Why couldn’t he do that yesterday?

I often defend the government on here and feel that in most areas they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
Half the population say that nothing is more important than education and schools must remain open, the other half argue for safety first and to keep schools closed.
Personally I just don’t know which course of action is best but I do agree that this decision was turned on it’s head at the very last minute causing unnecessary chaos.
The decision should have been made on Friday at the latest and stuck to.
A shambolic inexcusable mess.

If we had a real leader we would be through to the other side by now!! I despair but I am determined to keep safe and healthy as at 70 I am a bit concerned !
As a retired teacher, I know that staff are shattered and concerned for their students whatever their ages! Schools had no idea as did none of us! We could only guess and predict !!

Yes, well said. My daughter and son-in-law, both deputies, are near breaking point having worked during the “holidays” and juggling time for their two primary school daughters. I would certainly not like their jobs at the best of times, but at this particular time it’s horrendous.

We can all sit back and blame the government for having to make unprecedented decisions, when in fact it is not the government spreading it, it is the stupid people who think it is all a joke and no matter what will carry on doing what they always do , the people who organise and take part in rallies objecting to their human rights being taken away, the organisers and participants in illegal races , the people who think it's a conspiracy and won't take it seriously , the plane stupid etc., etc., etc.. I never hear criticism.of these people, only the government. Yes other countries like China, have revovered far quicker because they have martial law and people respected that. There is no respect for anything in this country any more, so how can the government stand a chance. Damned if he does and damned if he doesn't , let's not forget he has first hand knowledge of what this illness can do,

My comment was in reply to Maw

No country of comparable population is ‘through to the other side’ susieq and I fear we have a way to go yet.

Raves not races

lemongrove

Mollygo ...Have to disagree with you there that ‘we on GN could run the country better’ ?although some no doubt think that they could.

We could probably run things better in our individual areas of expertise, but no way could we run the country better in the bigger picture! So much has to be taken into account, and one decision in one area has a huge knock on effect in others.

Lucca

Totally Agree. Just cruel. My DGD so excited to go back today now no more school.

But if you agree with the OP, then if you knew lockdown was coming why wasn’t the child’s expectations managed?!

I explained to my children that it looks likely schools would be closed but I would get school bits ready anyway. I promised a film and an ice cream in the evening (in Jan!) if school was cancelled.

Consequently - all ok

Nanaval4G

We can all sit back and blame the government for having to make unprecedented decisions, when in fact it is not the government spreading it, it is the stupid people who think it is all a joke and no matter what will carry on doing what they always do , the people who organise and take part in rallies objecting to their human rights being taken away, the organisers and participants in illegal races , the people who think it's a conspiracy and won't take it seriously , the plane stupid etc., etc., etc.. I never hear criticism.of these people, only the government. Yes other countries like China, have revovered far quicker because they have martial law and people respected that. There is no respect for anything in this country any more, so how can the government stand a chance. Damned if he does and damned if he doesn't , let's not forget he has first hand knowledge of what this illness can do,

Hang on a minute. He has first hand knowledge because he was boasting about going to hospitals and shaking hands with people. Only realised that people can be asymptomatic months after those of us that listen to the scientists knew about it. At every stage of this pandemic this country has been behind the curve and a lot of that is due to having a PM who seems to ignore things that are blindingly obvious.And only now are we insisting that people are tested prior to entering the country. As someone said on tv this morning, all we need now is to get a good test and trace system in place.

Top reply vegansrock.

I was a headteacher in my pre retirement life and I’m just so glad I’m not having to deal with all the issues that schools are coping with now. My daughter is a single parent with 2 young sons and didn’t know until later yesterday evening whether she needed to go to school today or whether there would be a key workers space plus before and after school care for her sons at their school to enable her to drop them off, travel to her school, work and then travel back to collect them. If the decision to close all schools had been made by government earlier then everyone would have had a chance to prepare both mentally and practically.

I work in an independent school. We had an inset day yesterday so no students in. Today was supposed to be preparation day for prospective year 7 pupils in Sept, the head made the decision in advance that would be cancelled. Staff put together an effective testing system for all staff before they returned on Wed, including students as they returned, now not needed, all that organisation wasted!

Our poor year 11 and 13 students were to do exam mocks Wed-Fri. All that revision in the holidays not needed, now they won’t even do their exams this year. I feel sorry for staff and students who have worked incredibly hard for nothing. I assure you no SLT staff had a proper Christmas break they were all working!

