Are the Schools Shutting Down Again
In the wake of the government'due south Plan B measures and a new variant, parents are wondering whether schools are endmost again.
An increment in Covid cases and concerns around the Omicron symptoms across the UK has understandably had the public worrying. With many wondering if it'southward likely we'll go back into lockdown following new rules on face masks and a return to working from home throughout Jan.
Previous lockdowns have resulted in school closures and parents homeschooling their children. All in an effort to reduce the virus transmission. But with Boris Johnson increasing the availability of booster Covid jabs and speeding upward the 12-15 twelvemonth-olds vaccinations program, it'south hoped that a total lockdown could exist avoided.
As children return to school this January, the Department of Education have offered up new data on what the current coronavirus stance means for contiguous learning.
Are schools closing again due to Covid?
Education Secretarial assistant Nadhim Zahawi has confirmed that schools in England will not close early and keep to remain open in January.
Taking to Twitter on Jan ii, 2022, the minister said that he was "looking frontward to welcoming pupils back" to school and higher during the first week of term.
"I know nosotros face challenges with the Omicron variant but as the Prime Minister and I have fabricated clear, instruction is our number one priority," he wrote.
The Education Secretary farther re-affirmed his stance to continue schools open in a piece he wrote for the Sunday Telegraph. Here he stated that "there can be no excuse for our childen not learning face to face up in the classroom where they want and need to be". Whilst additionally sharing his intentions that this year's school "exams will go ahead as planned".
Schools and colleges accept washed an incredible job to ensure contiguous learning can continue.
Our measures against the Omicron variant will help keep Covid out of the classroom and pupils in school👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/xHahu5miE3
— Nadhim Zahawi (@nadhimzahawi) January three, 2022
Despite his house opinion, Mr Zahawi accepts that increased Covid cases across England will impact education. And that in cases were children and staff are cocky-isolating – remote learning volition be "necessary".
He told headteachers that merging classes and education virtually tin exist an option for headteachers. Especially in the wake of staff shortages. However, the Department of Education has previously expressed that pupils being sent home due to covid should only be done as a "last resort".
"COVID-xix continues to be a virus that nosotros learn to live with and the imperative to reduce the disruption to children and young people's education remains," they land. "Our priority is for you to deliver contiguous, high-quality instruction to all pupils."
Guidance for parents, pupils and teachers on schooling during the pandemic can exist constitute in the government's Schools COVID-19 operational guidance document. Updated in January 2022, it gear up outs current COVID safety protocols expected in schools. This includes mandatory face up masks and increased testing.
Are schools endmost once again in Wales?
No, schools in Wales volition remain open up in Jan 2022.
Concerns over Omicron and increased Covid cases meant that schools in Wales were granted two extra days at the kickoff of term in January to set up for the return of students. This was to give education facilities time to put into place new covid measures to ensure condom learning going forward.
The new school rules include staggered start and finish times, the render of confront masks for staff and students in secondary schools and increased testing.
"Moving forward, our strong expectation is that all staff and learners of secondary historic period should examinationthree times a calendar week before entering schoolhouse using LFDs (on Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and record their results," reads a argument on the Welsh regime website.
The Welsh First Minister also said that schools should fix for remote learning. Especially amongst staff shortages in January due to positive cases.
"In some places where teachers aren't in, and other schoolhouse staff aren't able to be there, they will have to plan for some flow where children volition have to be taught remotely," Marker Drakeford told the BBC. "Only that's a decision that is best made in that very local context past people who are as close to it as possible. Things are best washed at the school level because different schools face dissimilar challenges."
Are schools closing again in Scotland?
No, schools in Scotland volition non exist closing again according to the Beginning Minister.
On Dec 21 2021, Nicola Sturgeon told ministers in the Scottish Parliament that schools would re-open afterwards the Christmas break:
"It remains our priority to re-open schools every bit normal later on the holidays," she told MSPs.
Education Secretary @S_A_Somerville says asymptomatic testing and strict adherence to COVID-nineteen guidance volition help to go along schools and ELC settings safety every bit Omicron spreads. pic.twitter.com/XEkEUkljPY
— ScotGov Pedagogy (@ScotGovEdu) January 3, 2022
During the aforementioned address, Nicola Sturgeon announced new Covid measures in hospitality venues and for outdoor sport events. Which came into outcome from Boxing Day and currently remain in place in January. These were "sacrifices" that she was request Scots to brand "to assist minimise any touch on children'southward pedagogy."
