What if schools do go back???

[GMcC2]

Reading lots of reports that schools will go back before summer as we ‘ease’ out of the lockdown. How is that going to work if people have been told to isolate / shield for 12 weeks? Will I be expected to take my child back to school, do school runs 4 times a day on public transport, let her bring the virus home? It seems bonkers & I’m stressing already. Just because young children are not as badly affected doesn’t mean they can’t bring it home to the vulnerable. And to be honest, I wouldn’t trust the government to make the right decisions at the right time as they haven’t exactly instilled confidence so far...

[Badbessie]

Obviously this is speculation at the present time by the media and I am sure wishful thinking on the part of some. There are two people in my village in the same situation. At the present time I cannot see it happening.

[Hidden in reply to Badbessie]

I don't think they will be reopening for a long time yet myself.

[Hidden]

Take what you hear in the media with a grain of salt as they like to exaggerate and wait until its official and you hear from your school themselves that they will be reopening on a certain day.

[skischool]

There are many vulnerable children in so called social care which is virtually non existent these days who would be safer returning to school,not every child has either a functional family or any family at all to support them,

[GMcC2 in reply to skischool]

My child is adopted & has a background of neglect. I often think about how the lockdown is impacting on those that are in situations where there is no escape / help at this time. We have thankfully had lots of calls from support agencies despite the lockdown to check my child is OK. Our social care support has been outstanding at this troubling time. I salute all the social workers going the extra mile at this time.

[skischool in reply to GMcC2]

Firstly let me thank you for adopting a child,you are a vey nice person who has reached out and offered a young soul love and another opportunity in life,sadly some areas of the country,for various reasons be they financial or through bad planning do not provide such a caring service,a particular example are those children nearing the end of official care who have been basically dumped by social services into unsuitable and often dangerous accomadation with often little more tnan an overworked case workers telephone number that doesn't respond,it is indeed a national shame on this country and something that needs addressing now and not tomorrow,that will be too late to save them.

[Spacecat1 in reply to skischool]

Yes our daughter on a rota she is a keyworker( teacher). and it was decided that certain children in her year setting safer in school hence going in to be there for and to give them that continuity of care. And then runs over to church to help with the food bank very busy bee.

[skischool in reply to Spacecat1]

Good for her,unfortunately not all teachers have been as generous and supportive of the vulnerable kids,but like everything in life there are good and bad. x

[Spacecat1 in reply to skischool]

True.

[cofdrop-UK in reply to Spacecat1]

My daughter too is an assistant head in a large inner city primary school in a deprived area. Schools are providing places safely (distancing) for children of key workers and vulnerable kids and teachers. You will never please everyone - everyone’s an expert when it comes to teaching except now of course when it’s not there.

Cx

[Grandmatojack in reply to skischool]

Yes my grandson aged 4 is returning to school on Monday. He is high functioning autistic but reacts very badly to routine being changed . The school feels it would benefit him to be back in his normal routine as much as possible. It may only be part time but anything helps.

[Caspiana]

Oh goodness GMcC2 , 😧

I see your quandary. How old is your child? Please forgive my ignorance but why do you need to be picking up and dropping off four times a day? I thought you'd drop them off and pick them up, unless you bring them lunch?

To be honest, I think unless you know for absolute certain , it's best not to take too much of the news coverage too seriously. I have given up reading lots of news and just listen to the news on the radio once a day and I leave it at that. Everyday the media come out with different stories and then the next day day something else and contradictory. Physiologically, it's too draining for me.

I really understand your anxiety over this though. Sending best wishes to you and your daughter. 😁

Cas xx 🍀🌿

[GMcC2 in reply to Caspiana]

Thanks very much Caspiana. She’s only 6 so I have to get a bus to drop her off at school, but then I have to get a bus back home, then do the same at home time. I’m going to try not to worry & ignore the media at moment when they discuss it.

[Caspiana in reply to GMcC2]

Ah okay. I am a bit thick. 😧 I understand now. Goodness it's hard when the school is far away. I'm Japan children walk together in organised groups. They oldest ones are the "group leaders" in charge of getting them to school. So I am lucky I never had to do this . I ignore most of everything in the media and listen to one reliable news station and read what the WHO have to say and that's all I can manage to be honest. Take good care and I hope you and your daughter are doing some fun things together. Easier said than done I know. xx 🙋💓

[pjwy]

It’s a very difficult situation and the effects of lockdown are very variable depending on circumstances.

However,it’s surely far too early to be even talking about relaxing restrictions when we’ve hardly yet been able to fully implement the current ones...

The media don’t help either...I watched BBC’s Breakfast programme this morning and the presenters were constantly pressing the Health Secretary about when restrictions could be relaxed which doesn’t really help people grasp the importance of continuing to be vigilant.

Let’s hope the powers that be get the decisions right!

Would just like add one thing though.....when,please God,this battle is over,let us hope that Government sees the folly of underfunding our NHS and gets its priorities in the right order...for example,instead of hairbrained schemes like HS Train lines costing manic billions to build for little general benefit,put that money primarily into our beloved Health Service together with good management and help make up for the years of Government neglect!

[cofdrop-UK]

As I mentioned above somewhere my daughter is an assistant head in a primary school within a very deprived inner city area. At present children of key workers and vulnerable children are being taught with distancing. The rest of the children are getting homework.

The senior management are having a meeting this week to discuss how a return will be managed.

It’s all very well to say children are not hit hard by CV and indeed some are asymptomatic but there are huge problems to surmount with a full return.

Firstly before the lock-down out of a school of over 700 pupils one day loads of parents complained to the school that they were putting their children in danger. The nursery closed. Over the next few days over 300 kids were taken out of school. So how’s that going to work when the Gov overturns their decision!

Whilst the kids mostly get this disease in a mild form they can be shedding and teachers work in close proximity without protection and have vulnerable family of their own. Other kids can shed and most kids have vulnerable family of their own.

There are over. 700+ kids in the school which was built for 400, so how on earth can there be social distancing.

The same applies re social distancing when all parents and even grandparents are turning up around the school gates at the same time and collecting kids at the same time.

This is going to take a lot of organising and I for one hope they don’t do it too soon.

Cx