CAN SOME YEAR GROUPS GET BACK TO SCHOOL ON 1 JUNE?
Examining the Issues
A week ago the Daily Mail published this front page saying “Magnificent staff across the nation are desperate to help millions of children get back to the classroom. But militant unions are standing in their way”.
The comment was made by a teacher who heads up Key Stage 1 in a state school. That’s 5-7 year olds. She went on: “Teachers aren’t desperate to come back because it isn’t safe”. A view shared by her colleagues.
In fact her school has been open to teach the children of key workers, and she was working that day.
She has direct experience of teaching in a COVID scenario.
She went on to explain that it isn’t so much dangerous for the kids, but for the adults. And therefore a big risk in the battle to keep R under 1..
Nonetheless, parents are obviously very concerned about the safety of their children, and the risks of bringing COVID-19 home. Especially if the household has vulnerable adults or children. So let's start with children.
RISKS FOR THE CHILDREN
We’re still learning about this SARS2 coronavirus. For children, it appears that they are less likely to catch the virus. They are also less likely to transmit it, either to adults or other children. Probably because they haven’t harvested it inside their bodies. But there is not zero risk.
Why? We don’t know. Here’s a short video from the BBC “Can children catch and pass on coronavirus?”
What it means is that a group of children are pretty safe from coronavirus, and won’t often be taking it home. Unlike as I have been reminded “Nits FFS”. Tell me about it!
The teacher reminded me that KS1 and reception kids have a lot of touch in their learning. Instead of sharing art materials, they are being given their own.
Segregation of the children is also being done at that school. That’s fine with a small number of kids, as at present. Far more difficult with everyone back to school, whatever the age group. Major challenges
The classroom has been the focus of government and media presentation. Relatively safe. But that totally ignores the other factors. Adults. Parents and teachers. The Government guidance for them is reviewed here.
But what about break time? Not let the kids out in the playground? How would it be possible to keep them socially distant or in small groups, as is being suggested? Very difficult. If not impossible.
PARENTS
The UK government is suggesting that Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 should go back from 1 June. Subject to R and other data making it OK.
By year 6, just before senior school, a lot of kids are making their own way to school. Indeed they won’t want to be seen to be with their parents. The parents are more likely to stay at home, or go to work, subject to taking their other kids to school.
Reception and year 1 are a different matter. Parents and guardians take their kids to school. Chatting at the school gates is all part of their social life. If you’ve ever been a parent of that age group, or seen the hullabaloo when kids are being dropped off or collected, you’ll realise that social distancing will be very difficult. If not impossible.
Then the parents pop into school to talk to the teacher or the school office about Little Johnny or Darling Jessica. Jostling other parents in the process. Not always essential, but when it is, difficult to do differently and safely.
So a major challenge to keep parents socially distant at the school gates. Also if they meet up with other parents walking to or from school.
But that’s not the only problem. Most kids have siblings, typically a couple of years older or younger. Unless they are firmly strapped in a buggy, how to stop these other children mingling?
That will include years 2, 3 ,4 and 5 who initially won't be back at school and can’t be left at home.
Rarely will grandparents be available to look after them. Many grandparents will be in high risk groups, carefully shielded or very wary. They won’t be available as normal. even when meeting other households indoors is allowed.
TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF
We've identified plenty of risks already. Yet we still haven’t talked about teachers and other staff..
In the infant and junior classrooms there are often teaching assistants. Two or three adults in the room. Reasonably easy for them to keep socially distant. So that’s not the problem.
The problem comes when it’s break time and lunch time. The staff rooms are simply not big enough for social distancing. Staggering breaks might help. But still a major problem.
Furthermore breaks are the chance for teachers to have some time with other adults. To chat socially, but also to discuss management and teaching issues.
At the KS1 teacher's school, teachers are operating a shift system of one week on and two weeks off. That means there is only a third of teachers in at any one time.
Feedback from this school is that social distancing of teacher and support staff is already very difficult with these limited numbers of children and staff. There’s also concern about door handles and other surfaces that could harbour viruses, despite increased cleaning.
THE TEACHING UNIONS
I'm told “Teachers are backing unions”. What are the unions proposing?
Firstly the National Education Union is saying “The NEU wants wider school reopening to begin as soon as it is safe to do so.” As do teachers. And frankly parents!
They and the other relevant unions are producing joint statements and guidance including “Planning guide for primary schools” in which they say “Current proposals to substantially expand primary school opening from 1 June present an unacceptable risk”. That has been echoed by a new group of leading scientists who are acting as an alternative SAGE, but without the political pressures.
The unions have also published “Five tests for Government before schools can re-open”. The 5 tests are:
Test 1 : Much lower numbers of Covid-19 cases
Schools in Denmark are going back, for example, but there are far fewer cases of COVID-19 there.
Test 2 : A national plan for social distancing
Better guidance for schools on social distancing, and the supply of PPE for use by staff
Test 3 : Testing, testing, testing!
To quickly identify hotspots.
Test 4 : Whole school strategy
How to deal with the additional problem of an outbreak of COVID-19 in a school. Such outbreaks are already occurring in schools abroad which have gone back.
Test 5 : Protection for the vulnerable
Teachers and support staff that have other health conditions or are simply older will be at “medium risk”. Some will need to be at high risk, exremely vulnerable to COVID-19 and shielding. All such staff need special care. As do some parents, carers and grandparents
There’s nothing “militant” about these sensible tests.
Teachers and support staff are owed the same duty of care by their employer as workers in any other setting. If they don’t feel they are safe, they have rights. Rightly.
This applies to teachers and support staff in both state schools and private schools. Employers will be concerned to look after their staff, not least to avoid legal action. State and private schools can’t be forced into going back by the government until the schools and local authorities (and their insurers) feel they are ready.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF R
The transmission rate R needs to be kept below 1 in the general population. This is to avoid another exponential increase in infected people and a second wave of infections. That would mean many more thousands of deaths, and the likelihood of requiring another lockdown. That would have further negative impact on our lives, livelihoods and the economy. That would be shooting ourselves in the foot.
The government is absolutely right to say easing of lockdown needs to be done carefully to avoid an increase in R and a second lockdown. Which makes it ridiculous to rush schools back.
Sadly estimates are that R has already increased since lockdown was first eased to somewhere in the range 0.7-1.0. That is far too close to 1 to take any risks. Yet Sir Patrick Valance, Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government, acknowledged at the press conference yesterday 22 May that an increase in R would be expected as a result of opening schools.
Madness in current conditions.
WILL SOME SCHOOL YEARS GO BACK ON 1 JUNE?
So will some year groups go back to school on 1 June, as currently hoped? Sadly the communication of the new rules and measures in gently easing lockdown in England has been appalling, and people are flouting the rules more than under “Stay at home”. Hence the rise already in R.
Indeed I reckon the chances of R going over 1 before 1 June, triggering a second wave, is at least 50:50. [Update 25 May: After theshenanigans with Cummings I'd change that to 75:25 in last week of May or early June. Indeed there are already reports of hospital A&Es being overrun.] That could mean a second lockdown. In which case definitely no schools back on 1 June.
I like to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Sadly I fear no schools will be going back on 1 June. But let’s hope R can be kept down and the five tests can be met. Then some kids can get back to school. That's what's needed.
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