China Coronavirus

[Substandard]

This thread is now at 355 pages, and the earths population 7.8 billion. If the population continues to grow it will become unsustainable. There are two options to tackle this issue:

1) Take the Chinese Way, and only allow couples to have one child. This policy will of course need updated for Twinbook and Ballymun where coupling is just a seasonal thing.

2) Take the Chinese Virus, and let God's revenge do it's thing.

3) Find another planet, and build a big rocket to take us there.


I personally vote for (1).

I favour the approach of the  Golgafrincham ark from The Hitchhikers Guide to Galaxy. In this case, a  plan was drawn up to evacuate the planet  Golgafrincham. Three arks were proposed and one was launched filled with all the middlemen of Golgafrincham, such as the telephone sanitisers, account executives, hairdressers, tired TV producers, insurance salesmen, personnel officers, security guards, public relations executives, and management consultants.
The doctors, engineers, scientists, teachers etc were supposed to go on two other arks, but they never got around to launching those, for some reason.

Good plan in theory,  but didn't quite work out as anticipated!!

[RadioGAAGAA]

There's more risk in not sending children back to school with neglect, abuse and poverty. Referrals to social services is well down.

Do you think that about 20 days in school (or less) before another 2 months off is going to have a significant impact on that?

I honestly do believe it will. Early intervention in these situations is key. This is a trying time for families and some children are at risk. More at risk than dying from Covid-19

Oh, your all for early intervention in those cases?

Tell me, while not belittling them, is neglect, abuse and/or poverty contagious?

When weighed up against a contagious virus that has worrying case mortality rates, I think early intervention is probably more important when it comes to the virus, don't you think?

[Maroon Manc]

I think it was the assistant chief medical officer over here who stated yesterday it looks like that kids aren't passing the disease on like adults although they've no hard evidence of that yet.

According to a report on LBC yesterday that there hasn't been a case in Denmark or Germany of a teacher catching it when back teaching.

[Milltown Row2]

I think it was the assistant chief medical officer over here who stated yesterday it looks like that kids aren't passing the disease on like adults although they've no hard evidence of that yet.

According to a report on LBC yesterday that there hasn't been a case in Denmark or Germany of a teacher catching it when back teaching.

He was asked the question and broke it into four parts, the three parts of the question he had loads of data, then he didn't have much data to go on, for kids passing it on to others! The logic of kids getting it at the same rate of adults but not passing it on seems bizarre.

I get that fact that there may be less data due to a lot of schools worldwide closed and have only recently opened up but what makes age a factor in relation to the spread? Do kids break the virus down quicker so less period having it?

[GetOverTheBar]

Trump again has you watching the hand he wants you to just randomly throwing out he's on this hydroxychloroquine

Didn't know Trump was 73. He looks alright for his age I suppose.

[imtommygunn]

Jason, I know by this point you have stopped reading the comments but I am a headteacher and I've been into work this morning splitting my school into impersonal zones. It doesn't feel like school, children and staff won't be able to socialise like they did. Children in the early years have had just about all the lovely cuddly things stripped from their rooms. My beautiful vibrant rooms are now sterile holding bays for the poor unfortunate children who arrive. Please don't send your children, we all want to get back to normal but at the moment this is not normal and not fair to put the children in this environment. And don't get me in about putting my staff at risk...😩

I read that in reply to Jason Manford asking how people felt about returning their children to school. It isn't great reading.

Like you say as well HS - these kids are going to be sent back for a short number of weeks then it's all over again.

[Maroon Manc]

I'd say there is definitely risk for people going back into schools. The question is - is it necessary risk?
I think it's clear that if schools reopened, each pupil would likely be attending 2-3 days per week maximum in order to comply with social distancing. That's 10 or 15 days they'll be attending before having 2 months off.
What will that achieve? I suppose parents could go back to work for 10 or 15 days if they have one child. If they have more than one and they are in school on different days, they aren't really gaining much.
In terms of the child's education, I imagine those few days will advance them very little, if at all.
Then, you have what trailer believes - that it will have a significant impact on "neglect, abuse and poverty". Honestly, I don't really buy that at all.

So, is it necessary risk? For me, no.

If they don't go back to School you're looking at 4,5 & 6 year olds going 6 months without School at a very important stage in their development. I've a mate who teaches at a school in one of the poorer areas of Manchester and its an eye opener what goes on in terms of neglect.

Its clearly a difficult decision to make but I'm in favour of them going back.

[ardtole]

I was talking to a girl from Croatia who missed 4 years of education during their war, still went on to get a degree. She reckons kids at that young age can catch up really quickly and I'd tend to believe her.

My wee fella is 6, he has been doing a little bit of homework but not much, once they go back in September they will pick up where they left off, I dont think there will be any long term consequences.

[Maroon Manc]

What impact do you think 10 days in the middle of that 6 months would make on their development?

Its going to be 5/6 weeks.

A 6 year old in year 1 going nearly 6 months without school could have a huge impact. I've 2 kids aged 9 and 6, got no issues with the 9 year old not going back to School until September but the 6 year is a totally different case for a variety of reasons.

[Smurfy123]

It's the fact every news channel you turn on every school principal saying no we can't do this we can't do that it's to risky. Find a way like everyone else. The supermarkets Banks building sites hospitals etc.
Things are going to be far from perfect but principals need to stop being so negative all the time about things. Start planning now. Get all teachers back in now and start planning and organising tables etc for things to start in September. Plan break timetables and dinner timetables so that everyone not out together. That's what needs to happen. But all this no we can't do this stuff is just so negative. Find a way

[trailer]

Sure don't send kids back until there's a vaccine and make redundant all these teachers. They're not needed..... A vaccine is at best 1 year away.

The fact remains this is a disease of the over 70s. Shield the vulnerable, take proper precautions but get back to some sense of normality.

[JohnDenver]

Or start back in September, hopefully the risk will be much further reduced. Pupils, apart from the odd week of holidays, will be in school every week of the school year and hopefully as normal as possible.

Please leave this thread and stop spouting sensible courses of action, we have no time for such rationale!

[trailer]

I know schools in reality won't be going back until September. I think that is wrong and can see no logical reason for it.

[trailer]

I know schools in reality won't be going back until September. I think that is wrong and can see no logical reason for it.

Because the benefit of 10 random days at school before 2 months off doesn't outweigh the risk of people contracting Covid-19.

That's my logical reason but you are entitled to your own.

Honestly Hardstation, I've been at home minding 2 kids, one at primary school one not school age, since the 16th March. My wife is a nurse and is working. I am at home trying to keep a small business a float paying wages to keep roofs over other families heads who all have small children. We've lost around 90% of turnover and I am into my own personal savings and then probably I'll take out a huge loan and god knows if I will be able to pay it back. It's a huge strain on my mental health.
Now forgive me, but I think that even if the schools open for one day it would be a huge lift to parents around the country and would signal that normality would return someday because at this stage parents who own businesses or are employees are looking for any sort of positive sign right now.
We're all in this together but the reality is we're not and the situation favours some families over others. Maybe Teachers will take this into consideration.

[johnnycool]

A friend of mine works in a primary school with 400 odd kids. They've 20 classrooms and they're worked out that at best each classroom can accommodate 8 kids as per the scant guidelines they've got already. Their canteen area approximately 20 kids at a push.

So that's 160 Kids a day, staggered starting times, staggered breaks, staggered home times and the kids at best will be in one day in three.
Cleaners in deep cleaning every evening.

That's the reality folks and I'd hazard that most primary schools will be similar.

Secondary/Grammar schools will be worse again as there's a bigger requirement for buses and the likes to get them to and from the place.