My daughter teaches at a Comprehensive in a modern building in London’s East End, and says that having a full school with social distancing Is just about achievable. However she is aware of many schools in her borough where it is downright impossible. Old buildings, cramped classrooms and playing fields sold off. Not a cat in hells chance of social distancing and parents know it. No effort being made to find ‘nightingale’ classrooms to solve the problem, so I think there will be a lot of fines (announced by the government today) on worried parents in September.

My daughter teaches at a Comprehensive in a modern building in London’s East End, and says that having a full school with social distancing Is just about achievable. However she is aware of many schools in her borough where it is downright impossible. Old buildings, cramped classrooms and playing fields sold off. Not a cat in hells chance of social distancing and parents know it. No effort being made to find ‘nightingale’ classrooms to solve the problem, so I think there will be a lot of fines (announced by the government today) on worried parents in September.

Agreed but Keir Starmer is going to be on tricky ground shouting about it after all it was the last labour government that sold of schools and playing fields. Look at Plymouth starting with Southway and Whitleigh

Margaret Thatcher started the trend of selling off school playing fields, to feed into the property boom of the eighties. She was never supportive of sport of any kind.

Anything that was publicly owned, that wasn't bolted down, she sold off to ultimately fund tax cuts to attract investment.

My daughter teaches at a Comprehensive in a modern building in London’s East End, and says that having a full school with social distancing Is just about achievable. However she is aware of many schools in her borough where it is downright impossible. Old buildings, cramped classrooms and playing fields sold off. Not a cat in hells chance of social distancing and parents know it. No effort being made to find ‘nightingale’ classrooms to solve the problem, so I think there will be a lot of fines (announced by the government today) on worried parents in September.

Agreed but Keir Starmer is going to be on tricky ground shouting about it after all it was the last labour government that sold of schools and playing fields. Look at Plymouth starting with Southway and Whitleigh

Think you need to get your history and facts right.

As been stated it was the Thatcher regime, that started off this.

Oh dear oh dear I didn't say anything about Margaret thatcher selling stuff off she did. In fact all governments have done it. What I said was that Keir Starmer would have difficulty saying anything when they sold off schools when Blair was in power. I gave whiteigh and Southway as examples so do yourself a favour and wind your neck in. I didnt try to stick up for anybody was just staring a fact.

Oh dear oh dear I didn't say anything about Margaret thatcher selling stuff off she did. In fact all governments have done it. What I said was that Keir Starmer would have difficulty saying anything when they sold off schools when Blair was in power. I gave whiteigh and Southway as examples so do yourself a favour and wind your neck in. I didnt try to stick up for anybody was just staring a fact.

No you didnt say anything about Thatcher 'selling stuff off'. Funny that. As she started the policy. Just stating a fact like you say. So 'wind your neck in' like you say. Due to your own political allegiances you just decided to focus on the 'last Labour Government'. Everything is Labour's fault even though they haven't been in power for 10 years.

Back on topic, you are right Mervyn, fining parents for not sending their children to schools that cannot provide adequate social distancing, is yet again going to affect the already disadvantaged families in inner city areas where space is at a premium.

Just another example of the lazy and ill thought out governance that we are becoming accustomed to. Instead of a collective thought process and effort to possibly requisition, for example, disused buildings or warehousing, or as with the Nightingale hospitals erect temporary accommodation, it's a lot less effort to just slap a fine on non compliance, job done !

We are on the verge of a recession, there will be plenty of empty space available.

[Ponty]

If i feel my granddaughter is in any sort of danger by attending school then she won't be going.

If they fine us they fine us

Mind you we're so far behind in Wales i doubt they'll be going back until next year.