Any west Australians here?

[grumpyfuckerr]

Thoughts on government schools reopening April 29th?! Comments on Mark McGowan’s FB page are going off!

WTF was the point in closing schools in the first place? Nothing has changed since they closed. WTF is the point in still social distancing? My kids can hang out with their friends for 6+ hours a day, but I can’t see my friend for a coffee?

Kids can spend all day with their grandparent age teachers, but can’t see their own grandparents? Teachers have to put in double the work, to provide both online/home and face-to-face learning?

So confused and disappointed. Seems all the hard work over the last few weeks will be for absolutely nothing.

[DroppedBoxxedRuth]

Wow, hadn't heard that. I'm in Vic and I'm hoping schools stay off here until at least the end of June.

[grumpyfuckerr]

I’m genuinely baffled!! If you work it out, with the public and Easter holidays, schools technically only “closed” for around 5-6 school days. The fuck was the point?

[Derbygerbil]

I find it fascinating how Aussies and NZ have been generally so up for their lockdowns when the stats show it’s around 100 times less severe than in mucin of Europe (using death rates as measure).

[grumpyfuckerr]

Oh I’m not “up for lockdown”, in general. I sent my kids to school until the day they closed, and will send them back when they reopen. I just literally don’t understand the point. Either kids spread germs, or they don’t. If they don’t, why can’t they see their grandparents or friends outside of school? What was the point in closing in the first place?

Our premier has publicly stated he considers schools “low risk”. I dunno what makes them any more low risk than any other public place. Playgrounds are closed and taped off, kids sporting clubs are closed, but schools can open? Why is a school lower risk than a playground? There’s fucking playgrounds at school. 😂

Why am I not allowed to have a friend over but my kids can hang out with 32 of their friends all day? 😂

Fucking insane.

[Skeletoninatutu]

I'm in SA and think we will have similar announcements in coming days. I'm personally ok with it but can understand why others will choose to keep kids at home.
States and gov have handled this well (excluding cruise ships) and very little community spread and drastically reduced confirmed cases + one of highest testing rates in world put us in strong position.
I suppose they are weighing up broader social impacts into their decision making.

[Skeletoninatutu]

We stand a chance of eradication, that's why Aus and NZ have been compliant! I think most of us are also aware of the massively efforts needed to collectively protect our indigenous populations from this.

[grumpyfuckerr]

I’m good with keeping all the borders closed, WA has taken a hard line and closed regions as well, we literally can’t leave Perth.

Schools reopening so soon just seems like a huge contradiction to me. If you open schools, you may as well open kids sporting clubs etc. Hundreds of gymnastics coaches and dance teachers etc have currently lost their jobs, but now kids are “low risk” and “don’t spread” the disease. I feel for them.

[janeskettle]

The health advice from government to education to make it a safe environment for students, teachers and support staff isn't doable in most schools.

I know WA teachers are ??? at being face to face, after been told to prepare for remote learning.

There's a fair bit of unrest from staff and parents.

I can see why they might want to give opening up the schools a go in WA - the case load is small, your borders are closed to other states - but it all seems so rushed.

[grumpyfuckerr]

I really feel for the teachers. Provide online learning and face to face learning. Double your work, but we ain’t gonna pay you more.

[Skeletoninatutu]

Agree. It's a shit situation. But to be fair, the govts have been making massive decisions based on data that hasn't (thankfully) played true.

A plus is it will give teachers a big hand to play next time future pay discussions do arise. And all governments put their hands in their pockets and give em the money they bloody deserve

So long as we keep our international borders locked and testing high we've got a huge chance of eradication at the moment

[Derbygerbil]

I think most of us are also aware of the massively efforts needed to collectively protect our indigenous populations from this.

Forgive my ignorance, but why are indigenous populations at greater risk?

[Skeletoninatutu]

Higher insidence of pre existing conditions that make them vulnerable to covid.

Govt advice -

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people living in remote communities are at greater risk from COVID-19. This is because:
there are higher rates of other health issues in these communities
it can be harder to access health care
people in the community are very mobile and travel often
people often rely more on outreach services in remote places

[Derbygerbil]

Thank you

[Skeletoninatutu]

If covid sweeps through (at a rate like Italy/U.K./US) we would stand to lose a wealth of cultural knowledge. It would be absolutely devastating on both a human and cultural level.

[grumpyfuckerr]

I’m not so sure about eradication, seeing how much money the government are giving to bail out qantas and virgin, I’m not hopeful on long term border closures. They’ll want to get the travel and tourism industry up and running ASAP.

[Skeletoninatutu]

After extradition flights I can see them using the airlines as effective freight carriers. We need the airlines to survive somehow so I think the gov will keep em flying on a minimum schedule with bugger all passengers. But honestly who knows but I don't think recreational travel will be normal for a very long time.
Personally hoping the country gets virus under control and pivots to manufacturing things other countries need (food, med supplies) so we can stave off a devastating recession

2020 has been shithouse...

[Nittersing]

I'm in W.A. and a teacher. I'm expecting most, if not all, of my class back on the first day back after the holidays if the cases numbers continue to be minimal.
Testing will have been open for anyone who wants/needs one for quite sometime by then and it should be really clear if there are any cases of community transfer. Currently the new cases each day are in the single digits and have been cruise ship patrons, overseas travellers, or known contacts.

If there is a huge spike of community transfer cases in the next 9 days then parents won't send their children and we will go to online and paper based learning at home. We prepared for the worst before the holidays so we are ready to go either way.

We, as teachers, are doing our best and will be turning up every day to teach regardless. There are no allowances for teaching staff to work from home unless they fit into very specific categories.
(Pregnant, over 70, over 60 with a health condition, or over 50 and aboriginal/Torres straight Islander.)

We can't practice social distancing in a classroom unless there are significantly less children present. There are no 'extra' rooms to space kids out in. We do handwashing frequently and try as much as we can to limit the opportunities for kids to touch each other ( but they literally touch everything they can possibly reach).

Teachers in W.A. may end up trying to do three jobs at once: online lessons, paper pack lessons and face to face lessons. It is not possible to make all 3 identical. None of these options will keep all of our parents happy. It just won't. Change is hard at the best of times and change in the middle of a pandemic will be even harder.

Teachers are stressed and worried too but wait and see before you worry too much. Next week may be fine.
If it's not, then do what is best for your peace of mind.

[grumpyfuckerr]

@nittersing thank you for all your hard work!

[janeskettle]

There are no allowances for teaching staff to work from home unless they fit into very specific categories.
(Pregnant, over 70, over 60 with a health condition, or over 50 and aboriginal/Torres straight Islander.)

Wow, I'd have to take unpaid leave if they bring this into NSW - I'm at risk (lung condition) but nowhere near 60.