Reopening Of Schools

[Huntergreed]

With Scottish schools reopening next week and English schools following shortly after, what level of restrictions do you believe should be required in schools? There are some people on Twitter campaigning that distancing and masks should be mandatory and that returning children should be optional, to see examples of this take a scroll down this profile:

https://twitter.com/MissJayWaller

There are other people, like myself, who believe that our children have been deprived of their education quite enough and it should be a national priority to get schooling fully back to normal (no restrictions, run all extra-curricular activities etc) as soon as possible.

What level of restrictions do you believe is right for schools at this time (poll attached) and why do you think this?

 

[adc82140]

I would like to ask that twitter user why she thinks that our Covid is different to everyone else's.

 

[Ianno87]

Schooling with some sensible bubbling / separation of kids seems sensible.

For example, two classes in my son's new primary school ordinarily share a male and female toilet. For distancing, the toilets have become gender-neutral and assigned one per classroom (and called somethimg like the 'Owl' toilets and the 'Bear' toilets)


However, a secondary school near us is having kids do PE in school uniform for next term (to avoid close contact in changing rooms) - though being in the same sweaty clothes all doesn't strike me as massively hygenic...

 

[farleigh]

Open them up and give children as much of the 'old normal' as possible. Hopefully within a few weeks, it will be seen to be fine and bubbles etc can be removed.

 

[yorkie]

To those who voted for masks: Seriously? How would you actually implement that?

To those who voted for distancing: You cannot enforce it, so we'd be sending half the students home, only for students to socialise out of classrooms anyway. What would you do about break or lunch times? What about lesson changeover times? How long would you propose this goes on for?

Some people really have no clue how schools work; it's good to see the majority are sensible though!

 

[farleigh]

I have worked in schools over the lockdown and for the first couple of months 7 children were attending and paid no heed to social distancing. They were happy to be seeing their friends and gave a refreshing glimpse of a normal life.

Putting them in masks would be a ridiculous move - one that would be hugely unpopular and impossible to enforce.

 

[Scrotnig]

Full normality, other than obvious sensible hygiene precautions (which should have been 'normal' anyway, I've banged on about general poor hygiene in UK for many years before this pandemic! How many carried hand sanitiser everywhere before this virus? I did!)

 

[PTR 444]

Fully back to normal, but with extra hygiene precautions and advisory messaging to respect people's personal space rather than mandatory 2-metre distancing. I'm sure most secondary schools were wary of students disrespecting others' personal space for other reasons long before Covid came along.

 

[Howardh]

I've not been following the schools issue, doesn't apply to me other than I prefer my holidays and trips when the kids are back.

But with this pandemic and the risk of unsymptomatic pupils passing covid on to teachers and ancillary staff who get ill (or worse, infect their elderly relatives) I'm not sure how you can protect the adults from the children; do the pupils wear masks all day save for eating?

 

[trebor79]

Voted for fully back to normal.

I fear we are being softened up for a mask mandate, little drip drip of news stories. The nudge unit is at work.
Talk of bubbles seems to have stopped, presumably Williamson has finally accepted that you can't magic up double the school space and teaching staff to make that work. I really fear that masks is going to be the placebo they put in place instead.

 

[Richard Scott]

I've not been following the schools issue, doesn't apply to me other than I prefer my holidays and trips when the kids are back.

But with this pandemic and the risk of unsymptomatic pupils passing covid on to teachers and ancillary staff who get ill (or worse, infect their elderly relatives) I'm not sure how you can protect the adults from the children; do the pupils wear masks all day save for eating?

As far as I'm aware there has been no recorded case of a pupil passing it on to a teacher. We have just got to get on with it.

 

[duncanp]

I think there should be appropriate distancing measures in schools, such as keeping classes separate as far as is possible, staggered start and finish times for the school day and individual lessons, and the banning of activities for the whole school such as assemblies.

You should try and educate the children about hand sanitiser and the importance of good hygiene measures.

I don't think masks should be compulsory in schools, simply because it will be very difficult to enforce, and there will be pupils who have a genuine reason for not wearing one, and might be subject to bullying and intimidation if they wee mandatory.

Other countries in Europe have found that re-opening schools hasn't, in itself, lead to a significant increase in COVID-19 cases. Germany, for example, has plans in place for rapid response testing teams to be deployed to schools if pupils or teachers test positive.

 

[bramling]

With Scottish schools reopening next week and English schools following shortly after, what level of restrictions do you believe should be required in schools? There are some people on Twitter campaigning that distancing and masks should be mandatory and that returning children should be optional, to see examples of this take a scroll down this profile:

https://twitter.com/MissJayWaller

There are other people, like myself, who believe that our children have been deprived of their education quite enough and it should be a national priority to get schooling fully back to normal (no restrictions, run all extra-curricular activities etc) as soon as possible.

What level of restrictions do you believe is right for schools at this time (poll attached) and why do you think this?

Minimal distancing for older pupils only. I think there’s a case for implementing some measures if they can be done practicably and without being too intrusive, but beyond that normality should very much be the goal.

 

[Howardh]

As far as I'm aware there has been no recorded case of a pupil passing it on to a teacher. We have just got to get on with it.

Could that be because the schools have mostly been closed?

 

[furlong]

The title of this thread is slightly misleading - according to the government, schools have not been closed.(*)

The Secretary of State asked that schools sites not be used except in respect of vulnerable children and the children of key workers. The Secretary of State has a power to close schools under the Coronavirus Act 2020, but has not exercised it
...
The Secretary of State took numerous and significant steps to further the continuing education at home of those pupils not attending school sites
...
[a particular pupil] was not denied education by any action of the Secretary of State, and continued to have access to the education prevailing in the State for pupils in his position.

