Coronavirus - political views - supporting or otherwise...

[Hacker Khan]

Warning, this is a rather long and waffley post…..

As a father of a 5yr old we have been in the thick of the ‘going back to school’ discussion for the last couple of weeks and my overriding observation is how the talk has become very much Brexit like. It is very divisive and what were usually very supportive WhatsApp groups for the mum’s within the class have become a judgement argument between those who aren’t sending their children back because they don’t feel safe and cannot believe anyone would want to risk the health of their child and those who are sending theirs back and thing anyone who doesn’t is being overly scared and there are risks in everything we do. There doesn’t seem to be room for people to appreciate that they have their own point of view but everyone’s circumstances are different and we shouldn’t be judging parents for the decision that they make in the coming weeks.

FWIW we are going to be sending our daughter in on June 8th (in our school they are having nursery/reception in on the 1st and then Yr1 a week later). My personal view is that actually it’s probably going to be safest for her to go in for a few weeks before the summer given all of the plans that have been put in place whereas in September there are suddenly going to be all year groups back, 30 in a class and the playgrounds full again. Having spoken to a few teachers that I know they feel the same, whilst they are concerned about going back in June they are more worried about September on the basis that there is unlikely to be a vaccine and whilst the R number might be lower there are unlikely to be many protective measures in place simply because their cannot be with all classes back in action. I appreciate there are many different views on this from parents/staff so I am not suggesting these are right or wrong, it’s just the attitudes of those who I personally know.

Myself and my wife have talked about this at length and it’s not so much the educational impact that this is having on our daughter that is worrying us. I’m sure she will catch up although being a summer born she was already playing catch up so this break in learning hasn’t helped. She was a very willing student to begin with however the novelty soon wore off and we don’t have a big enough house to have a area specifically for ‘teaching’ as there are still distractions around. We have done our best to keep things ticking over however the summer term started and the school started expecting us to teach new things, this wasn’t so much of an issue in the early days as we were just reinforcing what she’d already been taught however the arrival of fractions, multiplication and division were a step too far!!

Anyway, back on topic, the thing we have noticed is that she is far more prone to emotional outbursts, she’s quieter and she doesn’t want to do Zoom calls with her friends as it upsets her. We have tried to keep things as social as possible however when she’s outside she’s scared of people coming anywhere near here due to the virus and in all honestly we’d like her to get back into an environment where she starts to realise that it’s not a killer (although obviously it does kill) and she doesn’t have to be scared about people. For me, the June start will hopefully allow her some time to get to grips with this and when September starts (in theory) she will be better prepared for that.

Last night we had the letter from our school to give us an idea of what we (and our daughter) can expect going back. The following may not be of interest but will give you an insight into the preparation schools are doing.

No social distancing as that cannot be reasonably expected of Yr 1 pupils.

Children taught in ‘bubbles’ of 15. They will be allocated adult(s) who will only work within their bubble and will not teach/work with any other bubbles.

One way system for drop off/collection with staggered start/end times with parents being given a 5 minute window at the start and end of each day.

Full days bar Friday when the school will be closed in the afternoon for a deep clean and teachers can plan/prep

Lunch in classroom and traditional play time/lunch break will be replaced by allocated time out of the classroom for each bubble(s)

No school uniform and no books or pencil cases etc to be brought in with child. Just a water bottle, snack and coat if required.

No face cover/masks will be required by either children or teachers.

If there is an incidence of suspected COVID-19 then parents will be informed and will be asked to collect their child immediately and be asked to self isolate for 14 days. The school will not be closed at this point and only those within the particular bubble will be asked not to attend for the self isolation period.

The school have then gone on to ask parents to confirm who will be attending come the start date. For any that decide that they aren’t willing to attend, they will not be given the option to change their mind at a later point in the term unless someone else drops out i.e. if in a couple of weeks you see that all is working well and you now feel comfortable to send your child in then you can’t unless there is space. If not then you will have to wait until September.

Again, apologies for the length of this, ultimately I think there will only be a right or wrong in hindsight and we have made a decision based on the risks to us as an immediate family and also for the mental health of our daughter. We are not judging anyone who feels that the risks are too high and will not be sending theirs back in and hope that we don’t get into the situation where we’re faced with being judged ourselves. That said if people do then they can go for it, I have thicker skin that that.

Those preparations are pretty standard across many schools. And you do make a good point that the bigger challenge may well come when schools are expected at have all the kids in. As the vast majority of schools can keep the pods apart with only 3 years going back and often staggered rota type arrangements. But that will break down with everyone in. Our schools classroom are only supposed to hold 23 whilst in reality they all have more kids in. So the classrooms are too small for all the kids in 'normal circumstances'.

