Do you think schools will reopen soon?

[carrottopper]

So many articles about schools opening after Easter. What do you think? It makes me feel like my health as a teacher is not important. So many people are home and furloughed yet will send their children in

I can’t keep up with all the work being sent home. Having to completely manage it for my DD as she’s infants school.
As an aside, if infants are sending down too much work, don't do it all. Pick a phonics activity, a maths activity, a topics activity etc and work from 9-3 with breaks, linc hand some "do time" dependent on their age. Don't work outside of that

I took my daughter out of school a week before the government asked them to close. We knew very little at the time about how it was spread etc and I was uncomfortable with her going in.

I'm not high risk or shielded but have a chronic neurological disease that would be exacerbated by anything flu-like, and I had pneumonia last year so I was conscious of lowering our risk.

If the schools are re-opened before September, unless something changes dramatically in how this virus is spreading, I would feel extremely uncomfortable sending her back. I am a PhD student and if it was a case of home schooling until the next academic year, I am in a position to do so.

Once the restrictions are lifted it's likely there would be a surge in people contracting it, it's a logical assumption. The re-opening of business, schools, public spaces etc is going to have to be handled extremely carefully and done very slowly to prevent us having to back track and start from the beginning again.

My daughter is in the infants. I'm doing 20 mins reading, pe with Joe Wicks, 30 minutes maths and 30 minutes writing. I think that is a reasonable amount of time. I don't do anything other than what she wants to do after lunch

carrottopper sounds good to me!

I teach - 4/6 of the teaching staff/TAs in our tiny primary school need to self isolate because of conditions/ongoing treatment/vulnerable partners. That'll mean a lot of supply!

I teach - 4/6 of the teaching staff/TAs in our tiny primary school need to self isolate because of conditions/ongoing treatment/vulnerable partners. That'll mean a lot of supply!

This is the point I keep trying to make.

Before the schools were closed when we were told vulnerable people shouldn’t come in, we could not physically cover them as there were no supply teachers available-at any local agency.

So, we have a woman someone met whilst dog-walking say she "read something" about schools opening after Easter. And a poster who "for some reason has got a random date in her head for them opening but doesn't know why."
And a scientist in another country with a different set-up to ours saying he doesn't think there's a massive correlation in deaths vs schools being opened.
Oh, and an un-named minister who has read that flawed science and been quoted somewhere or other saying schools can open "after Easter."
Is this really the level of information we're working off?

To be fair to the scientist, he himself is British.

The research he collated and interpreted wasn't.

And he actually didn't say what he is reported as having said.

At least we are able to look around at other countries to see how they reopen and what that looks like in practice.

Can anyone tell me what will magically happen in September to mean that schools will be more safe to open than in June or July? There is less pressure on the NHS during the summer months and our strategy is to reduce pressure on the NHS. That’s the only reason we don’t want people to catch it.

I think we will be in a cycle of restrictions until a vaccine is readily available. Nobody likes hearing about herd immunity for some reason but it really is the only way out of this. Nobody will gain any kind of immunity without either being immunised or exposed.

I think if we are lucky (If that’s even the right word?) they may go back end of June, start of July almost just to round off the year, say good-byes etc

I say that based on the 12 week shielding period, that ends in the middle of June. My lovely friend has some wine ready to celebrate being a quarter of the way through tomorrow!

I say this as a staff member who in reality has no clue past what the Head and other colleagues and I have discussed. Which none of us do of course.

It wouldn’t just be as simple as schools can open, therefore parents can go back to work. What about Wrap Around? So many people really on after school care and early starts, often 7am until 6pm. It would surprise me if a lot of companies that provide this have gone bust. A lot people rely on grandparents, or child minders who have had to shut down.

I also wonder if the reopening will lead to a major second wave.

I’m on a FB page which has teachers from across the word on it who have been sharing good online teaching ideas since they’ve been closed. There is a lengthy thread today about how different countries are planning to manage reopening.

Denmark looks like it’s planning on having schools going back the soonest-mid April for some-with childcare/primary first, but strict hygiene practices and no more than 10 to a class, INCLUDING adults. They shut down promptly though so have had a much lower death rate there.

Most US states seem to have been told they will teach online until the end of the summer term and won’t reopen until September.

Some areas in China (who shut down on 10th January) are planning to reopen in the next few weeks, with high schools first, then middle, then elementary last. Others are opening for the two secondary exam years first and seeing how that goes.

Austrian schools are closed until the end of April and the government plan on opening small shops first to see what happens, and schools last.

Thai state schools are due to reopen in mid May for their next term, but won’t now until July 1st.

It’s a really interesting thread to read!

My fear is that the govt will use re-opening the schools as a kind of tap - flood the country again in May/June with children who don't social distance - shut down for summer and whoops! another peak of deaths in the holidays when the NHS can hopefully cope.

As a teacher approaching 60 with some (minor) underlying health issues and a shit immune system I don't really want to be the 'canary in the mine' thanks.

And as someone else said on another thread there's already a recruitment and retention crisis in teaching. Killing lots of them off doesn't seem a great idea.

Those folks bleating about the economy - I get it, but I don't want to find myself in a small classroom, with 150 teenagers through my door everyday and no gloves or mask on.

Call me picky, but I don't want to risk death, particularly when I'm not convinced it's safe to work.

The government will keep insisting that schools are safe workplaces and that stringent social distancing can be applied so vulnerable teachers will be OK.

It was fairly widely reported yesterday that the govt have said neither teachers or bus drivers need any protective gear because they haven't got any even for NHS staff and carers. this was interpreted by some as suggesting we were just a bunch of snowflakes fussing over nothing.

The government will keep insisting that schools are safe workplaces and that stringent social distancing can be applied so vulnerable teachers will be OK.

Let’s hope the heads and unions make it crystal clear that opening schools as they are would make social distancing quite impossible. I think a lot of parents would be very supportive and agree that wasn’t safe.

I would be surprised if it was before September, and unless things change drastically, even if they do I'll be keeping mine off

The government will keep insisting that schools are safe workplaces and that stringent social distancing can be applied so vulnerable teachers will be OK.

Absolutely. This is my big fear. At the moment I haven't left the house since school broke up and I do not want to find myself back in close daily contact with 1,000 other people with no protection.

@Appuskidu which FB page is that if you don’t mind me asking?

It’s called Global Educator collective.

Absolutely. This is my big fear. At the moment I haven't left the house since school broke up and I do not want to find myself back in close daily contact with 1,000 other people with no protection.

I completely sympathise. Yet, as a school-we are unable to reopen and staff schools adequately until all those vulnerable teachers can return. It’s very difficult

Thanks @Appuskidu I've sent a request.

Thanks @Appuskidu 👍

they may go back end of June start of July almost just to round off the year say good-byes etc

I really hate the fuss that is made over leavers’, but the idea of the government allowing schools back to ‘say goodbye’ is ridiculous.

Even when they live in the same street as their best pal, it’s all tears and hugs. Not a bit of social distancing in sight.

Our leavers’ assembly involves packing the hall with 100s of parents/carers/grans. Shoulder to shoulder.

And, what’s more, it takes time to organise! We don’t just fling it all together!

There are some arguments for opening schools up again, but saying "goodbye" is not anywhere near even making the list.

I don't think for the goodbyes, but I do think transition is important.

I think June sounds likely. Maybe doing alternating classes/specific year groups on different days. My colleague is insistent that it won’t be before September, but I think that would just open up potential for a huge wave of illness over the winter.