Recently, PM Boris Johnson set out his Road Map to ‘normality’, but is the plan too ambitious? For one year, England has been under various restrictions or guidance to control the Coronavirus outbreak, but very little progress has been made.
On Monday 8th March, schools and colleges will reopen for most pupils and teachers. This is the Government’s first of four stages and it’s not small. There are 32,000 schools across the UK and a vast body of people to keep them running: teachers, pupils, pastoral care, domestics, catering and management and ensuring the safety of all these individuals will be no mean feat but the Government is putting a nightmarish pressure upon the ‘all-in’ return.
For students, lockdown has instigated challenges, but it is not only young people suffering. It has forced teachers to learn a new job teaching online, whilst continuing to provide a duty of care to students.
“I often hear my mum saying, ‘Is anyone there? I feel like I’m talking to a screen’. Having to face this for 8 hours of repetitive lessons, as you can imagine, is pretty draining.”
My mother is an English teacher in a Secondary School and, prior to Covid, could just create a power-point presentation. For her, teaching is being in the classroom, providing education with a smile. Covid has forced teachers to work online for a year now, where students don’t engage – either due to laziness or because of difficult digital access. I often hear my mum saying, ‘Is anyone there? I feel like I’m talking to a screen’. Having to face this for 8 hours of repetitive lessons, as you can imagine, is pretty draining.
Prior to this lockdown, mum felt unsafe in the classroom, but is now eager for a safe return. Sending schools back from 8th March seems to be a positive first step to normality, but are the safety measures that will be in place enough to maintain this?
What the Studies Show
Official ONS C0vid figures from suggest the risk of the virus is low for education professionals. However, the data doesn’t consider all the factors. We shouldn’t dismiss the risk from asymptomatic teens, or the lack of resources in school.
PM Boris Johnson reassures us that lateral flow testing in secondary schools will help identify and reduce the risk of the virus. However, the tests for staff and students are voluntary; I presume few young people will engage with this and that they will instead make false truths to suit them, considering its voluntary stance.
“After months of uncertainty, the public will want the first stage of the roadmap to provide confidence. But, there is a potential to see cases rise and for schools to close as quickly as they open.”
Offering a vaccine rollout for teachers would provide safety and security for those attending and working in schools, because of the close contact with different cohorts and groups. We know that students aren’t at risk of being greatly affected by COVID, but they are transmitters. Some teachers are now eligible for the vaccine, in the 50 plus category, but are yet to get the jab. To supply teachers over fifty with one dose of the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine would help reduce back-to-school anxieties.
After months of uncertainty, the public will want the first stage of the roadmap to provide confidence. But, there is a potential that cases rise and for schools to close as quickly as they open.
In November 2020, The Independent reported that: ‘Reopening schools causes R Rate transmission to surge’. The piece uncovered the key conclusions from a study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal, which found that ‘transmissions rise by 24 percent within a month of children returning to classrooms.’
The Roadmap Logistics
Statistics show that C0vid-19 cases are falling, a huge contributor to the pace of easing lockdown. The percentage of people testing positive for the Coronavirus has decreased from 1.28% week beginning 31st January to 0.69% in the week beginning 13th February.
This is brilliant news for frontline workers, who are tackling Covid daily, but I fear this familiar rhetoric. We will, once again, see the increase of cases that come with over-excited changes in restrictions.
“We have all lived this before – the summer of 2020 had an essence of normality, but COVID-19 was still in transmission.”
It is impossible to tell at the moment whether the improvement of Covid related deaths is because of lockdown, or the vaccine rollout. However, the Government’s plans for the future feel like a bribe to maintain public adherence. We have all lived this before – the summer of 2020 had an essence of normality, but Covid-19 was still in transmission.
‘Data not Dates’
Boris Johnson assures us that the process to relax restrictions is being based on ‘data not dates’. However, the fact that we are taking away more restrictions when the release of some others is just taking effect may complicate this.
Stage one is due for completion by the 29th March seeing education in full order, outdoor sports reopened and the ‘rule of six’ to return; depending on data, we move into stage two.
Stage two will start on the 12th April, according to the roadmap. Retail, indoor leisure facilities, personal care industries and some hospitality venues will reopen, with social distancing measures standing.
“By stage three our old-normal life might feel closer, which feels both exciting and estranging.”
If we follow suit, by the 17th May, sitting inside a restaurant, pub or cafe could be possible and the guidance on social distancing will be under regular review. By stage three, our old-normal life might feel closer, which feels both exciting and estranging.
With three months of change ahead, it is impossible to know whether the 21st June celebrations will happen. The Government has been quick to promise the end of all Covid restrictions and I am not sure that I am convinced by this optimism.
While I appreciate that the roadmap structure is helpful because it gives businesses time to prepare for reopening and welcoming staff back into work, they should have shared the map one page at a time, instead of publishing the full atlas.
Heather Davey
Featured image courtesy of Nataliya Vaitkevich via Pexels. Image license found here. No changes have been made to this image.
Fantastic piece. Well done Heather
Great piece. Really good read keep it going !!!
I loved reading this!!