Times Comments 21/05

When can schools reopen safely? What the science tells us

Who will organise (& pay for) that ?

One of the things that will disappear is after school activity and the farce of (alternate) parents not picking up their offspring and leaving them for free childcare will expand.

“small prices” ha ha

As I have pointed out there is no plan for Nightingale schools, no adverts for extra staff etc

And the article in today’s paper that HeadTeachers should decide if the school should open just puts a target on their back (like that recent cartoon). So as per usual “presumably” means the HT

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Head teachers left to decide if and when schools will reopen

Scotland’s Joint Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and National Clinical Director (NCD) letter providing a position statement on guidance for personal protective equipment (PPE) and aerosol generating procedures (AGP) has a sentence about CPR:

“An expiration breath, much like a cough, is not currently recognised as a high-risk event..”

A cough is a high risk event, I believe

(a) Kids are social

“My” grandson got bored of his grandad roundabout 2 (your mileage may vary). Kids go to school to see their friends not the teachers

(b) Kids are also under threat

The regular ads for children’s charities & Domestic Abuse ones make you aware that there are, sadly, children at risk. This is born out by the reports about Social worker overload

I am not against Home Schooling but [c] there is no way that a single or pair of parents have the specialised knowledge that we need our children to have in a modern society. Schools also provide equipment (eg the numerous laptops that are being lent out to parents)

I could go but feel 3 is enough

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I cannot remember seeing a repeat of Bargain Hunt (except the one broadcast earlier in the day). I note that there has been no comeback of those with Tim Wonnacott as host — he must have upset someone.

And this is from my armchair in Scotland where they move the time around so much that my luncheon time is never the same now.

:-}

PS I otherwise agree with what you said

— Is a 2m distance required ..?

Standards are standard, seems sensible

…children aren’t being expected to maintain a 2m ..

I think this is why Nurseries are not returning first. I am optimistic that P1 kids will manage

Would a screen dividing an area previously used by 30 children to allow 2 groups of (non distancing) children be a solution?

Many modern schools have such, allowing flexibility in class size.

SEAGULLS

After a few weeks of the Lockdown, when there were no commuter cars, the seagulls (aka aerial vermin)took to walking around the street, helping themselves to the neighbour’s winter grass (ie moss) lawn then perching on roofs and chattering away. Up here there seems to be a pecking order: about 4am the small birds start then 6ish the gulls move in — about 7 the dog owners are out and there seem to be less noise. A few minutes ago it was pigeons. Now all would appear to have gone off to settle down to watch Nicola Sturgeon’s lunchtime regular event.

Reduced-capacity return to schools, says Scotland's education minister John Swinney

scotgov website unavailable

Yes I would throttle back the site if I wanted to keep people delayed in finding anything useful for the weekend press.

And as for deja vu one thing that has been learned from Gavin Williamson’s experience is that the key is the time available. June 1st now seems optimistic for just P1 & P6 if people drag their feet.

We may exit Lockdown on May 28 so that only gives three weeks til the start of the school hols in the central belt to prepare for a whole school system return in August. Lots of work and many will be missing their summer holidays … but not of course MSPs

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dejavu2

Henry Hepburn editor TES Scotland tweeted below

“There should be a particular focus on supporting children at key transition points (e.g. due to start P1 or S1) which may include some in-school experience in late June”

Now I didn’t watch the Briefing til the end, if it was mentioned there; or maybe its slipped into the online plan. But just imagine that certain parts of England (Liverpool/Sunderland/.. ) decide to pospone phased school return (namely the proposed P1 & P7) for a month or so. And in a rush some schools in Scotland “in late June” give some of their kids a “due to start P1 or S1 ….. an in-school experience”. That would be a turn up for the textbooks.