I work as a counsellor at my school, the pastoral system is fantastic but children’s mental health has been dreadful since the first lockdown hence I wish they could be all in school and they could have been if other stuff had been handled better. I will now try and help as many as possible by phone, rather than face to face like I did from March to July last year. Our children are facing a mental Heath crisis , our staff are super stressed . I don’t now how it will all end.

Nanaval4G, how true. There is a large movement of people on the local social media who are putting out videos from BitChute showing what a conspiracy all this is. I have had to walk away because I seem to be a lone voice disputing their "evidence" and reporting the posts is pointless because admin want the refuting evidence posted by the public rather than removing disinformation. Some of the evidence is quite compelling and it is only common sense that tells me that the World's Governments are unlikely to agree on a conspiracy!

I think the plan to send the children back to school (or allow them to be in school before Christmas) was flawed but it is an incredible balancing act for any Government and they are damned if they do, damned if they don't. It is difficult for them to just say "Let's just shut everything down!" and I would argue that we were getting notice all day from the news services. Lots of parents chose not to send their children back and all the local schools in our area had an INSET day anyway so many children were home anyway.

The school's may have had lists for the key worker children and those with special needs last time but things change. Our son has had an email to say he needs to email in...his son fits both categories.

Another damned if he does damned if he doesn't post and comments. People moaned about children not being in school and now moaning 'cos they are home. Nobody makes you send the children into school. It has been parents choice right through this. So...stop moaning all the time and make some decisions yourself about keeping yourself and families safe. You all have brains.

Problem is we have a moron for a PM and a cabinet who are equally bad....

I heard this morning that our worst problems would come in thirty years time, when the country was being run by a generation that had been home-schooled by alcoholics....

He has first hand knowledge MayBee70 because he has had the illness himself. Hindsight is a wonderful thing when it comes to blame

I don't think some of you understand just what damage has been done to childrens' education from the missed months of school already during this pandemic. Some younger primary school children are going backwards - forgetting how to speak properly and perform simple tasks. THIS is why the government has tried its level best to keep schools open at all costs (particularly primary schools) before almost anything else. As it is, because of this third lockdown, it will not be possible for GSCE and A level exams to be taken this year. The government are providing more laptops and tablets for children who do not already have these at home - everything about this pandemic can change on a day to day basis and I'd love for those criticising the government to be in their position for a few days and experience the potentially life and death decisions that have to be taken on short notice.

What a mess! And now it's got us arguing amongst ourselves. Everyone's very stressed. My son in law working on the covid intensive care ward, daughter - job till May ( & she's a lucky one) other daughter clinically extremely vulnerable, let alone DM 1 vaccine only. Same the world over.
BJ with a cabinet full of ministers trying to keep the economy going - sometimes for their own financial benefit. Love & light all x

I am a Chair of Governors, and absolutely agree with what Luckygirl says. The schools have been preparing all Christmas for their return. Schools are absolutely safe for children, that is not the issue.
The problem is that, with this new variant, the pupils may act as a vector for transmission back to families. In the village we know that many people did not follow the rules over Christmas and New Year, and now there is a sharp rise in cases locally which means pupils are more likely to be carrying back to families who have been obeying the rules.
I understand how important it is that children are back to school, I was a headteacher myself once. Many children are not supported to learn at home, and many pupils are also safer in school if they come from homes where, sadly, they might be abused or neglected.
In addition, the gap between disadvantaged pupils and others has widened by 40%, there are tragic long term consequences for them.
This situation is terribly stressful for staff who are criticised whatever they do, and who are actually at risk themselves - many of them are vulnerable to infection too.
It is right that the government is trying its best to keep schools open for the sake of the pupils - I don't think playing a blame game is helpful for anyone. It is a complex situation which is changing from hour to hour.

Did anyone see the second wave coming? So much over the last year has had to be reactive, given the unknown that we have had to deal with. How I wish all the people who know better, saw it coming, would have done differently, and are full of criticism, were in charge. How much better it would have been for us all - we could have been saved from every negative impact of this virus if we had those wise people in charge, and hadn't got a government that set out deliberately to kill people and make themselves unpopular. Never mind listening to scientists and then making decisions, never mind the vaccine - let's ignore that, just let's go on criticising and carping - I'm sure it makes everyone feel a lot better.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

My take on this is very simple if the covididiots had stuck to the rules we would not be in a lockdown.

Nanaval4G

He has first hand knowledge MayBee70 because he has had the illness himself. Hindsight is a wonderful thing when it comes to blame

He scrapped the cabinet pandemic committee 6 months before the pandemic struck. Of course, you will argue that he wasn’t to know there would be a pandemic. But that was the whole point of having it in place. To be proactive and not reactive. He has failed the country at every step over the past year and it’s beyond me why people defend him.