School opening. [poll]

[Chippy_Tea]

I posted this a few moments ago in the Covid thread.

I haven't heard one teacher (of the many that have phones 5 live) say its a good idea in fact most say its going to be a disaster due to lack of enough classrooms, washing facilities and policing distancing in corridors that are 2 meters wide or less etc.

(there were many more reasons not to open)

If you have school age kids and are in a position where you have a choice whether to send them back or not will you?



'Not forcing anyone to attend'

Mr Chalke, whose schools on average have 45% of children eligible for free school meals, said: "The greatest risks for many of our children are being stuck in a council block, with no fresh air, no exercise, little or no nutritious food."

Mr Chalke said the schools would not be "forcing anyone to attend", either pupils or staff, adding safety measures would be in place.

But he stressed that the "long-term social cost" of not opening would "outweigh any short-term medical risks".

 

[Clint]

At the moment I'd be reluctant to send my youngest back to school...another couple of months isn't going to matter.
Mr Chalke needs to drop his pompous wording referring to "council blocks"..I grew up on a council estate,great area,ex mining village,great people and my parents worked bloody hard...I'd punch the twit right in the eye...

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I'd punch the twit right in the eye...

You need to swap an i for an a Clint.

 

[Clint]

Well you know me...not one to get over excited...

 

[Bigjas]

I’m a teacher. I work in a Further Education College. I can’t wait to get back to work and start teaching again, it’s what I love doing. But there needs to be some drastic changes to the way students attend in the future. It’s not just spacing out classroom tables etc. If we can send students back to schools, colleges and universities, then we can open pubs and restaurants. The risks are very similar.

 

[Stephenj]

I have 2x 7 year old kids and I'm a teacher in a sixth form. I have little concern sending mine back. I totally get Clint saying what's the difference sending kids back now or in September, but what if sept comes and the situation is the same, what until Jan? I'm more concerned about the impact on my kids of having strange set up at school which might impact on them. I keep going through a risk reward thing in my head though. What will the gain be sending them back now, but what might the risks be? It's difficult and I keep changing my mind.

As for me, I'm more concerned as they are young adults who, stats suggest, may be more likely to get it than primary aged kids. Will I have PPE, full mask, a screen as seen in supermarkets?

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

It’s not just schools. My wife is a Childminder and was apparently able to open my front door to the children today even thought my dauughters school is still closed and I’m working from home due the the risk. No chance. We are going to wait until this R number is well down on today’s figures and sit it out. I don’t care, I’ve got 20kg of MO and lots of hops and yeast left!

 

[Leon103]

I have voted that I trust my school, because I do. They are totally switched on. I can understand teachers saying not to send them back, they are the ones in the firing line. Little evidence about the dangers to children.

Will my kids go back, no I doubt it. I have no need to send them back, my wife is home and happy to continue to home school them. They are very young so education need isn't quite there.

 

[Stephenj]

The school our kids go to sent a survey out to parents today outlining possible scenarios of return and what our thoughts and concerns were. Another local primary on their official Twitter account outlined in very strong terms the 'this will be very very very different' way their school will operate. Having read and interpreted the wording used to communicate with parents I get the sense these schools/heads don't exactly want to encourage the reopening of their schools.

 

[wyreforestred]

I’m a teacher doing all my lessons on zoom at the moment. I’d be desperate to go back. There’s too massive problems with this... If it’s not safe for children to go and visit their grandparents ( don’t think that the average 5 year olds grandad is over 65.... they’re not), aunties, uncles I fail to see how it is safe to effectively put 15 household’s children in the same room every day. Children themselves might not get ill, but how much will they spread it. Just as big are practicalities. It’s almost impossible to fit 15 children in a classroom 2m apartment. As for staggering playtimes, lunchtimes, night on impossible.

 

[Cwrw666]

My kids are long since out of education but if they weren't I wouldn't send them now. How do you social distance at all when normally they were crammed into tiny classrooms, 34 kids to a class. Space them out and where are you going to get the extra classroom space from.
My eldest missed 4 years of secondary school due to migraine 15 (that's where you have a migraine for over 15 days of every month - in fact she had a migraine for the full 4 years, just lying down in a dark room for 4 years). At the end she got 5 gcses despite no home schooling and then went on to do A levels, degree and postgraduate. So I wouldn't worry about missing a bit of school either.

 

[marshbrewer]

I am placing my trust in the scientists; if they say it's safe, then I'm happy to send them back. Keep in mind the June date is only if other phase 1 lifting of restrictions don't result in an increase in R that the NHS can't cope with.

Presently, I can understand the teachers Unions having concerns, but they need to bring forward proper scientific evidence that shows that the gov scientists are wrong, or they will just come across as playing politics in the long term.

 

[An Ankoù]

The trouble is that it's difficult to have any confidence that this government does anything at all except for political expediency. They know nothing about education and schools. Who, among the decision makers, has even attended a state school, I wonder. It's all about getting the economy rolling again because they're under pressure to do so by the party donors. I would say to Jish that if the GP's are supporting the teachers' unions, then there's already sufficient reason to question those "scientists" who are in the Government's pockets. I used to be a teacher and it is impossible to socially distance kids in a modern classsroom, they're too small. (the rooms, not the kids). What would make sense is for the teachers to go back for this last half term- no kids- and sort out their teaching programmes, classrooms, assembly halls, playgrounds etc so that they can be ready in September to do two shifts, half the kids in the morning for three hours and the other half in the afternoon. Studying core subjects of English, maths, science, history, geography, language. No need for P.E. or sports, crafts, R.E. music etc until things get back to normal.
Of course, that'll put a burden on parents to actually look after their own kids for the rest of the day, and continue to keep them away from grandparents. As wyreforestred points out, without careful handling, they're going to circulate the second wave of infection and we'll be back to square one. But the kids can't stay away from school forever. Stay alert. Don't trust a single word this lot says.

 

[MyQul]

I dont have kids but if I did i wouldnt send them back to school. For a start how do they get to school in the first place, teleport? Those who travel on public transport wont socially distance. In yesterday's daily briefing they said were getting closer to the R1 number. Sending kids back to school will take us over it.

 

[MyQul]

Why not wait till Sept? Dont kids break up for holidays at the end of june? Seems to me the Governement only want to get the kids back to school to free up parents so they can go back to work and get the economy rolling again

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Will I have PPE, full mask, a screen as seen in supermarkets?

The mask doesn't protect you it protects others from you i cannot see kids wearing a mask all day so you will be at bigger risk of getting C19 than if you and your kids were at home.

 

[Stephenj]

I might have it

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I might have it

Not good, what symptoms?

Do you have know where you may have caught it family etc?

 

[MyQul]

Well the poll looks fairly decisive. I wonder if this is representative of the country at large. If it is the Government are going to have a shock when most people refuse to send their kids back to school

 

[Mangold]

Teacher here in a secondary school. It will be impossible to maintain social distancing. A friend of mine who teaches in China has told me that they have recently gone back and the pupils are finding it hard to social distance.

My class room could not be modified properly anyway.

Besides I am in a school in Bromley, there is no way we have enough space to social distance and have the full cohort of 1600 in.