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Coronavirus - how is it/has it affected you?

Hacker Khan said:
The government have said that schools, specifically primary schools, will be one of the last things to close if we go further into lockdown. So they are not saying they are safe, they are saying with the precautions that all schools have made and the very low risk to school children, they feel they can stay open. The age of the kids in school is a big factor in the decision, whereas the government have given no age differentiation for meeting in houses and have put in blanket restrictions. Whether there should be more age differentiation in the levels of measures is up for debate.
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Your right the kids are not really in danger ,but the teachers are going down like flies in Liverpool and many schools have closed already. Others have closed year groups only.
The government are blaming young people and the hospitality industry for the rise in cases and have their heads in the sand over schools
While the schools remain open the cases will not go down imo.
But they need them open so people can go back to work and pay their taxes!
In the end it all comes down to money.
It’s a cynical view but one I think is correct.
 
SocketRocket said:
Do we shut down all schools and anywhere else people can meet to make it all equal, or should we allow as many as we want into our homes.
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We should shut down the main transmission places !
Schools are one of them , while they stay open the virus will not go away.
But the government blame everything else. ( shut the pubs for an hour)
That’s why we have a local lockdown ,schools are closed because the teachers have the virus not the kids.
But they keep telling us it dosnt affect kids WE KNOW THAT. But it does affect the adults in the schools.
 
I'm not aware of teachers "going down like flies" at any schools in Scotland even though the cases in some areas are high and schools have had a few reported covid positive tests.
 
KenL said:
I'm not aware of teachers "going down like flies" at any schools in Scotland even though the cases in some areas are high and schools have had a few reported covid positive tests.
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How many kids per class in those schools tho

Within 1 mile of me I have 7 primary schools... With 30 kids per class.. two - three form entry

Also have 3 secondary schools which are 6 forms of 30-35 students

So very densely populated

Easy for cases to rip through
 
clubchamp98 said:
Your right the kids are not really in danger ,but the teachers are going down like flies in Liverpool and many schools have closed already. Others have closed year groups only.
The government are blaming young people and the hospitality industry for the rise in cases and have their heads in the sand over schools
While the schools remain open the cases will not go down imo.
But they need them open so people can go back to work and pay their taxes!
In the end it all comes down to money.
It’s a cynical view but one I think is correct.
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How long do they stay shut for? a month? six months? a year? We can't take our children out of school for a weeks holiday as we're told how damaging it is for their education, another six months away will be absolutely catastrophic. Like everything the government are trtying to do, its not just about money, its about striking a balance
 
Last time I spoke to our youngest daughter, a primary school teacher in Manchester, she said there were 110 classes closed around Manchester due to the virus.
 
SaintHacker said:
How long do they stay shut for? a month? six months? a year? We can't take our children out of school for a weeks holiday as we're told how damaging it is for their education, another six months away will be absolutely catastrophic. Like everything the government are trtying to do, its not just about money, its about striking a balance
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If someone in a class tests positive then the school talks to the local public health team and currently the advice they are giving is for the bubble to stay off school for 14 days. Every school will have classes or bubbles not in school, everyone knows that will happen including the government. I'd argue 'using the 'can't take holidays in term time argument' is not that relevant as that is referring to 'normal times' and is around ensuring kids are in school as much as possible. Obviously if there is a strong chance the kids will spread the disease then schools do not want kids in school. In other words a cheap week in Torremolinos drinking Watney's Red Barrel is not really a good reason for a kid not to be in school. But potential to spread the virus is. Plus schools are doing all they can to ensure the education does continue remotely if they have to go home for whatever reason.

And although it is not allowed on here any more, at times I have been critical of the government. ;) But in this case whilst I agree there is a financial element in this as the government do want people back at work and not at home all the time looking after their kids, I believe the government have got it right in that the kids needs their education and this should be an absolute priority, or they will be a lost generation.

To me this twitter thread is also a good as explanation as any about the rules around schools.
https://twitter.com/x/status/1308481632748425216
 
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Hacker Khan said:
If someone in a class tests positive then the school talks to the local public health team and currently the advice they are giving is for the bubble to stay off school for 14 days. Every school will have classes or bubbles not in school, everyone knows that will happen including the government. I'd argue 'using the 'can't take holidays in term time argument' is not that relevant as that is referring to 'normal times' and is around ensuring kids are in school as much as possible. Obviously if there is a strong chance the kids will spread the disease then schools do not want kids in school. In other words a cheap week in Torremolinos drinking Watney's Red Barrel is not really a good reason for a kid not to be in school. But potential to spread the virus is. Plus schools are doing all they can to ensure the education does continue remotely if they have to go home for whatever reason.

