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."

They don't have to social distance though, so while it obviously seems sensible to reduce risk by reducing congregation, they don't have to according to the government's rules and they won't be able to make any rules that lead to less than 100% back in full time. I suspect they will come up with rules such as "go straight into your form class" rather than hanging about etc. But won't this all be communicated next week? They aren't even back yet.

Yes they aren’t even bothering to stagger the starts and home times.

It's not a case of not bothering. This is what teachers were trying repeatedly to say- there can be no social distancing in a full time return. Our school buildings and the size of classes/ year groups make it impossible to even begin to organise a staggered start.

Blended education would have been staggered and socially distanced.

Admittedly the timetable in that example should be emailed or just given out at registration. But still.

I think so many kids will be on anxiety medication by Christmas

Is the school rural, or with a catchment reliant on buses? That would be a justifiable reason not to stagger start times. Obviously less of an issue for an inner city school with a tight catchment, but even East Dunbartonshire has some rural travel... just less than say Balfron or anywhere in the Highlands...

We had staggered starts organized, but I have just been told that they do not apply any longer.
That is the one thing that I thought would make most sense going forward, but not to be...

Of course, I wasn’t making a dig at teachers. I appreciate the difficult position they are in and am in favour of more changes or blended learning approach. Of course they are stuck with what government are requesting of them

Do you know of any parents who have decided to homeschool instead of going back?

Personally don’t know anyone although I haven’t spoken to many other parents during lockdown.

I know one person - a lady who works at our local supermarket. She told me today her son is not going back as it simply doesn’t feel safe. I don’t know his age though.

I am worried about sending mine back. I’ve got a P6 and an S2. They’re excited about going but I feel very, very conflicted.

I'm worried about sending mine back too - I get that blended learning would have been the right approach, although we were getting 2 days per week in class, and DH and I are both WFH until 2021. So I appreciate that it would have been easier for us than others.

That aside, I don't feel it's safe, it makes no sense to me that it can be considered very different to any other large busy un-ventilated building. But the us for them group - dominated by your standard local belter - has won out.

It won't last. They'll be home again by October I reckon.

Not I get - I felt

I joined usforthem and very quickly left. Too many vocal anti vax nutjob types for my liking.

I do not want part time school. I cannot and do not believe that after 5 months of suppression measures and with the virus that not only was the plan of a year of that the best that could be done and to me stating that back in June was nothing more than giving up on and failing Scotland’s children. However I do think they should have been introduced as a sensible measure for at least a few weeks/months.

I'm worried about the schools going back. There was research from Germany months ago showing that DCs spread the virus at the same rate as adults. And a study in France that showed high infection rates in school staff. The evidence has been there but has been downplayed imo because the government thinks schools need to reopen to encourage parents to return to work and to encourage footfall and spending in city centres.
The group lobbying for schools to go back represented less than 1% of parents yet somehow they were all over social media including MN and quoted by the BBC and other media as though they were a massive pressure group. But they never were.

Twice the number that has officially died of Covid in Scotland. 8.5k people joined. Parents are worried about their children and their jobs. Not everyone has a job which is secure and which will keep paying them if they have to stay home to look after children. Children have suffered terribly. My child is depressed after weeks alone just with me: it’s no good for an only child of 12.

I do wish people would stop assuming it’s all about jobs and the economy. Yes I do want to keep my job but more than that my only child needs to spend time with other children. It is utterly unnatural for them not to. Humans have always lived in groups. It’s been five months, that is an absolute age for a six year old.

Children have been able to play with others for months and the we've had nearly two months of summer holidays.
Even if children don't go out to play with others nearby, outdoor kids clubs have been open.
It's hard to see why it's the fault of schools if a child has been at home the whole summer.

Are schools going to be closed if there's an outbreak ?? Is that in the plans does anyone know

A few play dates a week hardly makes up for school time and not everyone is able to manage play dates alongside working and everything else.

Are schools going to be closed if there's an outbreak

Yes- the guidance says that an outbreak in the school or in the local community may lead to closures.

Two positive cases in fourteen days is classed as a school outbreak. The guidance also allows for high levels of symptomatic absence to be reported onto the HPT.

@randomsabreuse its west dunbartonshire

Thanks Dolly. "May" lead to closures, I'd rather it was definite closures.

I'm not happy sending mine back. They are in primary and secondary. We also stay with a relative with extremely high shielding. It would very likely be a bad outcome for this relative.

I'm really torn on what to do. Eldest has a place in a very good school, but I'm not in the catchment, so the place would be lost and no chance at a place for Youngest next year if I do this. I really don't want to lose the places, but then I think of the risks, and that they are both self motivated and college is an option if home schooling doesn't get the results required.

I'm in a position to homeschool, but from what I can gather there's a bit of discrimination as to how much hassle you get from the local authority if you are poor and I'm on disability benefits.

It's so difficult. Really is.

Have you spoken to the school nonameme? I would contact them and explain. The guidance allows for clinically vulnerable children and staff to be able to stay off (with online education provided) in the event of local outbreaks as a precaution. It’s paragraph 113 of the most recent guidance.

It’s a terrible worry

I wonder if NS is possibly doing full time school due to the pressure she has been put under for this to happen. But is fully intending to switch to blended when enough local closures are needed. Maybe it’s political move so she can say they tried full time but it just was too risky in the end.

Thanks Dolly

The relative isn't my DC but we do stay with them. Relative is in their 60s, has this year had curative surgery for lung cancer (part of lung removed), heart problems, earlyish COPD.

Not the greatest at speaking to people, but I will speak to the school.