Schools closing early

[Trichford]

What are your thoughts on what was spoken about albeit briefly on Friday about possibly closing schools on the 18th and returning on the 11th?
They said it's going to be discussed further this week.
I wonder if they go ahead it will be complete closure or blended learning for the extra days 🤔

if people choose not to stick to the rules then schools and workplaces will have these concerns regardless of when schools return.

To some extent, yes, but you can't deny that people are most likely to gather in the biggest groups on Christmas Day and on New Year's Day, which makes it most risky to return to school in the incubation period after that.

You're very lucky to not be returning till the 11th, and it will likely keep your dc safer than if they went back the previous week like so many doz

Do!

I’d be wholly happy for my kids to return on the 6th if that were the return date, I have no more concern for their safety in returning to school in January than I did in August.

Of course you are.

That's crazy though, given the increased prevalence of the virus and god knows what increase Christmas may cause.

My kids are primary aged, have a very small chance of contracting the virus and an even smaller chance of being significantly unwell. Their school have good infection control measures in place and have had no issues with infection or close contact thus far. I’m not worried about their safety in school.

Well you certainly aren't concerned about mine. Is it too much to hope parents would also care about the safety of their children's teachers?

I was responding to the challenge that I was happy that my kids would be safe at school. As I and many other posters have explained it’s not an either/or I can care about both but I only have control of my children’s safety. The situation with Christmas holidays needed to be addressed a long time ago, saying it’s too late now to make significant changes doesn’t mean I don’t care - it means I think two weeks before Christmas break is too late to start changing school dates.

people are most likely to gather in the biggest groups on Christmas Day and on New Year's Day, which makes it most risky to return to school in the incubation period after that.

But the latest groups are allowed to meet under the relaxed restrictions is the 27th Dec, which gives 10(?) days between then and the 6th Jan to come out with symptoms.

The SG have specifically said groups will not be allowed to meet indoors on Hogmanay/ NYD (unless you live on Orkney, maybe, or wherever the group of 6 thing has returned in level 1). OK, there may be people disobeying this, but it is difficult and probably unreasonable to make schools policy to allow for people breaking the law, even where you expect it may happen... There's not much more the SG can do to discourage a particular risky behaviour! If meeting over Christmas had been banned, I'm sure there wouldn't have been the same desire to lengthen non-contact time before Christmas, because there wouldn't be anything to minimise risk for...

@Possums4evr

A wee bit of notice would be nice both for the parents who might need childcare, and the teachers who would like to plan any online learning rather than doing it the weekend before.

And for the pupils themselves.....

Given SG don't really care about anything other than being able to say "we did covid better than England and could have been better without them"
Anything is possible on what they'll decide to do. But I really wouldn't put it past them to not to footter about with dates giving neither parents or teachers a chance to plan.

I've heard nothing regarding English schools finishing early/going back later for Christmas holidays? Was this another of the SG's "We'll get our idea in before you" stunts? I see the Highland branch of the EIS are mounting a challenge to the decision of not changing the holiday dates. We'll see how far they get with that and if other areas follow suit. Not much time left now to change them though.

If they change the dates they'll do it on Tuesday along with the announcements for the teir 4 areas which should change on the 11th.

The EIS has requested the change of dates in all councils which have a later finish. I believe English schools finish earlier anyway.

I think I'm now at the point that if they don't finish on the 18th and go with the 22nd as planned I will just keep my kids home from the 18th.
It's a shame teachers don't have the same option

We're stopping on the 18th. 17th maybe then that's 7 full days before Christmas. I agree, shame teachers can't do the same. Being in school till the 22nd is just silly. Everyone is so tired by then.

I believe most English schools finish up in the 18th, I had wondered why I hadn't heard anything about a request for them to close earlier, but that will be why!

Yes I think that's right, never heard of schools finishing so close to Christmas and going back so late in Jan before we moved here.

If mine didn't finish on 18th and I was planning to see vulnerable relatives at Christmas I'd keep them off that week, but of course that's because I can do that. If I was a nurse etc I couldn't.

Dcs schools close on the 22nd. Seems silly keeping them open when usually the last week or so is watching films and playing games anyway with little to no work.

I agree @Tinseltastix, especially as it’s causing such worry.

It’s not a problem for us, but would be an easy way to make life easier for those for whom it is a problem.

I am heart sorry for SLTs in schools going to the 23rd and I don't often reserve too much sympathy for them. Swinney's insincere reassurance that they will not be involved in contact tracing on Xmas day and his pathetic attempt to say that LAs should staff this with volunteers who'll be paid appropriate overtime is just not going to happen.

The petulant foot stamper in me wants to say I won't answer my phone but the rule follower would be terrified that a pupil who could have been a contact unwittingly passed the virus on.

Personally I had already decided to not see DPs indoors and let them go to my Dsis as she and Dbil WFH. So would happily man a hub for key workers/vulnerable kids. 2.5 days which I don't need to plan lessons for and no marking generated.

The PHS view that kids will mix anyway so school is the safest place shows a woeful ignorance of reality whilst insulting parents by suggesting they can't manage their children. Pupils who will come in to do quizzes, crafts and watch films will do that at home or at school being their normal adorable selves.Those who'd cause mayhem in shopping centres or have get togethers in each other's home will also do so. Regardless of when the official end date is.

Yes I think that's right, never heard of schools finishing so close to Christmas and going back so late in Jan before we moved here.

Remember traditionally New Year was the main Scottish festival. Partly because it kept Christmas as a Christian drink free festival. Where New Year non religious get the drink flowing. Also the reason why Scotland gets the 1st and 2nd of January as public holidays.

Ah yes, that makes sense.

Well one of my kids now has a test on 21st, and school have emailed saying work continues till midday 22nd (mind you they do that every end of term then you find out it’s been films in every class for a week).