Will Schools Reopen?

[mushroom25]

much debate in the media about schools and their reopening over the last few days - with the government suggesting children are not super spreaders, countered by Neil Ferguson saying that they are. and along with suggestions by the Association of Schools and College Leaders that children could only attend on a rota basis, is the NEU's 200 point checklist to be satisfied before schools should reopen.

no link - google "schools" in the news tab and then read it in the media that supports your point of view. but the NEU list is not a right-wing media invention, it does exist, here - https://neu.org.uk/media/11476/view

what chance of the list being satisfied before opening day, or compromises being reached? or will the schools remain closed, or partly closed?

[dannyk13]

Not if the unions get their way.
https://neu.org.uk/press-releases/coronavirus-unions-warn-against-premature-reopening-schools#:~:text=Coronavirus%3A%20Unions%20warn%20against%20premat

[Old_Geezer]

I think they seem to get away with schools open in other nations. And a lot of education already been missed. They need to give it a try.

If they want social distancing though, they need twice as many classrooms and teachers, don't they ? Does this mean the social distancing goes out the window ?

[dannyk13]

Og, I have seen a suggestion that they start with half day schooling.Half of pupils in the morning and half in the afternoon.This would allow for distancing.

[Old_Geezer]

Gunna be difficult catching up like that though. Maybe teacher gives out a ton of homework to be done before the next day.

[dannyk13]

Some teaching is better than no teaching.

[ichkeria]

Schools will open, I am sure.
As others have commented, it is appalling to think that pubs might remain open (to which I've no objection) but schools not.

Neil Ferguson should be locked away.

[bednobs]

I very much doubt my daughter's school will be closed. The teachers and head there seem to be doing anything and everything possible to make sure their children can resume education in September. My daughter went back in June and they had a really good set-up - the classrooms were just set out in a different way, there were staggered arrival/leaving times and staggered breaks, with different areas of the playground used for different classes/years. They obvs didn't have the whole school back, but it worked ok and could be scaled up (without the need for new classrooms or teachers I think). Mind you, the school isn't on limited space like some and has a large playground. I know this is only one example out of thousands, but I just wanted to counterpoint all of the negativity in the press around teachers. ours are marvellous, and have been innovative and working really hard to make it work

[Gromit]

The Government are eager to restart the economy. They want workers to go back to their jobs instead of looking after their children at home.
Parents will safeguard and look after their children for as long as it is necessary. They will not obey the Government if their children are not safe.

[dannyk13]

Ich, pubs contribute to the economy, which badly needs a kick start, schools don't.

[ichkeria]

"Ich, pubs contribute to the economy, which badly needs a kick start, schools don't. "

Schools don't "contribute to the economy"?
Bizarre.
I suspect you don't have school age children, with that comment.

[Old_Geezer]

Well not in the short term. (Although we do need more low paid uneducated workers in out country to stop the cry of needing immigrant workers. So maybe that'd work out eventually.)

[dannyk13]

ich //
Schools don't "contribute to the economy"?

[dannyk13]

Can you explain how they do?

[ichkeria]

"The Government are eager to restart the economy. They want workers to go back to their jobs instead of looking after their children at home.
Parents will safeguard and look after their children for as long as it is necessary. They will not obey the Government if their children are not safe. "

Also bizarre. Apart from anything else, schools returning will allow more people to return to work. T|hat comment might have made some sense a few months, ago, but there is zero evidence from other countires that children are catching the virus from going to school (many here already have been at school all through the lockdown). They might be carrying it to others (which is a different argument), but that also seems unproven.

[ummmm]

Danny - do think everything is given to parents free at the start of a new school year? The list for what each child needs is very long.

[ichkeria]

I despair sometimes :-)

[dannyk13]

ummmm, compared with what comes from the licensing trade that would be an infinitesimal amount.

[dannyk13]

ich//I despair sometimes :-)//
As do I on reading some of your posts,But Hey! never mind.

[Gromit]

Ich
The Government need to communicate that it safe for children to return to school.
For some reason, the Government seem unable to make a any coherent message about anything to do with coronavirus. The advice is contradictory, confused, and unintelligible.

[fiction-factory]

>The Government need to communicate that it safe for children to return to school.

Can you suggest a form of words that would work. No government can guarantee no-one will catch it in schools.

They have already said it is a priority
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53710472