The Thirty-Sixth Republic - New Year approaching, no clear idea of what is happening next week and has Gav been sacked yet?

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My nearest hospital has just announced it is full and pleaded with everyone to stay at home.

This is beyond madness.

Blimey, page 20 already. Hope you are feeling better this morning gleaming

Another meeting about education today? I think it’s going to be full online learning for 1st week back. Then (providing NHS isn’t on its knees) they will start to get more pupils in.

That’s secondary, lord only knows what’s planned for primary.

Oh, primary will just be back as normal. Despite a massive rise in infections in primary-aged children, they're not deemed at risk so no-one cares. And just ignores all staff in that scenario.

I'm happy being in for my pupils' sake, but I CANNOT maintain a 2m distance, nor can I wear a mask due to their disabilities. But the government really don't consider SEN in all their plans.

Call me cynical but today is an excellent day to bury bad news : attention diverted by vaccines and Brexit.

I reckon online learning only for exam years so that schools ahve 'time' to set up the testing centres/ Zoom the army/watch webinars/ get staff tested. Online learning for other years begins wb 11 Jan and year 11/13 in schools. Exam still go ahead because they are so not fucked in any way.

They will say primaries straight back as none of the above applies. I don't see why primary/ SEN colleagues couldn't visit a nearby secondary for a test. That would seem fair, surely?? They can't say they are testing 'all school staff' when that is clearly not true : begs the question why they would bother to routine test secondary staff.

So, there are posters who would have us take our holiday now and work through summer. What do you think comrades? Fuck me, they haven't the faintest clue.

I think I'd be out

Salty I'd have been up for that IF it had been planned since September and everyone knew about it. As a last minute change NO FUCKING WAY!!

Really wish I could afford to leave now.

Also I'd have only been up for a 2 week adjustment, eg 4 week Christmas and 4 week summer. We need some time to recharge.

Same here, @Hercwasonasnowball

My husband is getting increasingly twitchy. He has terrible anxiety anyway, but now he's seeing the numbers (and looking at Twitter too much) and is worrying that if I or he get it bad enough to be hospitalised, then either a) he is going to be on his own in hospital or b) I'm going to be in hospital and he is going to be left on his own with the toddler. Neither scenario appeals because he struggles mentally on his own and finds it hard even looking after our toddler for the day while I'm at work.

If I could afford to leave, I would. But I really, really can't.

[quote DreamingofBrie]Today's leading article in The Times. I've managed to screenshot most of it in the 3 pic limit.

Not sure if the share token will work. www.thetimes.co.uk/article/912eb7a4-4a20-11eb-9dbc-44d114c9d92d?shareToken[/quote]
Again no mention that the tests are shit. Why does this get mentioned every other place they've been used, but not in relation to schools. I think @noblegiraffe needs to do a press release and we should bombard news outlets with it

When he says schools open - they might just mean to remote learning/KW etc.. or even on a rota basis. They are always so manipulative with their wording.

I wonder whether they will delay initially by one week - but everyone remote learning week 1... not a hope in hell they will give anyway an ‘extra’ week. Also that is secondaries - primaries I’ve no clue.

This has really pissed me off this morning

Katie Musgrave-a GP on Twitter quoting the UN rights of the child and saying schools must stay open. Do we reckon she’s still doing telephone consultations?

confidentchildrearing.wordpress.com/2020/12/27/why-children-need-to-stay-in-schools/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

@GleamingBaubles sending you I hope you feel a little better this morning.

I hope we don't only teach 11/13 in the first week - I need to get on with Y10/12 in particular and planning to run form time remotely so I can check in with them all.

In addition to lessons I have a faculty meeting to plan and a whole school CPD session. I'm not feeling full of enthusiasm atm.

The numbers yesterday were so high plus, pictures of ambulances queuing outside a London hospital and reports that hospitals down that way are full and may need to send patients North. All this and to me, the government seem very quiet!

Hope you're ok this morning @GleamingBaubles. My son was a shit at 4 too.I was so glad when he started school :P

Seeing the news about areas where the hospitals are full. Surely, opening any schools in those areas would be complete madness. Surely, they have to be kw and vulnerable only in the buildings for now.

I feel so anxious and I am in tier 3 with numbers not that high. Can't imagine how those of you in tier 4 with high numbers are feeling.

[quote Achristmaspudsskidu]This has really pissed me off this morning

Katie Musgrave-a GP on Twitter quoting the UN rights of the child and saying schools must stay open. Do we reckon she’s still doing telephone consultations?

confidentchildrearing.wordpress.com/2020/12/27/why-children-need-to-stay-in-schools/amp/?__twitter_impression=true[/quote]
Only approved comments will be shown. Assume she's just waiting for people to agree with her

Have any of these so-called child health experts been anywhere near a school recently? Do they have any idea just how not normal, not calm, not positive an experience schools are at the moment?

@SquashedFlyBiscuitsForSanta very very worried x

Call me cynical but today is an excellent day to bury bad news

Yep - they needed the Oxford vaccine news before they could make a decision on schools. Ie, we're going to shut schools while we quickly roll out a vaccine.

Maybe.

Just seen Gavin is to make a statement at 4 today about schools

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot that's what I am hoping... probably won't happen though.

I just don't understand how they can possibly see/know about those pleas from nhs staff on the news, begging people to stay home, and in the next breath say that (primary) schools will re-open as normal "because children don't suffer badly with it."

Are they REALLY that dim? And they can roll out as many "experts" as they like to talk about how important school is to children. We KNOW that, ffs, but it's kind of beside the point at the moment.

I love that they are making Gav make the statement- like they did last time.

I assume they only roll him out now to deliver bad news.

Is Gav’s news going to be the news they leaked to the TES yesterday (y11/13 now online for a week) or some actual news?

Do they really think delaying 2 year groups for a week, is a robust change when NHS staff are everywhere saying how bad things are?