Should the schools reopen?

Because they have no choice but to work or else no pay . Sadly that is reality for many people not fortunate enough to work in the public sector.

How many of them ere infected? Maybe that's why the lower paid have tended to have higher infection rates.

It still doesn't mean that everybody should run the same risk.

Oh and A&E are operating on a skeleton staff.

Why ?

That doesn’t make it right though, does it?

In the meantime my DH is (like many others) is terrible pain . He can barely sit down . Scans cancelled, operation cancelled. Departments empty . Its an absolute shambles.

I know people who have been going to work exactly as they always did . Factory workers classed as “key workers” on sh*tty wages putting their lives on the line in food production . No social isolation, no PPE ...just business as usual .

We all know that there is spare capacity in ICU now.

But they’ve been dealing with people that have been in lockdown and the majority would, hopefully be virus free. Once there is more community transmission everyone will be more at risk. My neighbours have just had what seems to have been a small party. I’m sure that will have been replicated throughout the country.

Not exactly working as ‘normal’ though I take your point. Yes we will have to all go back to work but it is too soon IMO.

It’s health v wealth and we all know what people like Rees-Mogg want.

Maybe it’s too soon? I don’t know but I know plenty people who have been working “as normal” the whole time .

I don’t know furret I don’t have the answer, just as all the scientists and politicians don’t have the answer either .

At some point we are going to have to take the plunge .

Let’s face it many people in shops , factories, transport etc. Have been working as normal throughout this whole pandemic and most get very little recognition.

So the workers return and then what?

A rise in the infection rate, the virus spreads again, comes into the home via the workers and to schools through the children (who do carry it even if asymptomatic).

Until schools return, many parents cannot return to work .

For the record most people do not have (paid) nannies and have no choice but to work .

Keep the little ones home till September but have the older children back. The 16 plus age group are old enough to keep a distance and understand rules, they also have exams to look forward to

growstuff, yes, it does seem a very sudden concern (and often quoted reason for schools reopening). It reminds me of the concern for the homeless - only at Christmas!

Of course, there's the majority of time (mornings, evenings, weekends and holidays) away from school, when disadvantaged and abused children suffer too, perhaps most.

Social workers have often found home visits impossible during lockdown. An awful lot of parents have had 'symptoms' and are 'self-isolating'. There was a rush to place the most vulnerable into foster care before lockdown began.

I assume the people who are so concerned about the home situation of some children will be supporting massive future investment in restoring support such as SureStart, social services, grants for schools in deprived areas, etc.

Absolutely not.

It will be interesting to see how many parents decide to actually send them in. I think there's good reason for year six to return but not reception or year one. The government want people to return to work, though, so it's just for childcare.

My daughter teaches Year 1.

She's happy to be going back

Had I a child in Reception or Year 1, I'm not sure I'd have sent them in.

It hardly seems worth it for a few weeks.

My eldest daughter has two boys. One in Year 4 and the other in Year 6.

The latter isn't impressed about having to go back when his brother remains at home!

On balance I think it's good to get them back in

My son in law is a teacher in a school for vulnerable children and the school has been open all along.Not all the children have attended but Calendargirl is right,it is impossible to get the children to socially distance.One of the reasons the children do so well at the school is because there is less formality than at a regular school.We were talking to him today and he said it has worked well up to now but the staff are not sure what will happen when all the children return.

Our granddaughter lives in Wales and her school will not reopen until September.My daughter is glad the decision has been made for her.She said the parents of the school are very divided as to whether the school should reopen or not.

ellenvallin your picture sounds ideal BUT what about the families who are stuck in ‘Grenville towers’ places what about children whose parents are working from home while they try to learn, what about the families that don’t have computers or one between three kids, what about the kids.watching domestic violence or worse being abused themselves what about the kids caring for parents and school is their only social space what about kids of drug addicts or drinkers I could go on and on
School doesn’t have to be policed and won’t be, they will get used to limited contact and hopefully by September or January it will Just be a bad dream and soon they ll forget all about the tim3 they couldn’t touch their friends and going back is the first step

I feel uneasy about the whole 'getting back to normal' steps, because we have no idea who has had the virus, as yet.

My six year old twin grandchildren have never stopped going to school, even through the Easter holidays, as both their parents are doctors who work for the NHS. Their two year old brother had to start nursery rather quickly as they lost their usual childcare, which was us or the other grandparents. Our other grandchild has been home schooling as his parents were both at home, one home working, the other made redundant immediately with the lockdown. They have said their seven year old will return to school as soon as Year Two are able to return. I actually don’t really know what I think about schools returning full time. I think I’ll watch and wait and reserve judgment.

I believe schools have closed in Derby and Bristol because of cases.

BlueBelle I think morning and afternon seesions are a,ong theways that schools are planning to cope, but there is talk of other practical considerations too - the layout inside each classroom, cleaning the toilets (and the staffrooms) far more frequently, playground distancing, cloakrooms for outdoor clothes, sharing equipment, parents going into school to fetch their child, and so on.