Also I'd argue that there can be a right or wrong decision now in terms of you making the best rational call based on your particular circumstances, taking into account all the guidance. And it seems to me you have made the right call to send your child in. Where as other parents in different circumstances may also make the right call to not send them in. Don't beat yourself up about it. And I can assure you teachers will be doing all they possibly can to keep the kids that do come in as safe as possible.

 

[Hobbit]

I have absolutely no problem with different regions, or in our case countries, moving at different speeds. In the case of the UK it is devolution in action. I found it very odd that the people moaning most about Boris moving differently to the devolved nations were the ones who want to be able to make their own decisions for themselves. Seperate nations under the same banner making local decisions that suit them.

From what I saw on BBC Northeast news last night it might not be a bad thing if different parts of England were at different stages too. But I do read some of the stuff on here with a wry smile. Nicola flag wavers having a pop at Westminister when its Nicola who is deciding what Scotland does in terms of health.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Northern Ireland opening restrictions well beyond anything else in the UK, whilst not presenting any data or being too clear on dates and logistics......

Yet eerily quiet on here. One could think posts on here might not of actually been about concern for safety, rather that they don't like the current majority government?

As a forum or just this thread? If it’s the forum then maybe people are prioritising their lives over “chewing the fat” if it’s this thread, then maybe as it’s a political thread being quiet is a good thing as the majority have put their political allegiances aside while we go through this crisis.
Or those who are against the Government are having reasoned points put back to their criticisms and are accepting them.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I have absolutely no problem with different regions, or in our case countries, moving at different speeds. In the case of the UK it is devolution in action. I found it very odd that the people moaning most about Boris moving differently to the devolved nations were the ones who want to be able to make their own decisions for themselves. Seperate nations under the same banner making local decisions that suit them.

I cannot recall any of the devolved nation posters on here saying that England should not act independently. It would probably have been better for all nations to act together but that was not England's choice.
At that point of losening lockdown Johnson should have made it very clear that he was speaking as an English FM not a UK Prime Minister

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I cannot recall any of the devolved nation posters on here saying that England should not act independently. It would probably have been better for all nations to act together but that was not England's choice.
At that point of losening lockdown Johnson should have made it very clear that he was speaking as an English FM not a UK Prime Minister

Surely as the other Leaders had stated that prior to his broadcast he wasn’t speaking on behalf of them he didn’t need to repeat it?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

From what I saw on BBC Northeast news last night it might not be a bad thing if different parts of England were at different stages too. But I do read some of the stuff on here with a wry smile. Nicola flag wavers having a pop at Westminister when its Nicola who is deciding what Scotland does in terms of health.

I guess the question is how far do you break it down? Northumberland is relatively Covid free, Teeside (the Mario Balotelli of the NE) has it bad, as does Gateshead I believe. Where do we draw the lines? It is perhaps easier in the likes of Spain which has fairly distinct regions and empty gaps between them than England where regions can be less defined, particularly as you move down the country and the population becomes denser. I think you are probably right in that it would be best but I don't think the desire is there to split England up in that manner.

 

[Beezerk]

I guess the question is how far do you break it down? Northumberland is relatively Covid free, Teeside (the Mario Balotelli of the NE) has it bad, as does Gateshead I believe. Where do we draw the lines? It is perhaps easier in the likes of Spain which has fairly distinct regions and empty gaps between them than England where regions can be less defined, particularly as you move down the country and the population becomes denser. I think you are probably right in that it would be best but I don't think the desire is there to split England up in that manner.

Put tanks at Scotch Corner to keep all those bloody Southerners out ?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I cannot recall any of the devolved nation posters on here saying that England should not act independently. It would probably have been better for all nations to act together but that was not England's choice.
At that point of losening lockdown Johnson should have made it very clear that he was speaking as an English FM not a UK Prime Minister

Johnson set out the policy of the UK govt. The devolved adminstrations were then able to amend that as they suit, as they are able. They did. What's the problem? The cute move from the devolved govts is that they release their decisions on the same day but before the UK govt so they get to get their message out first. It looks as though Boris is splitting away but in reality it is the other way around. Clever politics but it does not change the situation. Either way, you get what you want, the Scottish govt setting the rules for Scotland. You should be happy about that.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I guess the question is how far do you break it down? Northumberland is relatively Covid free, Teeside (the Mario Balotelli of the NE) has it bad, as does Gateshead I believe. Where do we draw the lines? It is perhaps easier in the likes of Spain which has fairly distinct regions and empty gaps between them than England where regions can be less defined, particularly as you move down the country and the population becomes denser. I think you are probably right in that it would be best but I don't think the desire is there to split England up in that manner.

Apparently Sunderland for 3 out of the 4 last weeks had more cases per capita than anywhere else in the UK.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Apparently Sunderland for 3 out of the 4 last weeks had more cases per capita than anywhere else in the UK.

