Scottish schools opening

[chocciechocface]

I was ready for schools opening, but this new research has given me pause for thought. I think this came out after Sturgeon's decision. What do you all think?

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/07/31/georgia-children-covid-outbreak/#click=t.co/Y9gSG9zENz

Quote from the article:

"A new report suggests that children of all ages are susceptible to coronavirus infection and may also spread it to others — a finding likely to intensify an already fraught discussion about the risks of sending children back to school this fall.

The analysis, released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, details an outbreak at a sleep-away camp in Georgia last month in which 260 children and staffers — more than three-quarters of the 344 tested — contracted the virus less than a week after spending time together in close quarters. The children had a median age of 12. The camp had required all 597 campers and staff members to provide documentation that they had tested negative for the virus before coming. Staff were required to wear masks, but children were not."

@Mistressiggi same logic could be applied to anyone who visits a supermarket right now and goes home to pass it on to their partner, parents, neighbours, cousins, yadda yadda.

Except, that’s not actually happening, is it?

2 new studies set against the backdrop on all the covid research being done is not particularly significant - much as the media does love to constantly whip up fear.

Why not trust the scientific advisors whose job it is to get things right?

Except for everyone in the supermarket wearing masks, and not being in contact with the same group of people for an hour at a time?
Yeah it's exactly the same.

Supermarkets are not comparable, people are generally on the move all the time and wearing face coverings! Not to mention in a huge high ceiling building

With ventilation.

Anon the scientific advisors have stated that the evidence about secondary aged students is not clear (compared to primary), but we're just going to allow them to sit cheek by jowl with no face coverings anyway.

Wearing masks for the last 2 weeks maybe.

Most of the people who work there aren’t.

Maybe the workers aren't wearing face coverings but are they sitting next to each other for an hour or more at a time? Or are they able to socially distance? Just because the SG said social distancing should happen where possible in secondary doesn't mean it will...where do the extra staff and classrooms come from to enable that?

Anon447etc - "Why not trust the scientific advisors whose job it is to get things right?"

Why weren't those same scientific advisors trusted when they were proposing a blended approach which seemed to be an effort to accommodate risk?

This science came out after full time return was announced.

Those of us who have vulnerable families members are weighing up unthinkable potential consequences.

Isn’t that the point though, that there needs to be clear evidence face masks for secondary aged kids will help prevent transmission before they’re made mandatory?

I am slightly surprised I admit, as I have a friend with dc in English secondary and her dc do have to wear face coverings when they return - either the school or LEA determined that.

On the whole, if the evidence does shift conclusively I’m sure the guidance will change - the Scot gov have hardly shown wary of introducing measures.

There were trusted weren’t they? Full time with no distancing was possible due to the success of the wonderful SNP in reducing the R rate. I fail to see what’s materially changed since that announcement except that we are closer to going back.

Furthermore - it really fucks me off when people dismiss those sort of concerns as "fear", as if it is irrational and a bit pathetic. It's such an offensive thing to say.

The only thing that scares me in this pandemic are the COVID deniers, herd immunity twats, and people who think vitamins and dandelion tea will deal with it all. And that scares me because my relatives actual fucking life depends on these people being responsible. And they just can't be trusted.

Well, in this thread, I've learned that an usforthem campaign group altered the course of events.

It does seem obvious there should be more protection for vulnerable people (teachers or parents) who don’t want to send their kids back - if family or teachers are shielding.

I wonder if more will happen on that?

Shielding is no more! So no concerns about that.
Crazy isn't it

@chocciechocface yes that’s usually the aim of a campaign group.

That is indeed crazy - is the correct term vulnerable groups? I can completely understand those groups being concerned, I don’t understand people in the not vulnerable cohort who are not in immediate family contact with someone in that group wanting kids kept out of ft school.

got an email from the school. phased return first week, eg S1/2 in one day then s3/4 then s5/6

then full time from 17th.

Normal start and finish times so seemingly no staggered entry. So lots of crowding at the entrances then!

DDs school have emailed to say they are doing a phased return first week (great) but same start times and finish times each day then and thereafter which imo makes social distancing impossible. Furthermore, new S1s will find their timetables on a board in the foyer. So let's all crowd around this poster!

I want my DD back at school and I know social distancing is hard to do in many schools but come on tae fuck! This school don't seem to be even trying. Just email or post the damn timetables!

We have vocal parents on class WhatsApp hoping for full time return and not even wanting bubbles on first week. I wonder if this is the general feeling amoungst most parents or if it is just more socially acceptable to say this and not to hope for blended learning ! I would be embarrassed to admit in real life I might actually prefer blended learning !

The 50% blended learning model seems ok to me also. Obviously full time would be better if it can be done, but it's more risk since there will be bigger groups and more mixing.

I really don't understand why people feel that just because the numbers are low now that we can go back to normal. Exponential increase is scary stuff and from what happened in Australia cases explode fast.

If you’d rather do part time for longer for whatever reason, what’s to stop you emailing the school to ask? Or the local council?

My dc have done part time schooling in the past because it was better for them at one point.

I’d have thought there will be some toleration for special circs especially this term.

The point of part time is to reduce class size and so increase distancing - 15 in a room instead of 30 - not just to have your dc there for part of the week.

I get that some things will be difficult for schools to do but I'm truly shocked that kids will be crowding into the reception area etc as normal. I expected the schools to at least tell the pupils how to be safe but so far there is no sign of them even doing the minimum.

Yes they aren’t even bothering to stagger the starts and home times. It is very strange