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Schools Told to Plan for More Remote Learning and for Return of Face Masks

by Michael Curzon
19 June 2021 7:55 PM

The Department for Education (DfE) has instructed schools to be prepared for the reintroduction of face masks in classrooms and for the return of remote learning in case of “local outbreaks of Covid”. The Times Educational Supplement has the story.

In an email bulletin sent to schools this afternoon [by the DfE] they have been told to ensure they have management plans outlining how they would operate if any of the restrictions in the new Contingency Framework document were to be introduced in their area.

The updated framework also sets out how councils and public health directors can make decisions to introduce Covid safety measures at a single school or cluster of schools but where there is a need to address Covid across an entire area decisions will be taken by ministers.

The new framework tells schools to ensure they have plans in place for:

~ Reintroducing asymptomatic testing sites.

~ Reintroducing mask-wearing in communal areas and/or classrooms.

~ Limiting residential visits, open days, transition days and performances.

~ Limiting attendance to primary school pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.

~ Limiting attendance secondary school students in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13, as well as vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers.

The document also says that schools should plan for the reintroduction of shielding but says that a decision to bring this back can only be done by the national Government.

In a daily bulletin sent to schools, the department says: “We have updated the contingency framework following the Government’s announcement on enhanced response packages to tackle the Delta variant in some areas.

“The contingency framework describes the principles of managing local outbreaks of Covid in education and childcare settings. It covers all types of measures that settings should be prepared for, which includes those that may be recommended as part of an enhanced response area.

“All education and childcare settings should have outbreak management plans outlining how they would operate if any of the measures described within the contingency framework were recommended in their area for any reason.

“Secondary schools and colleges should ensure their outbreak management plans cover the possibility that it is advised that face coverings should temporarily be worn more widely in settings in their area and that asymptomatic testing sites (ATS) may be required.”

It also says that additional guidance has been issued to the Directors of Public Health advising that they work in partnership with schools and colleges before reinstating ATS.

Schools had previously been told, earlier this year, that they must not implement any of the Covid containment measures without “explicit agreement” from the DfE but the new framework sets out how this can be done at local level if it only involves a small number of schools.

As we reported earlier today, London councils are also hoping to build “temporary body storage facilities” in the event of an “excess deaths situation”, largely due to concerns about the Indian Delta Covid variant. Just when we should be unlocking, the authorities appear to be gearing up for further restrictions.

The Times Educational Supplement report is worth reading in full.

Tags: ChildrenDepartment for EducationFace MasksRemote learningSchools

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101 Comments
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Jabba the Hut
Jabba the Hut
2 years ago

PM2.5 fine particulate matter maybe harmful to human health but I suspect not having food on the table is more harmful to human health or am I being stupid?

273
0
Dinger64
Dinger64
2 years ago
Reply to  Jabba the Hut

Another example of a western WEF controlled government!

158
0
Jon Garvey
Jon Garvey
2 years ago
Reply to  Jabba the Hut

PM2.5 is, essentially, yet another modelling scam. From the fact that choking animals with diesel fumes unsurprisingly kills them, comes the theory that lower concentrations of such particulates are proportionately harmful to humans, and models for exposure based on proxies like post-code distance from a main road, leading to predictions – or rather speculations since they are never checked in the real world – of excess deaths in city dwellers (or in this case, I suppose, country dwellers).

At no stage is it demonstrated that any real individual has died from a detected intake of PM2.5 – or indeed that any such individuals exist anywhere in the world. But once you’ve persuaded the world that diesel fumes are killing city-dwellers, and that wood fires are decimating underdeveloped nations, you only have to identify such particles in relation to some politically useable substance to enforce whatever policies are profitable.

135
0
YouDontSay
YouDontSay
2 years ago
Reply to  Jon Garvey

Large Malawi study found no respiratory benefit from clean cookstoves (but a major reduction in burns) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161026081142.htm

49
0
soundofreason
soundofreason
2 years ago
Reply to  Jon Garvey

No, no. You don’t understand. Everyone knows than PM2.5 pollution is incredibly deadly. So deadly that average age at death in the UK has not increased almost continuously since 1922 (the last time we had a border change), apart from a couple of wars. Oh wait. Yes it has increased, a lot.

Anyway, ignore that. What this consultation process does is explain away the fact that there are almost no differences between respiratory mortality in rural and city areas.

See? ULEZ Goooood.

Don’t expect to see this covered in the BBC State Broadcaster’s output. ‘Trusted News Initiative’ you see.

