This day and age jobs will be safe, time off for dependants and in this current climate no one would argue or could argue 

Originally Posted by: Gooner 

Because they will be off for months

Originally Posted by: speckledjim 

We can’t stop it from spreading now, we would have needed to completely lockdown and close borders 2 weeks ago. We can try and slow the spread by social distancing but we can’t stop it. 

Originally Posted by: speckledjim 

Home projects - shorten the summer holidays - get rid of the October half term , do the same next year if needs be 

Originally Posted by: Gooner 

So be it, if it saves lives and eases the strain for the NHS which it would.

This situation is going to go on for 18 months - 2 years until we get a vaccine.   The first wave will peak but it won't fully go away and then a second and probably third peak will happen. Home schooling for the foreseeable is the only way.

Originally Posted by: Ally Pally Snowman 

Because they will be off for months

Originally Posted by: speckledjim 

Bollocks.

Some employers might wait till this has blown over before getting their revenge (others won't even wait), but if you think if employees tell their employer that they need to take the next month or two off to look after their kids because the schools have closed and the grandparents are self-isolating, then you have lived a sheltered life.

Originally Posted by: Saint Snow 

Do you have school age children?

Originally Posted by: speckledjim 

Agree. If schools need to close for a significant period of time then the lost time needs to be repaid, at least partially. I'd say get rid of the May half term (if the outbreak is drying up by then) and knock three weeks off the summer holidays. At least it would also allow parents to catch back up on their savings somewhat.

I'd also say that schools need to put compulsory work online for kids to finish and email back in by the end of the week etc. If it's not completed then it should be treated as if they had gone truant.

Originally Posted by: Bolty 

Agree. If schools need to close for a significant period of time then the lost time needs to be repaid, at least partially. I'd say get rid of the May half term (if the outbreak is drying up by then) and knock three weeks off the summer holidays. At least it would also allow parents to catch back up on their savings somewhat.

I'd also say that schools need to put compulsory work online for kids to finish and email back in by the end of the week etc. If it's not completed then it should be treated as if they had gone truant.

Originally Posted by: Bolty 

Yes two boys 6 and 4. This is going to turn all our lives completely upside down. 

Originally Posted by: Ally Pally Snowman 

 School children have mild symptoms if any, but closing schools would be incredibly disruptive. Likewise, I see no point in closing pubs or restaurants, provided strict hygiene measures are in force and any staff with symptoms self isolate.

Originally Posted by: Maunder Minimum 

Yes two boys 6 and 4. This is going to turn all our lives completely upside down. 

Originally Posted by: Ally Pally Snowman 

So you will penalise children who are unable to complete work online? If only it were as simple as that.

Originally Posted by: doctormog 

New York City public schools are closing from tomorrow with the first attempt to reopen them on Monday 20th April

Originally Posted by: Gavin D 

eh?

Doesn't have to be paperless 

A4 bit of paper and pen normally helps Doc , there are ways around everything 

Originally Posted by: Gooner 

Why have they abandoned population testing and contact tracing to identify and seclude clusters of infections? They recommend only testing cases in hospital. Won’t this strategy ensure that the spread of the virus is intense and will cause more infections and more deaths in the near term?

Originally Posted by: xioni2 

so who is going to home school kids for months on end if both parents work? By the way I don’t have this issue as I don’t work so if my kids are home for months on end then so be it. I just don’t see how we can close schools for such a long time when you have kids doing gcse and a levels. 

Originally Posted by: speckledjim 

They will be anyway. Everyone knows this. What the hell difference does 2 more weeks make?

Originally Posted by: NickR 

 Sadly I think the answer is they don't have the capacity or competence to carry it out at the level now needed.

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

Look at how many cases South Korea had when they brought in their measures and stopped it.

Originally Posted by: NickR