Government U-Turn On Back To School

[Gromit]

The plan for all primary school years in England to go back to school before the end of term is to be dropped by the government.

A victory for common sense?

https://www.bbc.com/news/education-52969679

[bednobs]

no

[fiction-factory]

I think it was bound to happen given that some councils/schools seem to be struggling to find a way to open up even for maybe the expected 60% turnout for 3 years despite having a couple of months to prepare, so the prospects of them getting more in even on a staggered basis of say 1-2 days a week seems beyond them. Meanwhile some schools were just getting on with it, and other countries seem to be managing.

I doubt schools will reopen fully in September. We are nowhere near that and lots of arguments will be found to not do it

[AuntPollyGrey]

Yes absolutely. Schools are not baby sitters and it may be convenient for those parents that both work to get back their free childcare , but it is not good for children to be mixing and bringing back the virus. I very much doubt 6 months of non schooling for a 6 or 8 year old is going to make any difference in the long run.

[bednobs]

ps now's the time to get shares in portakabin and furniture. My daughter's school (years 3-6) has about 60 pupils in each year. ATM there are only about 3/4 of yr six back, plus 20 keyworker and vulnerable children. Just those children alone are taking up 7 classrooms. When the whols school comes back, they'll need double the amount of classrooms (at least) plus extra desks and so on

[woofgang]

was it ever a plan that they would all be in school at the same time?

[woofgang]

I do see local governments making political use of the situation instead of focussing on what is best for the children.

[bednobs]

I don't think there was a plan as such woofgang

[bednobs]

not just councils woofgang, but also unions. My daughter's school have been nothing but helpful, and foresighted, but if you listen to what the unions are saying you'd think that no teachers ever want to go back to work

[woofgang]

oh sorry, it must have been Gromit's plan then.

[bednobs]

as far as I know it was an "aim"

[ToraToraTora]

you are applauding a U turn Gromit? Well cover me in eggs and flour and bake me for forty minutes!

[teacake44]

Sloppy plans. sloppy decisions, one big sloppy mess since the beginning of January, and we have a death rate to prove it I'm afraid.

[fiction-factory]

When would you like to see schools reopen Teacake? Some constructive suggestions would be helpful

[teacake44]

10.14 When we have this world beating track and trace, may be a good idea.

[fiction-factory]

Won't guarantee safety. Maybe we should close schools until everyone has been vaccinated - hopefully within next 5 years

[ichkeria]

I think it's very sad. However, it seemed to me that they hadn't realised that most schools are simply not big enough to cope with the measures as planned.
It is interesting that the unions are now saying it was a "practical" inpossibility (which it probably is)
Up until know the objection seems to have been safety.

[teacake44]

You asked for a constructive suggestion, not a guarantee.

[ichkeria]

The "contact tracing" argument is daft.
Contact tracing can't work properly anyway until the number of infections is low.
But if the number of infections is too low, then it won't be possible adequately to test the effectiveness of any virus!

[fiction-factory]

We have test and trace already Teacake.

[fiction-factory]

>to test the effectiveness of any virus!

Did you mean vaccine, ichkeria?