This debate has NOTHING TO DO W/ CHILD WELFARE!
It’s NOT about ⬇️ the social divide caused by deprivation.
It’s NOT because #Tory MPs & high profile journalists CARE about vulnerable children & it is CERTAINLY NOT because they care about the #mentalhealth of our youngsters. 2/
THEY DON’T!
Through 10yrs of #austerity they didn’t care!
Through the school holidays of a pandemic they still don’t care! This is about keeping parents @ work,⬇️ the stress of #HomeSchooling & giving #Tory voters free time to do as they wish. 3/
The debate NEVER mentions the #mentalhealth of parents/ families & teachers who are scared for their lives.
It NEVER mentions the #mentalhealth of families grieving for those lost to #COVID19 or the anxiety of individuals struggling with debilitating #LongCovid symptoms. 4/
It definitely NEVER highlights the psychological toll on HCWs like myself who are tortured by the level of pain & suffering we are dealing with, both Covid & non-#Covid.
Or the anxiety for those with non-#Covid health problems that are now pushed aside. 5/
THIS DEBATE FOCUSES SOLELY ON KIDS BEING AT SCHOOL.... OR NOT!
People are dying in horrifying numbers, the #NHS is literally creaking at the seams, staff are exhausted & ground down.
The VERY LAST THING we need right now is MORE MIXING in UNSAFE SCHOOLS WITHOUT MITIGATION! 6/
Thank you @mrjamesob ... you put it far more eloquently than I could ever!
Dear @annelongfield,
I read this document with trepidation.
However I am hugely relieved that finally there is acknowledgment that “there is a problem”.
Thank you!
The most important step that can be taken now from a HEALTH PERSPECTIVE is accepting that #COVIDisAirborne. 1/4
Children (& staff) could wash their hands 100x a day & sit in lines facing forwards thinking this will PREVENT #Coronavirus transmission. It won’t.
It will REDUCE transmission but the virus is in the air so ALL @educationgovuk safety measures need to updated accordingly. 2/4
If you could urgently press upon those able to effect change, the HUGE significance of this simple fact, we would actually be able to start to #MakeSchoolSafe. #EarlyYears settings & staff must NOT be excluded. 3/4
And pressure for the NEXT BIG MISTAKE is building already.
MPs who fought tooth & nail to resist #lockdown /restrictions before #Christmas2020 are now actively working w/ a pressure group wanting FULL REOPENING of PRIMARY SCHOOLS WITHOUT MITIGATION for an #airborne virus. 1/5
#UsForThem have influenced Gvmt policy already, w/ dangerous consequences.
They are about to do it again, w/ the FULL BACKING of 12 MPs, some high profile ⬇️. Based on a study that was completed before the #covidvariant took hold, and in a different season no less! 2/
If #earlyyears settings remain open & primary schools fully open w/ such high disease prevalence (& more), & NO attention to #VENTILATION, class sizes, mask use.....there will be 1000s more predictable, avoidable & totally unnecessary deaths in the next few months. 3/
1/4 I don’t claim to be an expert.
I’m not a scientist, virologist or epidemiologist.
But I have a scientific brain & like to understand “things”.
I’m told the plan to FULLY reopen Primary Schools SOON, WITHOUT ANY INCREASED MITIGATION MEASURES is based on this study below ⬇️.
2/The thing that JUMPS OUT @ me when assessing the results is that the study was done between June-Nov 20!
Schools were barely open in June/July, closed in Aug & opened again in Sept.
How can a study that included the school summer holidays be used to justify FULL OPENING NOW?
3/ Secondly, the study was over summer months...
We know that 1) we can easily spend more time outdoors in warmer weather, & 2) the virus appears to “like” warmer weather less.
Thirdly we now have a more transmissible UK #covidvariant &
SA+Brazilian ones too.
Waiting/hoping for SOMEONE to mention #VENTILATION or kids wearing #MasksInClassrooms, using EXTRA spaces to create #SafeSpacesToLearn...etc
Have all commentators been forbidden to mention these options, have they been gagged?
Morning @susannareid100 & @piersmorgan
We need to introduce another element to the #schools debate?
Not IF or WHEN, but HOW can we #MakeSchoolsSafe ENOUGH to open them fully AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Opening them without effective mitigation measures IS NOT AN OPTION.
1/8
We all know that staying partially “closed” for any length of time isn’t good on so many levels but the MSM seem to avoid the obvious questions TO KIDS about what THEY could do to help.
Ask them “would you #WearAMask to be able to go to school?” The majority would say YES!
2/8
Ask “would you mind if the windows were open all day long but you could wear extra clothes to keep warm?” - they’ll say NO!
Ask “if we start using extra “non-school” spaces like libraries & function rooms to have more space for you to learn in safely, would you mind?”- NO!
3/8
1/ 7🧵It’s struck me over the past weeks that the current HUGE CONCERN from @conservative MPs & high profile media stars about the #mentalhealth of children is RATHER ODD?
Bare with me here-
My “kids” are 19,22 & 25.
Where are the campaign groups worried about THESE young ppl?
2/ There’s VERY LITTLE media/political discussion about the effect on students - mental, physical AND financial. Many are anxious & down, missing their friends.They may have unhappy, abusive homes & be desperate to “get away” or may have nowhere to study effectively either.
3/What about graduates living back @ home w/ parents, applying for jobs that are like needles in haystacks.
No social life or freedoms, no jobs or financial stability.
Most young ppl love their families but wouldn’t choose to live w/ them indefinitely. Anyone shouting 4 them?