Schools return - primary

Research is showing that children remain mostly unaffected - having children out of schools is absolutely having a detrimental effect, not only on their education, but also their general mental health and physical fitness. Primary schools and nurseries to return with social distance in force for drop off / pick up will benefit the children massively and also allow working parents to do an effective days' work and kick-start the economy. I wouldn't suggest if this wasn't 'safe' (whatever safe means at the moment!) but the benefits of having children return to school surely outweigh the risks. Allow them to return from June 1st, stop as usual at summer break and assess if their return has had any detrimental affect on the R number.

Why the contribution is important

Education of children. Mental & physical health of children. Kick-start the economy. 'Use' the return from 1st June - summer break as a 'test' (using the word advisedly) on impact on R number.

by SpacemanBill on May 08, 2020 at 10:19AM

Current Rating

Average rating: 3.7
Based on: 9 votes

Comments

  • Posted by LauraHenderson May 08, 2020 at 10:27

    Schools re-opening must be a priority. There is growing evidence to suggest children are not transmittable carriers and are rarely affected by the virus. Give children their education, social interaction and safety back.

  • Posted by LMC May 08, 2020 at 11:30

    I completely disagree with this perspective. Allow the schools to remain closed until the summer holidays now and re open in Aug! Staff and their safety during this process should also be a high priority and social distancing would be exceptionally difficult to maintain. Some children don't understand social distancing or have the ability to not sneeze or cough over you so returning to quickly with all these people from different households mixing is asking for the virus to flare back up again!

  • Posted by Henderson May 08, 2020 at 11:48

    Go with the science and emerging evidence on this. It’s not about childcare as suggested in other threads, it’s about children getting the education, mental well being and physical health they all deserve. Pupils and teachers with underlying health conditions the exception.

  • Posted by Clanchief007 May 08, 2020 at 11:59

    I don’t think schools should open till August at the earliest. Careful consideration will have to be given how to ensure safety for all staff and children. Time will be needed to arrange movement around the school and in classrooms so that social distancing can be maintained. Children may not suffer from the virus but are we sure they don’t carry it? School staff have families too, and that has to be considered. Classrooms will have to be rearranged and deep cleaning rotes will have to be in place. How do you keep all materials free of the virus? How do you manage social distancing in a classroom, especially Primary 1. How do you ensure social distancing as children move around the school, in the playground, at start of day and end of day? Huge issues to be resolved before schools can reopen.

  • Posted by AlexJ May 08, 2020 at 12:39

    Perhaps try opening very rural/island schools at the beginning of June, less health risks involved. However some clear systems need to be in place first, as previously stated it's virtually impossible to manage social distancing with young children so maybe schools open where no cases or very few cases of the virus have been reported.

  • Posted by Lucy1980 May 09, 2020 at 18:09

    I agree that schools re-opening is an absolute priority, however there is a lot of planning and preparation to be done before this can happen. There is a lot to consider about the logistics of social distancing in schools, especially for younger pupils and pupils with ASN. Also staffing for those who have underlying conditions. I think if we have a goal of Aug 2020 then it gives the govt time to give schools clear guidance for keeping everyone as safe as possible and schools can get to work on making this plan a reality in August. I don’t it this should be rushed when people’s lives are at risk.

  • Posted by Sapphire May 10, 2020 at 09:22

    Schools are not just for children, there are huge amount of adults there also! I do not think schools should reopen until August and even then it will have to be approached very cautiously. I would like face masks to be compulsory as children sneeze and cough on you with no warning and no attempt to stop themselves from putting it on you

  • Posted by CLacey May 10, 2020 at 22:13

    Reopening of schools and childcare provision should be a priority. Without this adults cannot return to work and start the fight against the likely more long-lasting damage of the virus that of social and economic harm. Social harm starts with the children. This is particularly the case for young children who need constant and present (not virtual) care, interaction and monitoring. For most young children, remaining locked down in the home will result in suffering from a range of issues. These include slowed educational development, social deprivation with no play / only adult play, lack of exercise, limited/no outdoor time, increased potential exposure to abuse, increased screen time. Even the most committed and attentive parents are likely to struggle with some of these issues. These issues for individual children have wider implications for society. To give the economy a chance to recover employers and employees need childcare provision and schooling to be opened up. Safety of children but in particular their teachers and the administrators needs to be given due consideration but the suggestion that August is the appropriate time for childcare to open up is putting parents under significant strain. The discussion needs to be reframed such that different childcare facilities are able to open when they are satisfied they meet the appropriate safety checks. The reality is that this may come much sooner for some than others in different situations (eg outdoor summer camps). This is appropriate as some will be better able to adapt to new conditions quicker than others but it is important not to hold back the whole economy while the more challenging issues for some are resolved. The NHS has given a heart-rending performance during this crisis making me proud of our country. It is now for the rest of us to pick up and follow this to do all we can to minimise the long term impacts from the crisis. This necessarily means that both the childcare and education sectors now too need to step up and adapt as quickly as safely possible.
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