Time to admit this virus affects some more than others.

lemongrove

They can ( should) be wearing masks.They are not facing each other on the bus either.

Do you honestly think that children on a bus are all going to remain facing in the same direction for the whole trip? Or not touch each other? It doesn't matter anyway if the bus isn't well-ventilated because the air will be full of Covid droplets, if an infected child isn't wearing his/her mask properly.

Sorry, but school buses are an additional risk, which parents will avoid if at all possible.

They are at higher risk lemon grove that's the point.

They can ( should) be wearing masks.They are not facing each other on the bus either.

Antonia; type 1 diabetes is more often found in White (Caucasian) populations, type 2 is more often found in other ethnic groups. I think more work needs to be done to find out why but there are very clear differences.

lemongrove

Then that is a lot of people Galaxy and who can blame them? Leaves more space on the bus for those who really do need the transport.

Yes, it does but those remaining are still from different "bubbles", so the government's assurances that schools and buses are Covid-safe are nonsense.

Yes no bubbles or social distancing on school buses.

I dont blame them but it means those who cant have access to a car are more likely to have education disrupted. Therefore those sections of the population are at an even greater disadvantage in upcoming GCSE's etc.

lemongrove

trisher

Galaxy I bet there are a few of the better off families taking their kids to school by car to keep them safe.

Better off families?
Something like 86% of all UK households have a car available.
In rural places it’s easier for children to get the school bus, because one has to be laid on for them by the authorities.

Families need to have two cars (and drivers) if they're going to take their children to school by car because anybody with a job has priority use of the car.

It's been an issue since September in this area, where about half of all pupils use school buses. Children have to wear masks on school buses, but they're mixed age and school. The idea of bubbles is nonsense on school buses. Therefore, parents increasingly take their children to school by car, but that's only possible if there is a car available for a parent who either doesn't work or works hours other than school opening and closing times.

Then that is a lot of people Galaxy and who can blame them? Leaves more space on the bus for those who really do need the transport.

Yes lemongrove but in these circumstances those who can are avoiding those school buses.

The minimum wage shouldn’t be looked down on.....it’s there to safeguard people from unscrupulous employers.

trisher

Galaxy I bet there are a few of the better off families taking their kids to school by car to keep them safe.

Better off families?
Something like 86% of all UK households have a car available.
In rural places it’s easier for children to get the school bus, because one has to be laid on for them by the authorities.

nadateturbei

^The truth is that someone has to do the low wage jobs and those are many.^

But why should so many jobs be so poorly paid? Why should some employers live in luxury while their employees are paid low or minimum wage?

I don't think it is all to do with wages though. There was a time when we recognised that decent housing and proper healthcare needed to be properly provided for everyone. Council housing had certain standards on room sizes, occupancy numbers and even the age that siblings of the opposite sex could share a bedroom. There were school clinics which looked after the health of the most needy children. I remeber when I first started teaching sending children to the clinic for small health concerns, such as dressing wounds which hadn't been properly cared for. We seem to have lost the intention that everyone should be properly housed.

Absolutely trisher the streets around the school are much busier with cars as those who can avoid the school buses. So those who cant afford the luxury of a car face even more disruption to their education. We need to think about what all this means for GCSE results etc and the fairness or not of having these exams this year.

The truth is that someone has to do the low wage jobs and those are many.

But why should so many jobs be so poorly paid? Why should some employers live in luxury while their employees are paid low or minimum wage?

Thanks growstuff. I did think he meant enabling everyone to have a computer.

There is a lot to this beneath the surface. Living a life of stress affects physical health before we even start on diet or likelyhood of addiction etc etc.

The truth is that someone has to do the low wage jobs and those are many. Fair pay, less stress would obviously have an impact.

Equality matters.

MayBee70

Now, I was never a fan of Corbyn but his policy of wanting everyone in the country to have internet access doesn’t look so daft now, does it.

Corbyn's plan was to ensure that every area of the country had good broadband access. I must admit I'm sometimes surprised that some people don't. However, the plan wouldn't have supplied families with children with the equipment they need for online learning. Usually, it's not the unavailablity of broadband in the area which is the problem for these children. Many families don't have a computer with a decent sized screen and proper keyboard, which are essential for online tasks. Smartphones just aren't up to the job.

Galaxy I bet there are a few of the better off families taking their kids to school by car to keep them safe.

Now, I was never a fan of Corbyn but his policy of wanting everyone in the country to have internet access doesn’t look so daft now, does it.

In our rural area it is children who are using the school buses who are having to isolate more. Can't imagine which group this affects most.

I agree with your friend - so do the teaching unions. It's a double whammy because the children in deprived areas are likely to be surrounded by more infection, so are more likely to be infected and lose education. Some reasonable online resources have now been developed for secondary pupils, but they're no good if pupils can't access them. A surprising number of children only access the internet on phones, which aren't adequate for online learning.

growstuff my friend who is a school governor is desperately worried about this. She says the children in the schools in really deprived areas are missing so much and continue to be sent home for longer periods. My GCs who live in a much more affluent area haven't been sent home at all, but the school is vigilant about coughs and asks parents to keep any child who has one at home, which they do because many of them are working from home anyway.. I thnk the long term effects on those children's education will be huge.

My brother has long Covid. He's had Covid, a bad dose, in March.

A long standing GN member has it.

Education inequality is another issue. Secondary school attendance is now down to about 80% and a few schools have had to close completely due to a shortage of staff. They are mainly in more deprived areas.

Only 20% of the promised laptops and wifi hubs have been delivered and the catch-up programme hasn't really taken off. Children in deprived families are less likely to have a decent tablet or laptop at home and are also less likely to have space where they can do schoolwork.