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Sign and share our petition against fining parents who decide not to send their children to school during the pandemic
Join and Share our Parent Strike Event
Help spread the word that parents are standing united.
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Share our Just Giving page and donate if you can. Funds raised will be used to promote our cause.
Write to your MP to ask for support on fines
Send this letter to your MP to ask for their support on fines. You can use Write to Them to find your MP’s details and send the letter.
Good morning <<Insert MP name>>
I hope this email finds you and your family safe and well.
I’m emailing you as a concerned constituent and as a member of the “Boycott Return To Unsafe Schools” campaign group – we are a grassroots, parent-led campaign fighting for a safe, sensible and sustainable return to school for everyone. We all want our children to return to school, but only when it’s proven to be safe.
We’re working really hard to fight against Johnson’s reckless and callous “plans” for the future of UK education and now we’re fighting even harder to oppose the unfair and punitive threat of parental sanctions and fines for those parents who deem schools to be unsafe come September. Undoubtedly, parental fines will disproportionately hit poorer families hardest.
Our movement over 5,000 members, consisting of parent/carers, grandparents and school staff.
We’ve had a myriad of both local and national press coverage (including The Mirror – https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/parents-refuse-send-kids-back-22117925)
We have statements of support from branches of UCU, NEU, GMB, The LRC, Unite, Unite Community, The TUC and Labour Party West Sussex CLP Exec. We’ve also garnered national support from Ian Hodson of BFAWU, DPAC and The People’s Assembly Against Austerity.
Here is a link to our, private, national campaign Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BoycottReturnToUnsafeSchools) so you can have a look at the kind of work we’ve been doing – including collating lists of school closures and creating interactive maps.
Here is a link to the interactive map (mentioned above) of education settings that have been affected by Covid-19 cases – over 90 since 1st June: https://www.parentsunited.net/school-covid-cases?fbclid=IwAR0MKwVPjUzH_gDvOzzwRl0t7XevnLE2d-GEwP0HhuhSLdWPXXK7wAoyclA
Our movement is growing rapidly. Thousands of parents/carers and school staff are terrified about the prospect of enforced mass return to schools in September, not least because of the threat of fines for non-attendance.
We recently received a statement of support from York Central MP, Rachael Maskell. Whereby she explains “Parents mustn’t be fined for wanting to do the right thing for their child, but instead the local authority and schools should work with parents to ensure that the interests of the child are supported and provided for.”
Where do you stand on the issue of threatening parents with punitive fines? Will you follow Rachael’s lead and write a short statement in support of our campaign? Will you stand shoulder to shoulder with the 5000 worried parents/carers and teachers and oppose the government’s reckless plans and ruthless fines?
In hope and solidarity,
<<Insert name>>
<<Insert address>>
Submit a Freedom of Information request to Public Health England
Demand transparent, granular local data by writing to Public Health England at the following address: Wellington House, 133-155 Waterloo Rd, Bishop’s, London SE1 8UG
Or use not-for-profit website whatdotheyknow.com
Dear Public Health England,
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I would like to propose the following be made available publicly available – for all areas – through Government Dash Boards, the Open Data Website, or an app such as that hosted by inyourarea.co.uk:
– Testing, positive case and deaths data available at the level of the first part of a postcode (such as SS6) presented as a daily figure, as opposed to cumulative
– Separate figures for the number of Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 tests undertaken
– Separate figures given for the number of Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 positive test results
– A graphical representation of the above data so that the trends in an area can be properly understood, with inclusion of historical Pillar 2 data when this is possible
– Hospitalisations and ICU data for both Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses down to Lower Tier Local Authority Level
I understand that you are required to respond to my request within the 20 working days after you receive this request. I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request.
Yours Faithfully,
<<Insert Name>>
Write to your Local Councillor to ask for support regarding fines
If you wish you could use the not for profit website Write to Them to find and email your local Councillor, and don’t forget to add your personal detail, amend the letter if you wish.
Dear <<Insert name>>,
I hope this email finds you and your family well.
I am emailing you today regarding the recent announcement from Gavin Williamson MP proposing to fine parents/carers (up to as much as £120) for their child’s non-attendance at school come September.
Whilst we welcome the publication of the pillar 2 data, this does still leave some uncertainty about cases of infection and R rate in September – particularly due to the further “opening up” of <<enter town/city name>>, namely bars, restaurants and other hospitality industries.
Parents/carers, quite rightly, are concerned that the measures mentioned above, alongside the enforced return of school pupils, could lead to another deadly spike in infections.
Whilst we are all desperate for our children to return to school the safety of our children, families and the wider community is paramount.
Government plans to impose fines on parents/carers who do not send their children to school is punitive and will, undoubtedly disproportionately impact poorer families.
Michael Ferry, headteacher at St Wilfrid’s Catholic School in Crawley, publicly stated “If I fine parents £120, we’re effectively saying I’m taking away eight weeks’ worth of free school meal vouchers because that’s what it amounts to in stark terms.” He then went on to explain that he will “not be fining parents in any way, shape or form in September and I think it’s ludicrous to suggest it.”
Additionally, Headteacher of Parklands Primary School In Leeds, Chris Dyson stated: “It’s a ‘no’ from me. Fining is bullying them [children] to return because the Govt has failed to get the parents to know it’s safe.” Adding, “I will be reopening fully in Sept BUT there will be no fines until a vaccine is found. We are in the middle of a pandemic.”
Will <<Insert council name>> support Headteachers who also decide that they will not be imposing fines for non-attendance?