And although it is not allowed on here any more, at times I have been critical of the government. ;) But in this case whilst I agree there is a financial element in this as the government do want people back at work and not at home all the time looking after their kids, I believe the government have got it right in that the kids needs their education and this should be an absolute priority, or they will be a lost generation.

To me this twitter thread is also a good as explanation as any about the rules around schools.
https://twitter.com/x/status/1308481632748425216
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A labour MP put a brilliant idea on twitter.. alas it's 6 months too late. Should have been said in march to bring in for now

Open schools 6 days a week with kids limited to 4 days a week. Much more social distancing available then and just a bit of joined up thinking
 
SaintHacker said:
How long do they stay shut for? a month? six months? a year? We can't take our children out of school for a weeks holiday as we're told how damaging it is for their education, another six months away will be absolutely catastrophic. Like everything the government are trtying to do, its not just about money, its about striking a balance
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Yes I see that but stop blaming everything else and just admit schools are just as bad as any other setting.
It’s the constant government spin that’s annoying.
Just tell us as it is.
That’s why imo so many people are ignoring the rules.
They don’t belive a word this government are saying.
 
pauljames87 said:
A labour MP put a brilliant idea on twitter.. alas it's 6 months too late. Should have been said in march to bring in for now

Open schools 6 days a week with kids limited to 4 days a week. Much more social distancing available then and just a bit of joined up thinking
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That sounds good in practice but where do the teachers come from?
They are not allowed outside their bubble.
So an extra day would require more teachers.
 
clubchamp98 said:
That sounds good in practice but where do the teachers come from?
They are not allowed outside their bubble.
So an extra day would require more teachers.
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You wouldn't need any extra teachers .. teachers would work in shifts .. less kids means you need less teachers

It does work just would need a lot to take off
 
pauljames87 said:
You wouldn't need any extra teachers .. teachers would work in shifts .. less kids means you need less teachers

It does work just would need a lot to take off
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Teaching does not work like that. The planning needed at secondary school would be horrendous to ensure the right teachers are in at the right time for the kids that are in that day. Also all lessons are planned so the kids need to be in 5 days a week. Expecting teachers to plan for 4 days won't work.

And expecting teachers to do any form of long term remote learning of meaning is very challenging, as it takes time and money to do it properly. Fine for universities with large budgets, very very challenging for schools who are mostly running at full capacity in terms of resources and time with little to no spare cash.

On the surface it sounds like a simple suggestions, in reality it would involve a massive amount of planning and preparation time that schools do not have. And even if you do all the planning, time table shifting etc etc to ensure teachers are not in 6 days a week, then there is no guarantee that it would be feasible over any length of time as circumstances may well change to mean that more restrictions have to be put in place.
 
SocketRocket said:
Do we shut down all schools and anywhere else people can meet to make it all equal, or should we allow as many as we want into our homes.
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Spot on - I'm thinking when we ask Why not A if B we need to appreciate that that would result in A and B - we have to look at things as A or B. We can choose - or rather - the government has to chose for us.
 
KenL said:
Thats a political post and rubbish.
No evidence the one in Scotland (borrowed from somewhere else) is working to an extent that stopped us being put into severe restrictions.
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Ironically your rebuttal of DfTs post could be considered to be more political than the post itself :)
 
Hacker Khan said:
Teaching does not work like that. The planning needed at secondary school would be horrendous to ensure the right teachers are in at the right time for the kids that are in that day. Also all lessons are planned so the kids need to be in 5 days a week. Expecting teachers to plan for 4 days won't work.

And expecting teachers to do any form of long term remote learning of meaning is very challenging, as it takes time and money to do it properly. Fine for universities with large budgets, very very challenging for schools who are mostly running at full capacity in terms of resources and time with little to no spare cash.

On the surface it sounds like a simple suggestions, in reality it would involve a massive amount of planning and preparation time that schools do not have. And even if you do all the planning, time table shifting etc etc to ensure teachers are not in 6 days a week, then there is no guarantee that it would be feasible over any length of time as circumstances may well change to mean that more restrictions have to be put in place.
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All things that can be planned with enough notice but yes it would take a lot of planning

Trust me my mum's been a head of year at secondary school my entire life I appreciate the planning side
 
My nephew's girl friend is a teacher.... I was pretty shocked when they stayed with us about how long she spent lesson planning.

and...
I think I've held on the phone for about 3 hours this week trying to talk to the Benefits Folk about my mum going into the Care Home - and I am ringing them to effect a cut in her allowance
 
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