What measures are in place/planned in High Schools?

Gonna-be-debt-free

Just wondering what sanitising and distancing measures are in place in other high schools?  First day back here in Scotland, and very little is done.  It's pretty much as it was pre-lockdown.  There is additional cleaning/fogging in classrooms, two entrances in use rather than just one, lunches at two different times.  But kids are still piled onto packed school buses for an hour at a time, still packed into an overcrowded canteen and not allowed to leave until they are told, no distancing guidelines in place.  Have English schools issued any details on how they will reopen?  Anyone else with experience in Scotland?

comeandgo

Absolutely fine, let the young get on with their lives, they have had a shxt year.  Scientific evidence suggests young people do not transmit nor have serious side effects.  In the outbreak in Aberdeen non are hospitalised.  

silvercar

There was an article in The Times a few days ago. They have looked at the 23 countries which have fully opened schools already. In 22 of them, there has been no increase in cases as a result.

kaMelo

Life is about balanced risk but we have to make it work somehow. It's reached the stage now where the damage done to children by them not being in school far outweighs any risks of them being in school.
As Silvercar has said, all studies done so far around the world show little to no impact of the schools being open whereas we know the detrimental impact on children by not being in education for an extended period of time, particularly those living in less than ideal scenarios, can be lifelong. Some simply never catch up ever.

Anamox

In one town in England one nursery had 20+ people test positive for COVID-19. The original child that tested positive was in a "bubble" at the nursery and thus many of the children and staff outside their bubble weren't required to self-isolate, within a few days the child's bubble were testing positive as were children in other bubbles, along with staff and family members outside of the bubble. The nursery was operating at 30% capacity. Public Health England had to take over the response as it was a considerable outbreak and required specialist support.

After this happened a school in the town had a similar situation with one child testing positive, again those outside of their bubble didn't have to isolate (we haven't learnt our lesson) and then a total of six cases were confirmed outside of their bubble including staff and other kid's families. The school was operating with only two years of students in out of six, so again at roughly 30% capacity.

Many people only consider the children here, but the bigger issue is how these children can carry the virus to more vulnerable settings. We have to have a balance, but if the balance tips us back to a position where 45,000 people die within a 4 month period then the balance isn't right. 

Gonna-be-debt-free

It sounds like people have strong opinions in both directions, but I am really just wondering what measures are in place elsewhere.  Or have schools elsewhere not communicated it yet? (certainly we didn't find anything out until the last few days, and it was vague until the children actually went to school and were able to report back).

Dr_Crypto

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/COVID-19-schools-transmission-August%202020.pdf

Not clear if any measures are needed. Not many are practical. 

Gonna-be-debt-free

Dr_Crypto said:

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/COVID-19-schools-transmission-August%202020.pdf

Not clear if any measures are needed. Not many are practical. 

Interesting read:

• "If appropriate physical distancing and hygiene measures are applied, schools are unlikely to be more effective propagating environments than other occupational or leisure settings with similar densities of people."
• "Decisions on control measures in schools and school closures/openings should be consistent with decisions on other physical distancing and public health response measures within the community."

So European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is recommending that distancing measures should be in place in schools.

Dr_Crypto

But equally they’re saying just apply whatever local standards are so eg children are exempt from masks anyway. 

My take home message from it was that schools must reopen. 

Gonna-be-debt-free

Dr_Crypto said:

But equally they’re saying just apply whatever local standards are so eg children are exempt from masks anyway. 

My take home message from it was that schools must reopen. 

Agreed.  12 years and older do have to wear masks though, so in theory that would apply to high schools.

ComicGeek

Anamox said:

In one town in England one nursery had 20+ people test positive for COVID-19. The original child that tested positive was in a "bubble" at the nursery and thus many of the children and staff outside their bubble weren't required to self-isolate, within a few days the child's bubble were testing positive as were children in other bubbles, along with staff and family members outside of the bubble. The nursery was operating at 30% capacity. Public Health England had to take over the response as it was a considerable outbreak and required specialist support.

After this happened a school in the town had a similar situation with one child testing positive, again those outside of their bubble didn't have to isolate (we haven't learnt our lesson) and then a total of six cases were confirmed outside of their bubble including staff and other kid's families. The school was operating with only two years of students in out of six, so again at roughly 30% capacity.

Many people only consider the children here, but the bigger issue is how these children can carry the virus to more vulnerable settings. We have to have a balance, but if the balance tips us back to a position where 45,000 people die within a 4 month period then the balance isn't right. 

So that's one nursery and one school in one town.... not exactly a scary statistic. Compared to around 9 million children in primary, secondary and higher education being disadvantaged long term by not being in school. As a parent myself I just can't see any valid argument for not reopening schools, and I'm incredibly risk adverse. Yes, there will be local outbreaks but how is this any different to what is happening currently with pubs reopening.