many people will have the worst outcomes. And of course you may choose to view it as still being worthwhile overall to have schools open and a few dying (as we have accepted re transport and supermarkets) but to suggest the risk on an individual level is minimal isn't accurate.

I'm still utterly confused as I said above.

I'm also reading the BBC live feed which has said there are 50,000 international students expected to arrive in the next few weeks including from USA. eeeeek

New university year starts mid Sept doesn't it? so October if it leads to increased cases.

(I thought some countries weren't allowing international travel at all?)

There hasn't been a lot of guidance re Unis that I've seen but that doesn't mean it isn't there. From the little i have seen, most have delayed start dates to mid September and have a lot online exclusively or available online for those who wish it, for at least the first term. Lots in England talking about bubbles of folk studying the same thing being allocated accommodation together but that doesn't really beyond first years in uni hall or for Scotland at all.

I would imagine that many international students wont be arriving in time for uni start and instead commencing studies on-line and waiting to see what happens.

DS2 still going to go to his 2nd year accommodation as planned at the beginning of September and see what happens. DS1 lives at home and travels and his subject (Computer science) doesn't involve so much of the debate and to-ing and fro-ing that DS2s (politics) does. He thinks that actual attendance might be optional for a while so he'll do that as it's less travel and he breezes through everything already. To be honest he is the one that could do with a bit of human interaction just for his mental health.

Well, all I can say @misressgiggi is that I hope you are not in charge of your organisation’s risk register. The risk IS minimal, given the underlying prevalence in Scotland. Death rate is well under 1% for most people and you’ve more chance of getting pregnant from a park bench than you are of catching COVID.

We simply can no longer take the approach that stopping a very very small percentage of people from dying is worth stopping the rest of society from living and going about their usual business.

Coco pops

"you’ve more chance of getting pregnant from a park bench than you are of catching COVID."

For the first time ever, I feel the need for a Mumsnet "Are you on glue?"

I hope you're not in charge of anything Coco if you actually believe that shite you write!
(Off to post thread on pg board with "I've sat on two park benches in the last month, and wondered which was more likely to be the one that got me pregnant?")

Coco - do you know that COSLA has said that pupils and teachers will be returning to a "very different environment from what they were used to before "? They must know something about those ejaculating park benches.

Cocopops, yes of course the virus has been suppressed, and the risk is much lower at the moment, however it’s understandable that some teachers feel a bit wobbly.

As I said upthread, I am really desperate to see all my pupils, but secondary teachers will be in confined spaces with groups of up to 30 17/18 year old pupils who are really no different from adults. The guidance even says that senior phase pupils should social distance if possible (which we all know is neither possible or likely), and that schools should look at timetabling more double periods. Surely on that basis you can understand why teachers are concerned? I’d ultimately prefer to return full time but I still have my concerns.

Interesting guidance.

So for senior phase there is a preference for full time over the physical distancing. Might be problematic in some of our bigger schools

Those Usforthem bangers are taking credit for return to school. Some of them sound absolutely deranged

I was going to write that they are absolutely deranged Chrislilleyswig but more kindly put, clearly none of them have experienced ‘long covid’ and the death of someone their own age from covid19.

I have just read the guidance up to page 22 and I despair. I have not recovered from Covid19 the first time around yet!

Pleased to see the guidance allows staff to wear masks if they choose to do so. Personally I hope I don’t have to. However I may feel differently once I’m in school teaching a whole class again. I didn’t feel the need in the hub but I didn’t have more than 5 in my classroom at at time. I’ll have 25 in the same classroom when I go back so it will be very different.

@lidlfix- yes, a different environment with hand sanitiser and social distancing is what I think they meant- not the evil virus lurking in every corridor waiting to jump on teachers and pupils. Anyway, I didn’t realise this was a thread for teachers who don’t want to go back to work so I shall leave it there.

Enjoy your cocoons.

Choice is so important Monday. I have no idea how I'll feel until I am in the situation. And I might want to mitigate risk according to the circumstances- eg terrified new S1s reading a chapter of a novel from behind my desk is hugely different from strapping S5s who have known me (or my reputation ) for years. A "please take" with an unfamiliar class in Computing or Music where equipment is involved ... it's all so unknown.

And we also have the UK wide change to isolation time to give us a wobble in confidence in that "minimal risk" .

Coco I have repeatedly said I want to go back. I refer to the description of you talking shite and being on the glue. Your contributions are no great loss to the thread . Ta ta hen.

Don't mean to derail but I wonder if Coco is part of that group. They got a pasting on twitter for pulling up a teacher for being anxious to return but had been to the hairdresser.

I've read the ELC as that is what is appropriate to my role.

I don't need to distance from the children,
I don't need to wear a mask,
I do need to distance from my colleagues, and if I do need to be face to face for longer than 15 minutes then we should wear masks.
I'm presuming that's for planning meeting etc. We're an outdoor setting so that's much easier too!

I actually feel much less anxious now.

The bangers are having to delete entire threads left right and centre as they are "damaging the reputation and cause" . Their admins have been on many times warning about the dangers of the comments being screenshot and shared with the press and on social media. They've had to apologise to Stephen McCabe for offensive remarks and correspondence. They have an, amusing, wee in fight going just now as someone dared to say "the schools are going back stop moaning" as (I predicted) the wrath is now being targeted to the guidelines.

Discussion about the actions of usforthem is part of my greater concerns about returning to school. Which I will repeat I want to do .

Ta ta hen indeed Lidlfix great line

Selective reading that one! If she’d bothered to read my posts she’d have seen I’ve also repeatedly said I want to go back.

And still the work-shy narrative about teachers persists...