But I fear the government is so keen to open schools that they will do anything to disguise a rise in R

On Sunday I bumped into neighbours who have got kids at primary school. They told me both were scared to leave the house let alone go back to school. 

I got the impression that the plans for the next stage, when they were revealed, were a cautious case of, ‘be good and this will be your reward’.  Case numbers are coming down slowly at present and we still have two weeks to make improvements.  I’m not convinced the recent relaxing of rules will see a rise in case numbers but if it does, I can’t see us moving on. 

Remember the pledge about putting all homeless people in hotels? Our local rag has an update from Canterbury. It's interesting, if nothing else!

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/what-happened-to-the-rough-sleepers-put-into-hotels-during-lockdown-227350/

New statistics from the local authority show that since it struck the £163,000-deal with the budget hotel chain, five people have already been placed in long-term accommodation.

Two more have received offers for housing, four now have jobs, 20 are receiving drug and alcohol support and eight have reconnected with family and old friends from the area they originated from.

But others have struggled to adjust to life indoors, with several having been forced to leave the hotel for a variety of reasons, including smoking in their rooms and fighting.

My son lives in Wiltshire and has three children, aged 9,7 and 5. My son runs his own business and has been commuting to Hertfordshire daily to run it while my daughter-in-law has been home-schooling the kids. My daughter-in-law is a very well organised and doting mother, and the grand-children have every learning aid they need to have a perfectly sound home education which she thoroughly enjoys.

My daughter-in-law is a former ICU nurse, maintains contact with her former colleagues and has first hand experience of C-19 as her father succumbed to it, but thanks to her nursing skills was fortunate enough to avoid hospitalisation.

As things stand right now, unless there is upward trend in the number of infections, my son and d-i-l are expecting my youngest grandson to return to school shortly and are comfortable with that decision.

My own view is that as good as home education maybe, children above all, need a routine. 

The problem is it really has to be all or nothing and the way things are looking it won't even be all of a year that comes back (as some parents will, quite understandably, want to keep their children at home).

The reason, of course, is that in schools like mine pretty much everyone is currently learning from home, so the teachers are busy tending to their classes via Google (and telephone for those few who don't have computer access). The children in at school are also using Google, with the staff who are in being in more of a supervisory than a teaching role.

As soon as children come back, we will have to pull a good deal of teachers away from Google, as they'll be teaching children in the school... and with social distancing, they will need extra teachers.

While that's great(ish) for the children in at school, it then has a deleterious effect on those at home, as their teachers won't be around to answer questions.

The result? An absolute mess.

On that particular issue I disagree with you. The children who will benefit most from a return to school are those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. If a hyperventilating middle class mum decides her children are too much at risk from a return to school (which they would not be), then that is her prerogative, but if they lose out as a consequence because online lessons end, then that is also her choice.

I am sure for a proportion that decision is 'made easier' to go back depends if they have been furloughed or not.

Decisions often boil down to something as basic as that Phil. A starving Barn Owl will eat her eggs and chicks. Returning kids to school seems less radical. R

Yes, this is possibly one of the most important issues. If anyone is receiving education at home then the full focus and time from teachers will be dedicated to this. As soon as pupils and teachers return to school then the sizeable proportion of pupils learning from home will have a massive drop in their education provision.

This is what happens in the real world where genuine potential risk is not a fabricated scenario.

Maunder you also in your random evidence-free generalisation overlook the fact that, all other situations aside, there will be the capacity for only a percentage of children to return and the others, through choice or not, will be affected. Again, this is the real world.

Meanwhile, China clearly has something to hide:

"The bitter battle between China and Australia has now exploded onto the world stage, after 100 nations joined Canberra in calling for an inquiry into the spread of coronavirus, including the UK. The European Union, alongside several other countries including the UK, Australia and New Zealand, are pushing for an inquiry into how the pandemic has been handled and what lessons can be learned. In April, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanded an independent probe into the deadly respiratory virus and the World Health Organisation 's handling of the crisis. In response, Chinese state media and leaders warned of trade retribution that could wipe $135billion from the Australian economy. After weeks of threatening to boycott the meat and barley industries and restrict travel and foreign education opportunities, China on Monday announced an 80.5 per cent levy on barley exports starting on Tuesday."

Well, there are certain to be trade-offs I agree. But some sensible planning can always mitigate the worst effects. Take those teachers who have genuine cause to fear catching COVID-19 because of age or pre-existing conditions - they would be perfect to be exempted from attending real classes to continue virtual classes for those still at home.

P.S. recently retired teachers could also be brought back into the virtual classrooms.

Perhaps that pesky cold I had in Finland which kept me teetotal but didn't stop me snowmobiling was a good thing after all and kept me safe on those flights!

Coronavirus: Having a common cold can help to fight virus

Your immune system may already be primed to attack coronavirus, even if the closest you came to getting the disease was a common cold.

Scientists have found cells that can fight the new coronavirus in the bloodstream of people who have only been infected with other coronaviruses that cause colds. The finding raises hope that some may have a degree of protection already and could explain the apparent randomness in how severely the virus strikes. Whether having caught a cold really is protective outside of a laboratory, however, is yet be proved.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-having-a-common-cold-can-help-to-fight-virus-nhp73dcd0

Trouble is that 80% of the colds caught in Europe are rhinoviruses.

The point is to enforce any form of social distancing will require class sizes to be reduced single figures. This, to allow full capacity will require three times the number of teachers, rooms etc. That is not even considering those, to whom you refer, that cannot go into a school for health reasons.  Essentially the capacity is simply not there.

As for retired teachers, even if they wanted to provide online teaching, who will teach them how to use Google Classroom or the equivalent, provide disclosure checks, training in curriculum updates etc? So many unaddressed questions.  

Now then. What schools are is places where colds flourish like locusts in a wet season.

Could there be some kind of, short term, 'cow pox' effect? And is it why school [are/aren't/ could be] places where the new corona virus [does/doesn't] spread?

It's all speculation, and if there is such an effect it's a surprise it's taken until now to notice it, but interesting nevertheless.

In Denmark, they have reduced social distancing rule to 1 metre for the reason you give - doubles the classroom capacity.

We will just have to feel our way through this, but restarting formal education has to be a priority for all sorts of reasons. Imagine if during the war, people had said that they could not possible join the fight because it was too risky.

Ahh!

Hello, it will be bluebirds next.

I've seen no evidence you're doing any more than post provocations from a bunker...

What is it with you lot and war analogies!

We cant fight a virus like you do with the Hun

The best way to fight a virus is to stay apart and minimise any social interaction as far as possible

And if you catch the virus, you don't "fight" it by carrying on working. You try to sleep or get as much rest as possible