Last edited 2 years ago by soundofreason
82
0
The Real Engineer
The Real Engineer
2 years ago
Reply to  Jon Garvey

Fires? Interesting because a wood fire will not produce significant PM2.5s because the fuel is not finely divided enough to do so. They may produce some soot (usually not a lot) but it’s particles are much bigger than 2.5 microns, more like 250 microns. The mechanism of diesel PM 2.5s is because that is about the size of the atomised injected fuel droplets. Never let fact stand in the way of a good story. Petrol injection also does not produce any but the reason for that is obvious so I will leave it to the student to answer with a little thought for himself (you can add her, it, them, etc. but that is just poor English!).

9
0
TheGreenAcres
TheGreenAcres
2 years ago
Reply to  Jabba the Hut

I would imagine that current levels are far far far below the level at which it would constitute harm to public health.

86
0
JXB
JXB
2 years ago
Reply to  Jabba the Hut

There is no decrease in air quality, just an increase in sensitivity of instruments able to measure it. In fact our air has never been fresher.

32
0
FerdIII
FerdIII
2 years ago

These are rounding error particulates and don’t affect anything.
The real goal is 15 minutes areas, no cars, complete control by government over the sheeple or in the Muzzie’s case, the Infidel ape and pig.

128
0
Jabba the Hut
Jabba the Hut
2 years ago
Reply to  FerdIII

I hope I have a michelin star restaurant in my 15 minute area so that I can have a 6 course taster menu of lovely well prepared insects, now that’s something to look forward to.

60
0
For a fist full of roubles
For a fist full of roubles
2 years ago

A brief search on the web yields the following from Our World in Data – “How many people die from air pollution”.
 “indoor air pollution – caused by people living in energy poverty – is one of the largest contributors to outdoor air pollution”
About half of all deaths result from indoor air pollution, so my irreverent conclusion based on the current article is – don’t keep your cows indoors.
On a more serious note, green propagandists should re-evaluate their thinking about green and renewable energy, since energy poverty due to banning fossil fuels would arguably cause a greater numbers of deaths compared with renewable sources.

79
0
TheGreenAcres
TheGreenAcres
2 years ago

I had no idea that rural communities had such high mortality rates from all the PM2.5 they are being exposed to. Presumably DEFRA have these figures, right??

97
0
Marcus Aurelius knew
Marcus Aurelius knew
2 years ago
Reply to  TheGreenAcres

Definitely. They are the experts.

53
0
JeremyP99
JeremyP99
2 years ago
Reply to  Marcus Aurelius knew

Department for the
Eradication of
Farming and
Rural
Activities

as a farmer friend of our explained…

88
0
For a fist full of roubles
For a fist full of roubles
2 years ago
Reply to  TheGreenAcres

It’s scienz, init.

30
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  For a fist full of roubles

Or ‘The $cience.’

33
0
Hester
Hester
2 years ago

How many of you are sick to death of this interfering money grabbing set of self appointed elite?, Not only do they take increasingly eye watering amounts of money from us in Council tax, VAT,general taxation, levy’s they put onto our fuel bills, the list goes on. Since the Covid 3 years the Public sector numbers and its payroll has increased dramatically meanwhile the Private sector employed has reduced from pre Covid levels, and what do we get for all this money? increased interference and ruination of our freedom and lives.
Why are we continuing to pay for this? its insanity like Neil Oliver said in a recent clip, its like we are being held by the Krays protection money, at the threat of prosecution or worse, but unlike the Krays no protection.
If there are enough of us and I am willing to join a group, but it needs thousands of us, lets just stop paying the council tax, the tax when they demand it on returns, what would they do? they can’t jail everyone. I can think of no other way that is a peaceful resistance to stopping this World group of meglomaniacs from trying to direct and control every part of our lives, How do we start this?

132
0
JeremyP99
JeremyP99
2 years ago
Reply to  Hester

Up to a third of the council tax we pay goes towards their pensions.

52
0
varmint
varmint
2 years ago

In every respect green ideology seeks to remove prosperity and as a direct result of that they will remove well being, lower life expectancy and health. They call it “Sustainable Development”. Doesn’t that sound like a very nice thing? Until you realise that availability and cost of energy correlates perfectly with HDI (Human Development Index) This article is specifically about food, but ofcourse you cannot look at anything green in isolation. Wind turbines, smart meters, banning of coal and getting rid of gas central heating and petrol and diesel cars etc etc etc are all part of the one agenda. It is all connected. An article in my local paper the other day was encouraging people not to own anything but to borrow it. They suggested that everyone eg owning a lawnmower was a bad idea and that one lawnmower would suffice for the whole street. ————Wake up people, you need to see exactly where this eco communism is going.

