Broken Record?

[mushroom25]

just watching the government briefing on BBC1. and just like yesterday's briefing, same question comes up time after time - slightly different wording but the same question -

when are you going to close the schools? why are the schools still open?

are the questioners in league and hoping that if it's repeated often enough the government will say "oh for goodness sake, WE'LL CLOSE THE SCHOOLS!!" or are they just not listening to what they're being told?

[Old_Geezer]

Perhaps they aren't impressed with the answer.

[bookbinder]

Do you think that schools should be closed?

[royfromaus]

when are you going to close the schools?

In the case of my children's school, when 17 of the teachers do not turn up.

[sherrardk]

I’ve no doubt the schools will close - some around here are only teaching certain years (due to staff shortage) and my children have been asked to double check that they can use the remote access to work at home. Personally, I wish they’d just bite the bullet and make a decision (boy #2 has his GCSEs this year so something concrete would be great).

[sp1814]

The schools will have to close eventually, but then what happens to the kids? There are going to be millions of parents with no alternative childcare arrangements who cannot work from home.

I don't know how you would figure that out.

[ummmm]

And what are the kids suppose to do all day?

[ladybirder]

The Government is following the scientific advice given by our scientific experts which seems pretty sensible to me. Why do people with no such qualifications think they know better?

[Peter Pedant]

// just like yesterday's briefing, same question comes up time after time - slightly different wording but the same question -//

oh just like AB then ?

//Perhaps they aren't impressed with the answer.//
so they ask it again wondering if it will all be different this time

"I dont understand what isgoing on" used to drive me potty at work er when I did work. fifth time round, I let them have a lot of leeway

[Peter Pedant]

// The schools will have to close eventually, but then what happens to the kids? //

yeah it is not as tho you put them in cupboards until the next day - and this is part of the planning. Also Corona is NOT a disease of young people and the figs show one death under ten in 80 000.

[woofgang]

As well as the childcare thing which is HUGE, its a big compliance issue. If you are going to close schools, you then have to say to the kids that they also can't go to their other activities or even hang out in groups with their friends or go to each other's houses....because if that's allowed then they might as well be in school. If you live in an open rural area it might possibly just work but in cities and suburban areas, it won't work for long...so you hold off and hold off until you really need to do it.....but saying we aren't doing it because we don't think people will comply for long enough is not a message they want to give.

[maggiebee]

My daughter works in a school and there were 120 children absent today. Parents are making choices and who can blame them.

[roopower]

There are other factors besides who looks after the children, such as what about those on free school meals. They would possibly not get food at home. For most children that have access to computers there are several sites which provide ecucational activities and schools will give lesson and revision ideas. Probably better to keep schools open at the moment. My grandsons will go stir crazy if they cant get out and about and see their friends.

[sp1814]

ladybirder

Scientists are not in the best position to advise the government on how to manage the social impact of the decisions that have to be made to tackle Covid-19.

Yes, scientists and medical professionals should be consulted, but school closures and how to support parents if those schools close shouldn't be in their remit.

[TheChair]

Kids are just as likely to become infected as adults. Thus, you can have a situation where the parents are minimising social contacts and working from home, when the kids are going to school every day and risk bringing the infection home.

[New Judge]

It's probably going to happen at the end of this week:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-51910835

"It comes after teaching unions spoke of the "intolerable pressure" of staying open as more and more staff get sick."

Strange that. I haven't heard of any other industries on the brink of shutting down due to sickness. I wonder if anyone's done the sums. See if I have it right. The current number of confirmed cases is a little under 2,000. The sawbones and scientists suggest the true number could be 35,000 (because many sufferers experience very mild symptoms and do not need testing or treatment). So let's assume they're right. That's (very roughly because all that's needed for these purposes) one person in every 2,000 in the country. There are (again very roughly) 500,000 teachers in the UK. That means, assuming teachers are succumbing at a similar rate to everybody else, there must be about 250 (0.05%) teachers affected. What sort of business is it that has to close down because of a sickness rate of 0.05%? Or is it that teachers are going down like flies (even though there seems no widespread infection among school pupils)? Or do teachers think we cannot do sums?

[DTCwordfan]

Easter is nigh, my sister's school (Grammar) closed down today until post the Easter hols....staff to be paid.

[sherrardk]

I don’t think the schools will close due to a lack of staff but more down to parent pressure and lack of students. Any students with underlying health problems (including asthma) are being told to self isolate at my children’s high school and chicken pox season is fast approaching. Seems a bit daft to say avoid social gatherings, work from home, social distancing and up then we shove 30 germ carrying in room for a whole day.

[ladybirder]

SP I made the comment I did after I'd watched Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance on tv who seemed to have it covered from every angle. It wasn't the science in isolation. I suppose I made it sound like that which was wrong of me. I truly believe they are listening and trying to do their best for everyone.

[naomi24]

//And what are the kids suppose to do all day? //

As I understand it, if schools close the plan is for them to provide on-line lessons for the children.

[Spicerack]

Loafers gonna loaf.