"To help ensure that schools are rubber environments for young people and staff, updated guidance based on the recommendations of the Educational activity Advisory Sub-Group was published at the end of last week," she added.
These recommendations included the reintroduction of social distancing. Plus mandatory face up masks for teachers who are in close contact with pupils. Schools have also received new air-cleaning units and resources to increase on-site Covid testing during the January term.
What are the new Covid guidelines in schools?
Increased testing, contact tracing and mandatory face masks in communal areas are the government'due south new Covid guidelines currently in place in schools across the Uk. And it is hoped that post-obit their advice will help stop schools closing again.
The measures issued by the DofE apply to both staff and students at main and secondary schools (including 6th class). They besides apply to boarding and specialist learning schools, and post-sixteen education providers and academies.
The department highlighted that their "advice remains subject to alter as the situation develops". This means pupils should keep to follow process until the government says otherwise.
Face Masks:
Face masks are to exist worn by secondary school students when exterior of the classroom.
An electronic mail update from the DofE said, "Face coverings should exist worn in communal areas in all settings past staff, visitors and pupils or students in Year 7 and above, unless they are exempt.
"Pupils or students (in Yr seven or above) should keep to wear face coverings on public and dedicated schoolhouse transport, unless they are exempt," they added.
In master schools only staff and adult visitors should wear face up masks when moving effectually in corridors and communal areas. Though primary school children are not required to wear a covering in accordance with current national health communication.
The same guidelines apply to those in pedagogy in Scotland. Whilst Wales and Northern Ireland accept gone one pace further. And asked both kids and teachers to clothing face masks in classrooms too.
In contrast, Education Secretarial assistant Nadhim Zahawi has ruled out face masks during class in England. This is because he and other MPs believe face coverings "can impede or hinder advice in a classroom."
The schoolhouse guidelines follow new face mask rules on trains, supermarkets and hospitals gear up out by Boris Johnson. The Prime Minister asked that the public go dorsum to wearing face coverings in wake of the Omicron variant.
Isolation:
NHS Test and Trace volition exist continuing contact tracing in schools.
If your child comes into shut contact with a suspected case at schoolhouse, parents will be alerted past Test and Trace. And they will be told further instructions on what to practise adjacent.
"As of Tuesday 14 December, all contacts of someone with a positive case of COVID-xix – whether Omicron or not – should take an LFD test every day for 7 days," says the Section of Education. This includes fully vaccinated adults and children anile 5-18 years and six months.
If one of these lateral flow tests returns every bit positive, the individual must get themselves a PCR exam. They must isolate until they receive the PCR examination event (even if no symptoms show). And if positive, should and then showtime an isolation period of 10 days. Subsequently this date, they may then return to school.
If staff and students are regularly testing negative then they are expected to nourish schoolhouse. As the DofE stressed:
"Pupils should only stay abroad from school if they have symptoms or they become a positive test result. They can still nourish if undertaking daily contact testing."
Lateral Catamenia tests:
The Department of Education are request pupils to do lateral catamenia tests twice a calendar week during school term.
"Staff in all education and childcare settings and students, of secondary schoolhouse age and higher up should go along to test twice weekly at home with lateral menstruum device (LFD) examination kits, 3-4 days apart, for the balance of the fall term and on return in the spring term," they stated on their Instruction hub blog.
This increased testing is important in January 2022. With the DofE calculation that this would "assist reduce transmission after a period of social mixing" in December.
Yous can get free lateral flow tests from the government website, Credit: Getty.
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When practice Covid rules modify? This is when isolation is catastrophe in the UK
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Can lateral menses tests be fake positive or negative?
Headteachers must ensure plentiful lateral flow test supplies. So that all pupils can comport out testing protocol from the new year's day onwards.
"We sympathise that this is a significant additional inquire. But testing continues to play a vital office in keeping Covid-19 out of schools," said the DofE in an electronic mail to schools. This is plow will help any hereafter possibility of schools closing once more due to covid outbreaks.
Video of the Calendar week:
Source: https://www.goodto.com/family/family-news/are-schools-closing-again-covid-omicron-variant-637337
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