113
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  varmint

“Wake up people, you need to see exactly where this eco communism is going.”

A mass kill off and complete enslavement for the survivors.

UK population according to Deagel – 25 million by 2025.

62
0
George L
George L
2 years ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

Absolutely Huxley.. and if I remember correctly.. 500million was the aim wasn’t it.. living in harmony with nature of course.. give or take a few luxury yachts, private jets, and ocean front mansions that is.. 😉

51
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  George L

Correct. That was the figure on the Georgia Guidestones.

27
0
Freddy Boy
Freddy Boy
2 years ago
Reply to  varmint

We should be left alone with all our faults to let natural selection & Nature take their course ! We don’t need any of this WEF climate bullsh1t which is far more of a threat to life , coupled with all the other type of fear porn we keep enduring ! Let’s F- -K them all off & breath easy .

35
0
JeremyP99
JeremyP99
2 years ago

Find out all about PM2.5 at Steve Milloy’s site https://junkscience.com/. He’s been debunking the PM2.5 myth for years

https://junkscience.com/?s=PM2.5

“EPA and PM2.5: No Science, No Bodies, Just Fraud“

40
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago

The brutal approach by the Dutch government caused a bit of an uprising so Fishy and Co have been given a different set of plans to work to – something more British and slightly hands off with a bit more warmth and cuddle factor.

“It’s all for the benefit of national health. We really want to look after you. Honest.”

73
0
George L
George L
2 years ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

Oh how apt is the nickname ‘Fishy’ eh!.. Fishy by name and fishy by nature..

31
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
2 years ago
Reply to  George L

👍

13
0
Lockdown Sceptic
Lockdown Sceptic
2 years ago

Great food reset means mass starvation

***************************

***************************
Stand in the Park Make friends & keep sane 

Sundays 10.30am to 11.30am
Elms Field 
near play area
Wokingham RG40 2FE
–

42
-1
Freddy Boy
Freddy Boy
2 years ago

Oh look a Cow ! Danger Danger ! 8 Wheeler Gravel trucks on HS2 ,No Problamo ! The Chunts with power are drunk on it !!

41
0
JXB
JXB
2 years ago

Do we at all, perhaps, see the ‘obesity crisis’ as being the softening-up process to justify us having less to eat – to save the Planet?

Or is that just another ‘conspiracy theory’?

17
0
Tyrbiter
Tyrbiter
2 years ago

I found the consultation at the DEFRA web site and have completed it. I expect they will hate my comments, but how else is one supposed to stop these morons from making ever more pointless regulations that hamstring everyone in the business of making a living.

24
0
RTSC
RTSC
2 years ago

Imperial College modelling eh? So a load of hysterical old bollocks then.

18
0
Pilla
Pilla
2 years ago

This is the first I’ve heard of the consultation (in the Daily Sceptic email of 22 April, so too late to
respond). How appalling. I find it all beyond depressing.

19
0
ellie-em
ellie-em
2 years ago
Reply to  Pilla

Me too. I haven’t seen or heard anything elsewhere AFAICR – about the so called‘consultation’.

8
0
The Real Engineer
The Real Engineer
2 years ago

My observation:
PM2.5s are not harmful to human health, at least not in any reasonable quantity. The biological science for this is 100% clear, mammals have a very effective mechanism to remove particulate matter from our lungs, invented millions of years ago. How do they suppose camels in deserts with sandstorms survive? Lungs contain a mucus film over the internal surfaces which traps any dust particles of pretty much any size. Mucus continuously moves upwards out of lungs, into the throat and is swallowed where the digestive system eventually expels it. Of course there have been a few experiments to check this and so far NO ONE has shown the presence of particles moving across the air/blood barrier, and even if a few did, they will be filtered out of the blood by the kidneys. Human Biology has been eliminated from the school curriculum, except sex of course, and even this is not taught as science.

Something else to note, the whole ULEZ, Euro6 scam is based on these PM2.5s, and we know that is fraudulent, to make us buy new cars, and only electric ones at that! But even electric cars still have tyres (which shed particulate matter) and brakes with friction surfaces (which shed particulate matter) so what is the principle to say that these are the slightest bit less polluting? Or any experimental data? Or anything except nonsense?

There is zero case for any of it, certainly on the basis of dangerous air pollution. Real Science says so! If Khan says it, it must be a lie, he cannot even answer simple questions on his policies!

19
0

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