UK schools could, and should, begin to reopen as soon as practicable after the initial wave of cases has passed through

[Otherrooms]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52180783

What do you make of this?

Schools could go back even whilst social distancing rules are still in place?

Have these people ever been in a school? School corridors/classrooms anyone?!

The scientist who wrote the article (I think) was just on the end of the World at One on Radio 4. He said emphatically it doesn’t mean school should back after Easter, but thinking about how schools can be reopened when lockdown ends/eases, eg one class a day for 2 hour blocks or something...

@BrooHaHa 😆

being forced to go to work against PHE and HM government guidelines.
Fixed that for you stuck

The scientist who wrote the article (I think) was just on the end of the World at One on Radio 4. He said emphatically it doesn’t mean school should back after Easter, but thinking about how schools can be reopened when lockdown ends/eases, eg one class a day for 2 hour blocks or something...

Thanks for this. Very useful! Just shows how badly reported a lot of ‘studies’ are in the media that this wasn’t clarified in the initial news stories this morning.

I think that primaries / nurseries are likely to go back before secondaries, because they have much more impact on childcare for workers so the 'upside for the economy' is greater for probably a lower 'downside' risk, as younger children will tend still to be under control of parents and may not take going to school as spelling the end of social distancing (which teenagers might). Also, primaries teach in classes, so by essentially isolating each class within its classroom and managing times like playtime, lunchtime, toileting by class, only 1 class would have to be quarantined should a child or teacher develop COVID - the greater movement around a secondary would spread that risk much wider.

I work in FE but opening the schools before September would be a really bad idea.

I know working couples are worried about childcare but we all have to make sacrifices as you can’t put a price on human life.

And so many more families are becoming vulnerable with income loss, it's horrifying.

Yes, we know. But we are in the middle of a global pandemic serious enough to have closed schools (not the decision of teachers) and reopening them in order that vulnerable children can get support has to be weighed against the health risk to the wider community. If there wasn’t a risk, schools wouldn’t have closed.

The scientist who wrote the article (I think) was just on the end of the World at One on Radio 4. He said emphatically it doesn’t mean school should back after Easter, but thinking about how schools can be reopened when lockdown ends/eases, eg one class a day for 2 hour blocks or something...

Another thank you for this!

BBC should really report accurately. They missed that (ridiculously) important detail out this morning.

^*The new DfE guidance also states that, as much as possible, children, young people and staff “should be spaced apart at all times”.

This means:

sitting children at desks that are far apart
ensuring everyone queues and eats further apart than normal
keeping apart when in the playground or doing any physical exercise
visiting the toilet one after the other
staggering break times
putting guidelines on the floor in corridors
avoiding unnecessary staff gatherings^^
*^


I wonder if the person at the DfE who wrote this has actually set foot in a 2020 primary school? My classroom is barely big enough to squeeze in the 30 Y2 children I have and they're pretty small. Many schools, my own included, had to expand as numbers of pupils went up. We went from 1 to 2 form entry. Leading to very small classrooms, not enough space, tiny corridors, ridiculously small hall....

I would love to go back before Sept for all of the reasons already mentioned but only if this has been very carefully thought through. I'm not holding my breath...

A couple of twitter threads explaining why that report and the press reporting are both crap:

mobile.twitter.com/DrSamSims/status/1247445729439895555

mobile.twitter.com/BuchholzJoel/status/1247550896596299776

What caused issues for my school in the end was the 14 day stay at home guidance if someone in your household had symptoms. I think, until we have proper antibody testing so people can know if they've had the illness or not, this will have to stay in place- I can't believe any parent would actually want their child taught by a person who might be ill with Covid-19.

I think that we will probably stick to Arlene Foster's 16 weeks- which would mean going back in late June for a few weeks, which I think would be good for everyone- but with another potential school closure in the autumn.

