OT. Schools...normality and Coronavirus.

[ramAnag]

So, it's OK for us to be the UK's guinea pig then

Seriously though, We Dutch have been a couple of weeks ahead of the UK all the way in this. Also behind some other countries. We have had the "benefit" of seeing what has happened there. The government has kept the public appraised of what was going to happen and why. Some may not have agreed with the reasoning but followed advice/rules all the same. Inevitable that once the unlocking started we'd also be a step or 2 ahead. From the safety of my home, hearing the reasoning, having read quite a lot of the science and experiences abroad, the current steps seem measured and acceptable.

Health workers, drivers, shop assistants, cleaners, teachers etc have remained in the "front line". One group or anther had to be the next. Considering the general consensus on children and CV-19, allowing them back to school is not an unreasonable step. The stats have them as low risk in regard to a) getting infected and b) infecting others. Having the children back in school will also free parents to go back to work or work more efficiently from home.......

Whether the stats are right or not, time will tell. My hope is that they are right.

I prefer ‘benefiting from the experience of others’ to being our ‘guinea pig’, MA.
The UK government hasn’t covered itself in glory, imo, so far and we need all the help and advice we can get.
There seems to be some sort of ‘race’ as far as certain ministers are concerned so we can boast about how quickly we returned to ‘normal’ and I fear that might be horribly counterproductive.

As you rightly point out, we have been a couple of weeks behind you all the way through all this and I’d also add that the crisis in the UK has been rather deeper than the Dutch equivalent.

You’ve provided return dates elsewhere suggesting that Junior Schools will be returning, in one form or another on the 8th June and Secondary Schools on the 2nd June.
By my reckoning that suggests that in the UK, Junior Schools should sensibly consider reopening on the 22nd and Secondary Schools on the 16th.
That seems reasonable on the basis that by then the situation in the UK will have had another month to ‘settle’ and we’ll have had the benefit of seeing how our Northern European counterparts in Germany and Holland have coped.

Unfortunately I have read this morning in the New York Times, that in France many reopened schools have had to close because of the discovery of seventy new cases of Covid-19 in schools. It’s a relatively small number but points out the need for proceeding with the greatest of care and only with the appropriate PPE.

[ramAnag]

I may be wrong, but by my reckoning it’s now nine days since we last saw or heard from the PM. Any thoughts or explanations?

[Ram59]

[QUOTE=ramAnag;39498230]I prefer ‘benefiting from the experience of others’ to being our ‘guinea pig’, MA.
The UK government hasn’t covered itself in glory, imo, so far and we need all the help and advice we can get.
There seems to be some sort of ‘race’ as far as certain ministers are concerned so we can boast about how quickly we returned to ‘normal’ and I fear that might be horribly counterproductive.

As you rightly point out, we have been a couple of weeks behind you all the way through all this and I’d also add that the crisis in the UK has been rather deeper than the Dutch equivalent.

You’ve provided return dates elsewhere suggesting that Junior Schools will be returning, in one form or another on the 8th June and Secondary Schools on the 2nd June.
By my reckoning that suggests that in the UK, Junior Schools should sensibly consider reopening on the 22nd and Secondary Schools on the 16th.
That seems reasonable on the basis that by then the situation in the UK will have had another month to ‘settle’ and we’ll have had the benefit of seeing how our Northern European counterparts in Germany and Holland have coped.


Dutch primary schools and day care centres partially re opened on the 11th of May, RA and not 8th of June. So 2 weeks after that is 25th of May.

So do you agree with the Dutch fully re opening?

But as you rightly point out, the UK has had a worse outbreak and I would suggest that we were further than 2 weeks behind the Dutch.

[ramAnag]

[QUOTE=Ram59;39498393]

I prefer ‘benefiting from the experience of others’ to being our ‘guinea pig’, MA.
The UK government hasn’t covered itself in glory, imo, so far and we need all the help and advice we can get.
There seems to be some sort of ‘race’ as far as certain ministers are concerned so we can boast about how quickly we returned to ‘normal’ and I fear that might be horribly counterproductive.

As you rightly point out, we have been a couple of weeks behind you all the way through all this and I’d also add that the crisis in the UK has been rather deeper than the Dutch equivalent.

You’ve provided return dates elsewhere suggesting that Junior Schools will be returning, in one form or another on the 8th June and Secondary Schools on the 2nd June.
By my reckoning that suggests that in the UK, Junior Schools should sensibly consider reopening on the 22nd and Secondary Schools on the 16th.
That seems reasonable on the basis that by then the situation in the UK will have had another month to ‘settle’ and we’ll have had the benefit of seeing how our Northern European counterparts in Germany and Holland have coped.


Dutch primary schools and day care centres partially re opened on the 11th of May, RA and not 8th of June. So 2 weeks after that is 25th of May.

So do you agree with the Dutch fully re opening?

But as you rightly point out, the UK has had a worse outbreak and I would suggest that we were further than 2 weeks behind the Dutch.

Sorry Ram...my figures came from MA and he’s there.

My point is that we were behind the Dutch and experienced a much worse scenario. With that in mind I think we should be watchful of others before we send our kids back.

The situation in France gives cause for concern. As regards full time attendance...I can’t see how that wouldn’t be in breach of all our current social distancing rules at the moment.

I want a full return just as much as you but for me...small steps are the way forward and I very much hope for a full return in September but let’s not throw caution to the wind at this stage.