Regards
<<Insert name>>
Tell us why you support our campaign
Complete this form to tell us why you support our campaign.
We will use some of these statements to promote our cause.
Write to your Director of Public Health/Council Member for Education
Dear <<Director of Public Health/ Council Member for Education>>,
I write concerning the likelihood of a high number of Covid-19 cases this winter.
I agree entirely with Mike Gogarty, Director of Public Health for Essex County Council that social distancing is a powerful tool in ensuring that the spread of disease is as small as possible. Indeed advice from the World Health Organisation to avoid:
1) Crowded places
2) Close-contact settings
3) Confined and enclosed spaces
will be all the more pertinent once the weather changes and people meet inside more often.
I am therefore perplexed and alarmed by the Government’s decision to make full return to our overcrowded public schools compulsory from September, with absolutely no social distancing, no PPE and bubbles of up to 250 pupils.
I am especially concerned given that the developing science indicates the former assertion of children not transmitting SARS-CoV-2 was grossly incorrect. In addition I am also concerned by the evidence now coming to light concerning aerosol transmission and the possible long term effects of Covid-19 infection, including in asymptomatic patients. I attach references with accompanying quotations in relation to this matter for your perusal.
Given the above evidence I would like to request your support in lobbying for a more sensible approach to reopening of schools by Essex County Council. I believe that the Traffic Lights system proposed by BRTUS: Parents United offers a sensible, safe and sustainable approach to reopening schools.
If schools were to provide blended learning when cases in a local area are between 1 and 50 cases per 100,000, following the Welsh model of no more than one third of children being on the school site at any one time, this would facilitate social distancing. In this manner children could receive a full time education alongside the spread of Covid-19 within schools being limited as much as possible.
As a parent I am keen for my children to recommence full-time education. However, I cannot countenance the risks posed by Central Government’s current approach to reopening schools, and I would be grateful for your support in lobbying for change.
Yours Sincerely,
<<Your Name>>
References
SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Infection Among Attendees of an Overnight
A total of 597 Georgia residents attended the camp. Median camper age was 12 years.The median age of staff members and trainees was 17 years. Test results were available for 344 (58%) attendees; among these, 260 (76%) were positive. The overall attack rate was 44% (260 of 597), 51% among those aged 6–10 years, 44% among those aged 11–17 years, and 33% among those aged 18–21 years. Attack rates increased with increasing length of time spent at the camp, with staff members having the highest attack rate (56%). During June 21–27, occupancy of the 31 cabins averaged 15 persons per cabin (range = 1–26); median cabin attack rate was 50% (range = 22%–70%) among 28 cabins that had one or more cases. Among 136 cases with available symptom data, 36 (26%) patients reported no symptoms; among 100 (74%) who reported symptoms, those most commonly reported were subjective or documented fever (65%), headache (61%), and sore throat (46%).
Viral RNA levels in children (0-5 highest): Age-Related Differences in Nasopharyngeal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Levels in Patients With Mild to Moderate Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
JAMA Paediatrics, 30th July 2020
Our final cohort included 145 patients with mild to moderate illness within 1 week of symptom onset. We compared 3 groups: young children younger than 5 years (n = 46), older children aged 5 to 17 years (n = 51), and adults aged 18 to 65 years (n = 48). We found similar median [IQR] CT values for older children (11.1 [6.3-15.7]) and adults (11.0 [6.9-17.5]). However, young children had significantly lower median (interquartile range) CT values (6.5 [4.8-12.0]), indicating that young children have equivalent or more viral nucleic acid in their upper respiratory tract compared with older children and adults (Figure). The observed differences in median CT values between young children and adults approximate a 10-fold to 100-fold greater amount of SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract of young children.
High transmission in 10-18 year olds
Contact Tracing during Coronavirus Disease Outbreak, South Korea, 2020
CDC, Late July 2020 early release
“We showed that household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was high if the index patient was 10–19 years of age.”
Persistent Symptoms in Patients After Acute COVID-19
179 patients were potentially eligible for the follow-up post–acute care assessment; 14 individuals (8%) refused to participate and 22 had a positive test result. Thus, 143 patients were included. The mean age was 56.5 (SD, 14.6) years (range, 19-84 years). During hospitalization, 72.7% of participants had evidence of interstitial pneumonia. The mean length of hospital stay was 13.5 (SD, 9.7) days; 21 patients (15%) received non-invasive ventilation and 7 patients (5%) received invasive ventilation. Patients were assessed a mean of 60.3 (SD, 13.6) days after onset of the first COVID-19 symptom; at the time of the evaluation, only 18 (12.6%) were completely free of any COVID-19–related symptom, while 32% had 1 or 2 symptoms and 55% had 3 or more. None of the patients had fever or any signs or symptoms of acute illness. Worsened quality of life was observed among 44.1% of patients. A high proportion of individuals still reported fatigue (53.1%), dyspnea (43.4%), joint pain, (27.3%) and chest pain (21.7%).
Mechanistic Transmission Modeling of COVID-19 on the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship Demonstrates the Importance of Aerosol Transmission
Mean estimates of the contributions of large respiratory droplets and small respiratory aerosols were 41% and 59%. Short-range transmission was the dominant mode after passenger quarantine began, albeit due primarily to aerosol transmission, not droplets. Interpretation Our results demonstrate that aerosol inhalation was likely the dominant contributor to COVID-19 transmission among passengers aboard the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship.
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