If there wasn’t a risk, schools wouldn’t have closed.
Schools closed due to public pressure and so many staff were deciding unilaterally to isolate which made it unsustainable for those remains to cover their work. And yes those same people will make a fuss about returning, effectively blackmailing the Gvt and forcing schools to remain closed to the detriment of the education and mental health of the majority, and the catastrophic consequences to the economy (which is not just for the rich /the poor will offer vastly more than the rich if the economy collapses Zac's there will be no money for public services.

Oh, here we go again, another poster suggesting teachers faked CV symptoms .

Unless you are one of the few who gets tested , everyone pretty much unilaterally makes a decision to self isolate.

It's beyond offensive.

It’s as if trying your hardest to protect yourself and your family during the worst global pandemic for a century is unfathomably selfish when you could be at work. I hoped this crisis would teach people a new way to live. Nah, it’s just another way to shit on teachers apparently. Anyone fancy having a dig at the 25% of doctors self-isolating? Thought not. I forgot, they’re heroes and we’re lazy fuckers who hate children.

On the contrary, Stellamboscha, in that final week, as a school we actively had to tell staff to go home who fell within obviously vulnerable categories, as none stayed at home when they 'should' have done (ie they fitted into the lists given, but came in for the good of the children and the school). Several who technically fell into vulnerable categories but judged themselves to be 'mild' stayed at school till it closed. I was one of these, but not the only one.

New dry coughs, and new temperatures for themselves and their housemates of course meant some had to stay at home - those were (and remain) the government infection control guidelines.

Are teachers now 'in the wrong' for self-isolating according to clear Government instructions? Why?

No, only if we do it unilaterally, whatever that means.

Teachers are like zombies you see. You shoot down one row and another one pops up just like that to take over.

And yet the data shows that teachers are less likely to call in sick than other professions.

God, people who aren’t teachers are such slackers

Potentially a compromise could be that more of the vulnerable children/workers children could be offered care (here if parent is at home they’re encouraged to not come in) and year 7 (if vulnerable /10/12 after May.
Anyone who can keep children home until Sept can do without losing school place etc.
But it does feel like throwing vulnerable children to the virus.

Schools closed due to public pressure
I'm not sure that's true, actually, but even if it were, how would that be the fault of teachers? Children are deemed to be super-spreaders, and having them mix at close proximity in the fetid petri-dish that is your average classroom is a major risk to the wider population.
The Government took the decision to close schools, and they will be the ones to decide when to re-open. But hey, take another bash at the teachers, the lazy bastards.

so many staff were deciding unilaterally to isolate

Can you imagine the furore among parents if we or a family member had symptoms and decided to come to work anyway, so as not to inconvenience anyone, then spread the virus amongst the children? Parents at my school were keeping kids home because there was a possiblity of someone having the virus in a school a mile down the road so they would have been understandably furious if staff were not following the government rules about self-isolation. Or maybe my colleague undergoing cancer treatment should have continued to come in?

I haven't taken a sick day in 13 years, by the way, and fortunately haven't had any need to isolate so have been able to keep working, but I would most definitely isolate if anyone in my household had symptoms. To knowingly continue to work knowing I could spread the virus among the children of key workers would be unforgiveable.

Schools closed due to public pressure

This is just pure bollocks. Globally 188 countries have country-wide school closures affecting 1.6 billion students - 91% of the world’s pupil population.

But sure, it was teachers and the public moaning that did it for UK schools, and not the global pandemic. FFS idiots.

en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse

Schools closed due to public pressure

No, they really didn’t.

To be honest,many parents seemed to be more aware of the risk of keeping schools open than the govt did, for several weeks... In the end it did look as though Bozo bowed to public pressure, even if this wasn't the case. Poor communication throughout from the govt.

DfE statement: “ The Times reported this morning on the suggestion the Government may reopen schools in an attempt to kick-start the economy. The same story has since been picked up by multiple other outlets.

Our position on closures is clear: schools will remain closed until the scientific advice indicates it is safe to open them.”

dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/04/08/coronavirus-and-school-closures/

noblegiraffe thank you for that link, it has put my mind at rest