I had not heard that. That is a shocker. If this was not causing loss of life we could pile into the standard Mackem jokes at this stage. In the circumstances it is just very sad to hear.

 

[DanFST]

Johnson set out the policy of the UK govt. The devolved adminstrations were then able to amend that as they suit, as they are able. They did. What's the problem?

Just brace yourself if others are still in lock down when furlough payments are scheduled to stop..

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I had not heard that. That is a shocker. If this was not causing loss of life we could pile into the standard Mackem jokes at this stage. In the circumstances it is just very sad to hear.

Seems to concentrated in 3 or 4 local areas, plus not sure if that is the NHS Trust area that covers Washington etc.

 

[rudebhoy]

Northern Ireland opening restrictions well beyond anything else in the UK, whilst not presenting any data or being too clear on dates and logistics......

Yet eerily quiet on here. One could think posts on here might not of actually been about concern for safety, rather that they don't like the current majority government?

Or you might think that has more to do with there being far more posters on here living in England, and Scotland, than there are in NI.

 

[User62651]

Apparently Sunderland for 3 out of the 4 last weeks had more cases per capita than anywhere else in the UK.

Read the other day that Barrow in Furness, Cumbria is the worst place in Eng/Wal for infection rates.
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...ighest-infection-rate-in-the-country-11989473

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Just brace yourself if others are still in lock down when furlough payments are scheduled to stop..

To be fair the Chancellor is giving lots of forward notice regarding furlough, the time periods are generous, but I take your point. I think the response here will be less bracing and more shrugging of shoulders and shaking of heads if that is the road some want to take.

 

[DanFST]

Or you might think that has more to do with there being far more posters on here living in England, and Scotland, than there are in NI.

It was a comment regarding a previous locked thread, many posters from outside England were happy to criticise and snipe at the government when they relaxed the lock down, implying lack of safety and no clear data given. However nothing has been said about this NI update, despite being pretty much identical with more freedoms!

Personally good for NI, I couldn't really care what information they divulge etc. I just hope it works for them and it's citizens get a bit better quality of life

 

[rudebhoy]

It was a comment regarding a previous locked thread, many posters from outside England were happy to criticise and snipe at the government when they relaxed the lock down, implying lack of safety and no clear data given. However nothing has been said about this NI update, despite being pretty much identical with more freedoms!

Personally good for NI, I couldn't really care what information they divulge etc. I just hope it works for them and it's citizens get a bit better quality of life

My point is still 100% valid. People on here, and the media, are going to make a lot more noise about what Westminster does compared to what Stormont, simply by weight of numbers.

 

[SocketRocket]

The most valuable asset of a modern democracy is a functioning economy. We are burning it to the ground for an entire generation. Fine if you're old and rich, not so much for everybody else.

Why so divisive? What about the Young and rich, Middle aged and rich, anyone who is rich, I dont see why you felt it necessary to be ageist. The Old are people who have paid the biggest price with this Virus, it has killed proportunatly more of them. Its rubbish for everyone and pointing fingers at certain demographics does nothing to make it any better, unless you believe some people are expendable and it would be better to sacrifice them so the rest can get on with life. If we lived in a society like that I would rather go first as it wouldn't be a place I wanted to be a member.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Read the other day that Barrow in Furness, Cumbria is the worst place in Eng/Wal for infection rates.
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...ighest-infection-rate-in-the-country-11989473

Though it's in a very attractive location on the edge of the Lakes - B-i-F is not a very attractive town and it is a town with a lot of social issues - including a big drug problem. It's also got the BAESystems shipyard, and where you have one very large employer in a not terribly large town you have a very significant population infection risk - which appears to be what has happened.

A bit like why comparisons with Belgium's infection rate have to be done with care.

The source of Belgium's significant infection will almost certainly have been 'The Carnival' at the end of February. Very large numbers of Belgians attended the three-day event cramming into a small town - with a lot of infection resulting. When the number infected is taken as a % of the Belgian population of 11m it looks terrible - and it is - but the stats for Belgium seem to be mostly down to that single event rather than an any great subsequent failure to manage the spread of the infection.

 

[DanFST]

Why so divisive? What about the Young and rich, Middle aged and rich, anyone who is rich, I dont see why you felt it necessary to be ageist. The Old are people who have paid the biggest price with this Virus, it has killed proportunatly more of them. Its rubbish for everyone and pointing fingers at certain demographics does nothing to make it any better, unless you believe some people are expendable and it would be better to sacrifice them so the rest can get on with life. If we lived in a society like that I would rather go first as it wouldn't be a place I wanted to be a member.

Not sure it's like that.

I believe he meant state pensions are incredibly safe and shouldn't feel the effects.

S+S isa's and many private pensions are looking pretty grim tho, so not quite a correct comment!