School Children

[jennyjoan]

Some of the children here in my street are back to their secondary schools, thought they weren't going back for a while.

[Mamyalynne]

Could they be classed as children of key workers or in any other way vulnerable?

[jennyjoan]

Err no Mamy - not that I noticed re key workers - couldn't believe when I saw the relevant uniform

[Mamyalynne]

I see, don't know then.

[Buenchico]

Most secondary school pupils in Northern Ireland aren't due to return to school until at least 5th March. However special schools remain open and children who're classed as 'vulnerable', together with those whose parents are key workers, can continue to attend school:
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-schools-colleges-and-universities

The Northern Ireland administration defines people working in the following sectors as 'key workers':

"· Health and Social Care. This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, home carers and staff required to maintain our health and social care sector;

· Education and childcare. This includes pre-school and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who will remain active during the Covid-19 response;

· Public safety and national security. This includes civilians and officers in the police (including key contractors), Fire and Rescue Service, prison service and other national security roles;

· Transport. This will include those keeping air, water, road and rail transport modes operating during the Covid-19 response;

· Utilities, and Communication. This includes staff needed for oil, gas, electricity and water (including sewage) and primary industry supplies to continue during the Covid-19 response, as well as key staff in telecommunications, post and delivery, banking and waste disposal;

· Financial Services - This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure);

· Food and other necessary goods. This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution and sale, as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (e.g. hygiene, medical, etc.);

· Retail. This includes those workers who have been working throughout the pandemic in food retail, for example, and will now extend to those working in other retail businesses permitted to operate by the Executive from June 2020;

· Other workers essential to delivering key public services such as the National Crime Agency; and

· Key national and local government including those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response"

That's a lot of people!

[jennyjoan]

That's a lot of people Chris indeed so perhaps they are classed as vulnerable.

[bobbinwales]

Some faith schools stayed open.
Some schools are 30 - 50% full as the defanitions of key workers, vunerable and disadvantaged have been relaxed.eg poorer children with no computer access at home can go in.

[Buenchico]

Yup. A child only needs mum to work in Asda or dad to drive a bus in order to be able to attend school normally.

[jennyjoan]

chris - did you see my question about the SkyQ

[maggiebee]

My granddaughter is in 5th year and returned to school yesterday. This is because she is doing practical subjects eg art and photography. This is her last year at school before going to college and she needs to complete her portfolio which she can't do at home. Grandson in 1st year isn't yet back to school.