It is only 8:30am here but I am already getting fed up with the “news” coverage.
Yesterday the government announced that as of Friday, schools will close in the UK until further notice. By all accounts, they have resisted this move for a while, but can resist no longer.
When you stop and think about it, it is a big deal. The obvious knock-on effect is that workers have no childcare. There is a further knock on effect that this year’s round of exams will have to be postponed or cancelled. Okay, a big deal, but it is a price we need to pay.
And so the people affected are coming on TV, asking what is the plan for exams?
Okay, at this stage I’m prepared to cut them [the government] some slack. The correct answer to that question, as far as I can see, is just to say: We don’t know. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it but right now we have higher priorities.
It is okay to say I don’t know.
Then the education minister comes on TV too. Have a guess, what is the one thing he wouldn’t admit?
Mister Bump 
Great post Pete. I too am fed up with theNews coverage. I am fed up with speculation, half truths, dramatic statements that may or may not be true. Like the army coming in to stop supermarket riots. Okay that npmight happen, and we will know if and when it does. We are as you say all dealing with so much anyway and we don’t need overload. It’s a bloody awful pandemic but it WILL pass. We need to get on and deal with it but not scaremonger either. Stick to facts. It is going to be REALLY hard for parents who are working, which most are these days. I feel for them. But some measures are being taken to help in the short term, I believe. Mortgage holidays. Did I get that right? It is a bloidy shitty situation all round. I jusy wish we could wake up in a morning and be able to relax just a little bit but as soon as you open your iPad it hits you in the face. Thanks for this pist Pete. X
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well its quite reassuring to know that the American Media isn’t the only moronic source out there. I’ve recommended people unplug from the media 24/7 all it does is incite fear.
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I have consistently found our media about three steps behind my questions. They are fixated on the deaths, because that is the most sensational. Whilst it is true that we should know that deaths might happen, it is also true that the other 98-99% of people should know how the virus might affect them. But that is not sensational enough, apparently.
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Or give the people an ounce of hope and report the statistics of people tested but dont have it.
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Grrr. I just heard an 18yo whose exams are postponed. 18 is the age of some very important exams here which determine whether somebody furthers their education or not. There is a plan being mooted about awarding students “deemed” grades, based on a combination of mock exams (which were in January), teacher assessment and coursework. I’m sure it could be improved, but it’s somewhere to start.
“That wouldn’t work for me because of X, Y and Z.” In fairness, some of his points seemed valid.
But I wondered why the journalist did not just cut to the chase, and ask, “what is more important? getting your grades absolutely spot on, or fewer deaths?”
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That he doesn’t know?
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Yeah there was all sorts of bs, but how could he know how it will play out?
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That’s the government.
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