Schools right across England and Wales are set to reopen next week and will welcome children back through the doors for the first time since the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown began.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivered a statement yesterday encouraging parents that it is safe to send children back to school in September.
He emphasised that a swift return to schooling is “vitally important” for children as the risk of contracting the virus is “very small”.
He also added that it could end up being “far more damaging” for children to remain at home and these are claims that are backed up by the official advice of England’s top medical experts, who have expressed that returning to the classroom next month is both safe and necessary.
The UK government has recently issued fresh information for families ahead of institutions reopening – including social distancing measures, face covering rules and exam resits – and an insight into what the typical school day is set to look like post-lockdown was also revealed earlier this month as well to offer as much piece of mind as possible, but how do parents and carers in Greater Manchester really feel about sending their children back to school?
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Naturally, there is some apprehension.
Is it too early to be returning to studies? Or an appropriate time? Do parents/carers feel confident it is as safe as it could be? Have children seemed happier and more willing to learn at home? Or are they eager to return to normality?
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Here at The Manc, we always want to know where you stand.
Ahead of the big day for schools reopening next week, we were keen to gather your views and so we took to our social platforms this morning to ask our loyal audience of Mancunians on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – ‘How do you feel about your kids going back to school?’
Are you comfortable with it, or completely against it? Either way, we asked you to let us know your thoughts.
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This is what you said:
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Facebook
Our growing audience over 580K people on Facebook were keen to share their thoughts on this topic and these are a few of the responses we received.
Are you comfortable with/ completely against it? Either way, let us know your thoughts ??
We also posed the same question to our active audience over over 180K followers on Twitter to gather their thoughts on the situation and invited all manor of response.
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Here are just a few of the viewpoints provided.
How do you feel about your kids going back to school in September? Are you comfortable with/ completely against it? Either way, let us know your thoughts ??
We received a large number of replies to our question across all social platforms, so we unfortunately haven’t been able to include every single one in this article. Instead, we chose to feature a few that seemed to resonate the best with our audience and received the most interactions overall.
Are you keen to have your say?
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Well, there’s still time to chip in, so make sure you head on over to The Manc to read the other responses, leave your thoughts and discuss with other Mancunians in the same or different positions to you.
If you would like to read on how the opinions and attitudes toward schooling amongst Greater Manchester residents amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have changed over time, then you can also have a read our article – ‘The Manc Asked: Would you feel comfortable sending your child to school next month?’– published back in May here.
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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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Kevin De Bruyne confirms he is leaving Manchester City
Danny Jones
One of the Premier League’s best-ever players and a true Manchester City legend, Kevin De Bruyne, has confirmed he will soon be leaving the club.
Announced in a series of emotional social media posts on Friday, 4 April, the brilliant Belgian footballer will be calling time on his career at the Etihad Stadium come the end of this season.
Having spent a decade in the iconic blue of Man City, De Bruyne will undoubtedly go down as one of their all-time greats, having helped them to their first Champions League trophy during the Treble-winning year and a record four consecutive Premier League titles – of which he’s won six in total.
As you can see in the lengthy message shared on his social media, ‘King Kev’ informed City supporters that this current campaign will be his last in their colours, writing: “Every story comes to an end, but this has definitely been the best chapter.”
The 33-year-old, who has suffered from increasing injury problems over the last couple of years, goes on to say that “Nothing about this is easy to write, but as football players we all know this day eventually come. That day is here – and you deserve to hear it from me first.”
In what is clearly a heartfelt and just as difficult a post for him to write as it is for fans to hear, he added: Football led me to all of you – and this city […] This will always be our HOME.”
Blues all over Greater Manchester and beyond will be heartbroken, but many won’t be completely shocked given his in-and-out
It’s a sad day to be a Cityzen, no doubt.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference ahead of the Manchester derby, manager Pep Guardiola said: “In the Premier League, he is one of the greatest midfielders in this country and top of the Club. Great, if not the greatest.
Manchester City will bid an emotional farewell to Kevin De Bruyne this summer when his contract expires, bringing an end to a glittering 10-year period at the Club 🩵
Although his talent will never come into question, it’s no secret that he’s struggled to stay fit and be as prolific a creator in Guardiola‘s side – though this is largely in contrast to his ridiculously high levels and just how much of a talisman he has been over the past 10 years.
Starting just 19 matches this season, he’s still managed to score four goals and register seven assists, but a recurring hamstring problem has seen game time limited.
Regardless, when he’s at his best, there’s no question about it: he’s the best player in the Premier League, and the club have promised to pay fitting tributes to their generational number 17.
With 106 goals to his name in 413 appearances – the first midfielder since Colin Bell to reach over a century – across all competitions for City, not to mention 118 assists in the Premier League alone, he’s been one of the most creative and, frankly, ingenious players on the planet for more than a decade.
Whether you’re a Blue, a Red or otherwise, no one can deny the joy of watching him play football. Thanks for the memories, KdB.
Featured Images — Brad Tutterow (via Flickr)/soccer.ru (via WikiCommons) Kevin De Bruyne (via X)
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Vintage fashion sale to pop up in Greater Manchester with all proceeds going to charity
Emily Sergeant
A sustainable vintage fashion shop and kilo sale is popping up in a Greater Manchester town in a couple of days time.
And all the proceeds will go to a very-worthy charity.
Merely weeks after the UK’s largest vintage market descended on the iconic Victoria Baths in Manchester city centre, another sustainable fashion event will be popping up in one of the region’s popular shopping centres for the month.
British Heart Foundation will be hosting a brand-new pop-up shop and vintage kilo sale, where you can buy clothing and other goods at a fixed price per kilogram, in Stretford town centre.
Opening its doors this Saturday (5 April), the charity will be taking over the vacant unit that’s next door to JD Sports to provide the Stretford community with a charity shop filled with all sorts of vintage goods and thrifty finds.
Visitors will be able to sift through shelves stacked with major brands at bargain prices, making it the perfect way to sustainably stock up on wardrobe staples and revamp ready for spring.
A vintage fashion sale is popping up in a Greater Manchester town centre with all proceeds going to charity / Credit: Supplied
All proceeds from the pop-up shop will go directly to the British Heart Foundation, helping to fund vital research into cures and treatments for heart and circulatory diseases, so whether you’re a fashion lover, an avid bargain hunter, or you simply just want to support a good cause, you know where to head on down to.
Running right through until 19 April, this venture is set to be a massively-valuable new addition to Stretford town centre.