(*) Judicial review (Government's skeleton argument)

 

[adc82140]

Could that be because the schools have mostly been closed?

Is there something special about year 6 pupils, because they've been back since half term.

 

[Richard Scott]

Could that be because the schools have mostly been closed?

No, this is a worldwide statistic as far as I'm aware. Remember schools were open for key worker's children and then for at least 4 weeks before summer break.

 

[Mag_seven]

The Schools must reopen at the start of term no ifs no buts. We can't allow our children's education to be sacrificed just because some Twitter/Facebook mob dictate otherwise.

 

[bramling]

The Schools must reopen at the start of term no ifs no buts. We can't allow our children's education to be sacrificed just because some Twitter/Facebook mob dictate otherwise.

Absolutely. Likewise we can’t allow children’s development be disrupted so a handful of adults can use childcare as an excuse not to get themselves back to work.

This is one of the few things where BJ seems to be right that it must be no ifs or buts. Let’s see if he follows the right words with meaningful actions.

 

[Scrotnig]

Absolutely. Likewise we can’t allow children’s development be disrupted so a handful of adults can use childcare as an excuse not to get themselves back to work.

This is one of the few things where BJ seems to be right that it must be no ifs or buts. Let’s see if he follows the right words with meaningful actions.

Indeed. The 'Facebook Furloughs" need to be told two things:

1. Your child goes back to school, no arguments, otherwise you get fined, just like before. (There may be some limited medical exemptions to this, as there always is)
2. You then go back to work, no arguments, otherwise you lose your free money, just like normal.

Then we'll see how long this nonsense carries on. Whilst we have got to take sensible precautions, this collective insanity has to stop, and some people need to be disabused of the notion that the government can just keep printing money and pay them to sit at home.

The only exception I'd make is that in industries where the government is still preventing trading from taking place, the furlough scheme should carry on. Might focus the government's minds on getting that sorted as well.

 

[Huntergreed]

Slightly concerning that 3 people think schools should remain closed, would any of these people care to share their reasoning?

 

[yorkie]

Is there something special about year 6 pupils, because they've been back since half term.

I believe the decision was taken to bring back both the youngest and oldest primary students for two contrasting reasons: the youngest are most likely to require childcare otherwise and are the least likely to be passing on, or affected by, the virus.

And the need to prepare older students for starting secondary school (I believe the argument was also made that students aged 11 should be able to practice social distancing too). I don't quite agree with how they did it, and I've posted my views previously on that subject, but the underlying reasoning does seem sensible.

Slightly concerning that 3 people think schools should remain closed, would any of these people care to share their reasoning?

I suspect they don't really understand what goes on in schools, and how important it is to get students back to school.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

I voted for "No restrictions - back to normal".

One secondary school in my area has published their procedures for post-COVID return to class. It's a lengthy letter, but in essence, the protocol is:

• Hand sanitising on entering and leaving the building, and entering a "new" classroom;
• Wiping down work surfaces at the start and end of a lesson;
• 2 meters distancing between pupils and staff/staff and staff, no distancing amongst pupils;
• Masks are advised against but anyone is welcome to use them;
• No year group/house assemblies;
• Staggered lunch/interval times;
• However, no mention of what happens if someone in the school (teacher or pupil) tests positive for COVID.

All seems fairly reasonable to me.

 

[adc82140]

I believe the decision was taken to bring back both the youngest and oldest primary students for two contrasting reasons: the youngest are most likely to require childcare otherwise and are the least likely to be passing on, or affected by, the virus.

And the need to prepare older students for starting secondary school (I believe the argument was also made that students aged 11 should be able to practice social distancing too). I don't quite agree with how they did it, and I've posted my views previously on that subject, but the underlying reasoning does seem sensible.

I suspect they don't really understand what goes on in schools, and how important it is to get students back to school.

I was being (unsuccessfully) a little sarcastic, in that Yr 6 pupils have been back since half term and have not caused a massive Covid spike, so they must be special

 

[Ianno87]

I voted for "No restrictions - back to normal".

One secondary school in my area has published their procedures for post-COVID return to class. It's a lengthy letter, but in essence, the protocol is:

• Hand sanitising on entering and leaving the building, and entering a "new" classroom;

Some schools are doing "pupils stay in the same room whilst teachers move around"

 

[yorkie]

Some schools are doing "pupils stay in the same room whilst teachers move around"

Not secondaries, surely? How would that work with GCSE options?

 

[Ianno87]

Not secondaries, surely? How would that work with GCSE options?

At least one secondary. Might just be some lower years....

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Some schools are doing "pupils stay in the same room whilst teachers move around"

Impossible in secondary schools. Pupils need access to the PCs for CompSci or BusStuds, the labs for Science, workshops for TechStuds, music classrooms for music, kitchens for HE, etc.

Only subjects that that could be possible in are language based - so English/ModLang/SocStuds and Maths.

 

[NorthOxonian]

At least one secondary. Might just be some lower years....

Even then, I can't see how it would work. I was in the same class for all my subjects, but most of my friends had a mixture - some might be top set for maths but only third/fourth set for English, or vice versa. Unless you got rid of sets altogether and went for mixed-ability (which really isn't a good idea imo).

 

[Ianno87]

Impossible in secondary schools. Pupils need access to the PCs for CompSci or BusStuds, the labs for Science, workshops for TechStuds, music classrooms for music, kitchens for HE, etc.

Assuming "practical" lessons are still on the agenda...

(Side note - my first half term of year 7 was spent doing enthralling "Theoretical" Food Tech... as the kitchens were mid-refurb)