No ifs, no buts: Close the schools down now.

Coronavirus: Teaching union calls for schools to be closed as part of England lockdown #CloseTheSchools

Both Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer insisted children go back to school while ignoring the health risks.

Parents have a right to be worried after both Party leaders vehemently demanded Schools, collages and university be reopened in September, both made compelling cases and guarantees about the safety of the nation’s children returning to school during this coronavirus outbreak.

It was less than two weeks into that pushed school openings that the UK witnessed incidents of school closures and students quarantined in their dorms and rooms all testing positive for covid.

There’s no point having another national lockdown if schools and universities remain open.

I know it’s unfortunate for kids, not being able to interact in person, but funding access to digital education for school kids for a few weeks is not the end of the world, and will mean the lockdown doesn’t have to last as long.

When you know it doesn’t make sense.

The public are told how dangerous this virus is how contagious and life-threatening. It seems just a little contradictory when the country’s largest age groups testing positive and carrying the virus ’10-19 and 20-29′ school, college and university age groups are left unabated, yet the workers who keep the economy turning are the age groups recorded to be least infected. These least infected workers are now quarantined and furloughed.

We all understand that fit and healthy children and younger people are not nearly as affected by the virus has people with underlying health issues or the elderly. We all understand about capacity and overwhelming the NHS, therefore, we need to project people but what we do not understand is that seeing the virus rampant within the younger age groups who do the government think these young people come home too?

My message to the Prime Minister: I don’t just want all children back at school next month, I expect them back at school.

No ifs, no buts, no equivocation. https://t.co/Q00nsGFH8u

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) August 16, 2020

We should be looking at alternatives.

This is not a definitive, only a proposal and as such could be built on.

Fresh initiatives should be conducted that including the promised free computer devices scheme being rolled out quicker along with free internet access. This will enable children to attend homeschooling run in a safe environment along with arrangements for social activities conducted in small controlled groups within the local community.

It would also be cheaper for the economy in the long run for working parents to have subsidised care allowances paid to family members or other parents who could supervise and care for children allowing parents to continue work keeping the economy going.

Those claims of long periods out of school will have a lifetime effect quite are right, however, no one is talking forever. Four weeks of this would be far better than a lifetime from the fallout of a collapsed economy, one that sees millions unemployed, no prospects, no public money for school books or equipment, what sort of schooling would come from that, what sort of existence living in a great depression?

How schools, colleges, academy trusts and local authorities can access digital devices for children who are learning remotely.

ONS figures show infection rates in secondary schools are 50 times higher than they were in September.

A teaching union is calling for schools to be closed as part of England’s second lockdown, claiming they are a “major contributor to the spread of coronavirus”.

On Saturday, the prime minister said schools, colleges and universities will remain open between 5 November and 2 December when the rest of the country shuts down again.

But more than 70,000 teachers and support staff want schools to close – except for the children of key workers – according to the National Education Union (NEU).

Gavin Williamson is wrong. Join the 70,000 teachers and support staff who agree with us that we must #CloseTheSchools: https://t.co/TPGKW6S95f https://t.co/bAdf9ojrFv

— National Education Union (@NEUnion) October 31, 2020

General secretary Kevin Courtney said in a statement: “The government should include all schools in proposals for an immediate national lockdown and as a minimum be preparing for school rotas at the end of that period.

“It is clear from ONS (Office for National Statistics) data that schools are an engine for virus transmission.

Wow!
Can the PM really ignore these figures?
The cases amongst secondary pupils are FIFTY times what they were on Sept 1st!
And these children live in families and in communities. pic.twitter.com/RgTBEG3VeE

— Kevin Courtney #NEU?NHS (@cyclingkev) October 31, 2020

“It would be self-defeating for the government to impose a national lockdown, whilst ignoring the role of schools as a major contributor to the spread of the virus.

“This would be likely to lead to the need for even longer lockdowns in the future.”

Referring to the latest ONS figures, Mr Courtney said 1% of primary school pupils and 2% of secondary students have COVID-19.

His union’s analysis of the data suggests infection levels in primary schools are nine times higher than they were when term started in September – and 50 times higher in secondary schools.

Again who do the government think children come home too, Are the middle class and Eton toffs so out of touch?

One thing for sure while children seem to be the ones carrying the virus they won’t be going to grans for tea any time soon.

#CloseTheSchools