BC EDUCATION
Saved by @CodyyyGardner

How we got here, a thread (1/25)

 Before Christmas, owing to rising infection rates, Greenwich advised their schools to shut before the end of term – several councils later advised the same. (2/25)
https://t.co/zt5PKT06Xr
.@educationgovuk threatened these schools with legal action if they did, resulting in schools re-opening their doors for the last few days of term. (3/25)
https://t.co/F0msj2r7HL
The General Secretary of the ASCL, @RealGeoffBarton, accused the @educationgovuk of using "bully boy tactics" to stick to a "robotic mantra to keep schools open whatever the cost" but added "the costs could be incredibly high." (4/25)
https://t.co/YOPeRqFzPj
During this time, @KevinStannard1 warned that we could be heading for another exams U-turn (*spoiler alert*: he was correct). (5/25) https://t.co/ziSGCvXfQ5
On 16 December, our reporters @tweetsbyames and @JohnGRoberts started to hear that there could be a delayed return in Janurary. (6/25)
https://t.co/z5AGSjhn1c
There was also a whole outcry and U-turn around having school staff carry out Covid tests around the same time… (7/25)
https://t.co/NrFTWrHeVC
Schools were being put in an impossible position over lack of clarity about how and when the spring term would start, public accounts committee chair @Meg_HillierMP told top @educationgovuk official. (8/25)
https://t.co/yJSnNpHohi
Revealed in a scoop by us that most secondary school pupils would be learning online in the first week back next year. Only exam groups back in person. This is the same week @educationgovuk took legal action to stop some London schools moving online(9/25)
https://t.co/66wpriA4Pk
In order to get the @educationgovuk testing in place for January, @MattHancock wanted headteachers to work over Christmas to make sure it was ready. (10/25)
https://t.co/u2pRzhiWFb
The new variant of the virus was uncovered, which turned out to be more infectious – and experts warned it might lead to more cases among schoolchildren. (11/25)
https://t.co/bas8TdwxK8
During this period (WE ARE NOT EVEN AT CHRISTMAS YET) @GavinWilliamson and the government claimed that schools didn’t drive up the number of Covid infections. (12/25)
https://t.co/TOs1tppQkU
A crunch meeting between the prime minister and the DfE on 23 December about reopening schools was postponed until after Christmas. (13/25)
https://t.co/l5WwaC1glH
The government also accidentally banned the education of children around this time as well… (14/25)
https://t.co/Zwm2H7fLfE
In an exclusive from us, we revealed the government’s plans of school reopening after mounting pressure for a delayed start owing to Covid infection rates rising countrywide. (15/25)
https://t.co/yeYDz0KRcy
.@gavinwilliamson gave a speech to the Commons confirming everything we had reported on schools reopening. (16/25)
https://t.co/AEUXPZGxff
Some primary schools were to remain shut, raising questions over why some councils were chosen above others (17/25)
https://t.co/boQDtUPyFW
'Schools are safe,' insists @BorisJohnson. 🤷‍♀️ (18/25)
https://t.co/uwHjsHh3aC
On New Year’s Eve, education secretary @GavinWilliamson said he is "absolutely confident" that there will be no further delay to school return plans in January (19/25)
https://t.co/pMTsY0cQN2
School leaders started to demand @educationgovuk’s reasoning around certain primaries being closed and not others (20/25)
https://t.co/Rx6lzCntc1
U-turn incoming! This raised questions about why all primary schools in London were closed but some in other Tier 4 areas across England were still scheduled to open (21/25)
https://t.co/aczChktDlk
The government insists the U-turn wasn’t about safety concerns… (22/25)
https://t.co/xvmncmls6A
The unions then got involved, forming an alliance to protest @gavinwilliamson’s plan @NEUnion @NASUWT @NAHTnews @unisontheunion @GMB_union & @unitetheunion (23/25)
https://t.co/zLEc4W4rxo
This all leads to last night’s announcement. @BorisJohnson announced – at the end of a day when thousands had returned to school – that schools should close their buildings for all but vulnerable children and children of key workers (24/25) https://t.co/eRMOQv8vEY
There is likely a lot more coming in the next few days, so keep an eye out on our profile @tes and our website (25/25)
https://t.co/8I0Jt9nwzk

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A long 🧵

Though some schools in the U.S. are open & doing well with safety protocols, many places used as examples of opening success have profoundly unsafe schools & are neglecting covid safety. Some have been lucky not to have outbreaks and other issues--it's not that they're safe.

In the last few weeks, I've been in touch with teachers in Ohio, Florida, Texas, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Utah, and Pennsylvania.

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Our preprint on the impact of reopening schools on reproduction number in England is now available online: https://t.co/CpfUGzAJ2S. With @Jarvis_Stats @amyg225 @kerrylmwong @KevinvZandvoort @sbfnk + John Edmunds. NOT YET PEER REVIEWED. 1/


We used contact survey data collected by CoMix (https://t.co/ezbCIOgRa1) to quantify differences in contact patterns during November (Schools open) and January (Schools closed) 'Lockdown periods'. NOT YET PEER REVIEWED 2/

We combined this analysis with estimates of susceptibility and infectiousness of children relative to adults from literature. We also inferred relative susceptibility by fitting R estimates from CoMix to EpiForecasts estimates(https://t.co/6lUM2wK0bn). NOT YET PEER REVIEWED 3/


We estimated that reopening all schools would increase R by between 20% to 90% whereas reopening primary or secondary schools alone would increase R by 10% to 40%, depending on the infectiousness/susceptibility profile we used. NOT YET PEER REVIEWED 4/


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>>>

1. Many universities are wasting the time of young people. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is here & it is demand specific. The world needs specializations & universities aren't providing that which is why more companies like Google, IBM, Apple don't prioritize a college degree.

Why do we import foreign medicines & even vaccines produced by other countries when we have hundreds of universities? Why do over 70% of our microbiologists or biochemists never practice upon graduation but choose to become fashion designer, bankers or makeup artists ?

Why will a roadside mechanic be better at fixing a knocked engine than a mechanical engineering graduate? Why can't computer science graduates build apps or diagnose computer languages? This is because our education curriculum is outdated & irrelevant to today's world.

2. Vocational & technical workers can earn more from a non-degree education than a four-year degree.
With the fast growing economy which requires more “technicians, artisans & vocational professionals”. These professions should also be given equal respect and dignity.
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