- a social worker to discuss non-attendance referrals
- University students to discuss last year’s shambolic return and hopes for this year
- doctors to discuss infection control, symptoms an treatments (& long covid on children)
- @KateGreenSU and @peterkyle to discuss what the opposition have done to STOP children, school staff and their families being unnecessarily and knowingly exposed to increased risk of infection.
- @jeremycorbyn to chat bout how he envisaged returning to in-person education should have been managed
- @Zubhaque to discuss how disadvantaged groups in society have been disproportionately affected (and infected) in U.K. society
- @GYamey to chat about vaccines, mitigations, differences in some US states and the abuse he’s been subjected to online
- @LucyABeaumont & any celebrity parent who has expressed concerns about children & school staff being unnecessarily exposed to increased risk of infection
There’s a saying in the North East
‘Shy bairns get nowt’
So we’re openly and transparently asking, please come and chat with us.
• • •
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TIME TO TACKLE BRITISH EXCEPTIONALIST AND ABHORRENT ABLEIST RHETORIC
Increasingly it seems @educationgovuk , some paediatric professionals, some school leaders, most media journalists and even some parents spout the line that it’s okay for children to be infected because…
1. “Children mostly have a mild infection”
OR
2. “Very few children die”
OR
3. “Children who don’t return to pre-infection health swiftly have underlying conditions “
“Today children, we’re going to talk about masks…”
No, just joking today we are going to discuss the use of a scientifically recognised mitigation against an airborne virus, like adults!
Let’s establish the important facts here; 1. Covid is airborne 2. Not everyone who has covid is aware that they have covid 3. People who are infected (including children) can transmit their infection to other people via the air they breathe
With infection rates in the UK being higher than they were in September 2020, being indoors in any setting with members of other households holds an increased risk of exposure to infection. 
You may remember that on the 6th of August we wrote to a number of politicians who have responsibilities that include education.
Here’s our original letter;
Well today, a full month later, we have had ONE reply.
This one is from the DfE.
We’ll post each page of the response in the comments below, let us know what YOU think about this response.
Page 1 - mentions disruption but not unnecessary infections due to lack of mitigations
Page 2 - attendance mandatory, doesn’t mention the HT discretion that @NickGibbUK confirmed to @publiclawcentre last year
Today we were made aware of the situation facing parents in Northern Ireland, here in England we’re aware of how the process regarding non-attendance during the pandemic has been but the situation for parents in Northern Ireland is very different.
Are you aware that Northern Ireland classes non-attendance as a safe-guarding issue and issues Section 47 procedures?
Withholding attendance of a child due to concerns about lack of safety measures is treated as child abuse.
A vulnerable family can expect education welfare officers, social services and the police to turn up on their doorstep and force attendance.
Parents who withhold attendance can be labelled as abusive.