Just in case you don't know - if kids in school refuse to take lateral flow test NOTHING HAPPENS

[LaurieFairyCake]

They just go into lessons like normal

Schools not allowed to send them home

Dh has had 30 parents so far email in to say they don't consent for their children to be tested

And as for masks (compulsory now) - yeah, schools are allowed to make it a rule but they're NOT allowed to exclude them if the don't

Are we all reassured by this utter bullshit?

Nope, thought not

@SergeiL - you're absolutely spot on! These parents are not equipping their kids for the future. We can't wrap our kids in cotton wool nor should we... they're probably the same parents who tell their kids their futures are ruined/they're broken/everyone's doomed. Personally, I think we as parents have a huge responsibility to model coping skills in the face of adversity if we're able to (I'm not including those with severe mental health issues in this as I recognise that's more conplex - it illustrates one of the reasons people need more support though).

it should be ‘tough’ if you cannot take the safety measures to integrate at school. You can wait a few weeks

Are you including children with special educational needs and disabilities in this group?

@FoxyTheFox,

The key there is ‘equally’. We are massively prioritising mental over physical.

Why?

I'm bothered. Why are we all going to such trouble? If someone can just say no? FFS 😡

Btw, I totally think students with SEN should be exempt if the test is going to cause distress or they don't understand/consent. However, I work in a special school and LOADS of our kids have had it with no problems. Obviously they get very worried first time and need lots of support but it's been fine. So proud of our children and families!

Covid isn’t dangerous to children and is generally rarely an issue to adults under 50. Most vulnerable adults have been or shortly will be vaccinated. It’s a risk that should now be able to be managed. Time to get back to school and work

@Mally2020

I think any children who refuse either and their parents who support it are disgusting, you could be putting teachers and their families at risk or even other children with underlying health conditions

They will have already been vaccinated though if they are deemed vulnerable. Do you also think people with disabled children who are unable to be tested for various reasons are also disgusting?

@Timbucktime,

Most will not have been vaccinated AND had the three weeks to build immunity.

After Easter, yes-but not yet.

TheReluctantPhoenix you think mental health is being prioritised? I'm not sure I see any evidence of this. It's incredibly difficult to get support from the NHS and CAMHS when your child is mentally unwell, it certainly doesn't feel like it's being prioritised to me.

@Punxsutawney,

What I mean is why is an SEN non mask wearer taking priority over a physically vulnerable teacher who has not yet been vaccinated and had time to build up immunity.

It is, potentially, the physically vulnerable teacher’s health vs 3-4 weeks of missed schooling.

I think it is the wrong priority. I also know you won’t agree.

The key there is ‘equally’. We are massively prioritising mental over physical. Why?

If anyone is physically unable to take a test or wear a mask, they have the same right to decline.

What I mean is why is an SEN non mask wearer taking priority over a physically vulnerable teacher who has not yet been vaccinated and had time to build up immunity.

A CEV teacher would be on the shielding list and not back at work until that ends. A vulnerable teacher will have had a risk assessment carried out and appropriate measures implemented. Its not that children with SEN and/or disabilities are being prioritised but nice prejudice you're showing there.

vs 3-4 weeks of missed schooling

Have you missed the news a lot in the past year?

@FoxyTheFox,

Prejudice is the go-to word to silence someone who disagrees.

A male, mid fifties, marginal hypertension (as many have) will have had no risk assessments or special provisions put in for him. His risk of dying of COVID is about 1/200, not vast but certainly non negligible, and hospitalisation risk is about 10x that.

But, nice prejudice you are showing there.

From what understand is that if students don't test and there is a positive case in their bubble they'll have to self isolate. I also don't think DD will do the test properly and so it's a bit of tick box exercise with her. I've picked up some packs of lateral flow tests so she doesn't have to go in to school on Monday to take the test.

Prejudice is the go-to word to silence someone who disagrees

No, in your case its the go-to word to point out that what you're posting is disablism and that excluding children who are not tested would in many cases be discrimination on the grounds of disability.

A vulnerable teacher will have had a risk assessment carried out and appropriate measures implemented.

It would be nice to think this would happen, but it didn’t for me and a colleague in a similar position. In fact in our case it would have been possible to implement measures that would have protected us and our learners and improved learning provision, but they were rejected as we had to “get back to normal”. That’s why I’m leaving teaching, taking with me my experience, my history of positive innovation and my ability to enable learners to achieve, sometimes in cases where they never thought they would be able to.

From what understand is that if students don't test and there is a positive case in their bubble they'll have to self isolate

The letter that came from DS school said that isolation of contacts will still take place regardless of whether a child has had a lateral flow test although I think the children doing LOTS can return to school sooner if they have a specific number of negative daily tests (I can't remember without checking the letter) and those who haven't been tested have to do the full run of isolation. Work gets provided for anyone isolating. Anyone with symptoms or a positive LFT still needs to isolate and book a normal test regardless of a negative LFT result.

Either schools are as safe as they were last term - or safer seeing as numbers are dropping - in which case additional measures such as masks in classrooms and twice-weekly testing of pupils shouldn't be needed, or they're not as safe/safer in which case they shouldn't be opening to all pupils.

I think you’ve missed a third (and in this case correct option): schools are not significantly safer, but the impact on wider community spread will be reduced due to regular asymptomatic testing and the vaccination programme. So we have reached a point where we can no longer feasibly deny all children in-school teaching “for the greater good” of the community.

Regarding masks - while they aren’t compulsory in the guidance to schools, any individual head can make them part of the school uniform policy and then send children home for non-compliance. But, as with any item of uniform, reasonable adjustments must be made for those who are unable to wear them.

With lateral flow testing, of course you shouldn’t refuse in-school education simply because someone doesn’t want to undergo a medical procedure. You can’t (in the UK) refuse a school place to a child of anti-vaccine parent, despite the risk that child then poses to vulnerable children who cannot be vaccinated. I feel the same has to be true for COVID test refusers.

All that said, we have had excellent uptake (90%) and some of those who haven’t come in for testing are doing so for sensible reasons (eg unable to do SEN, had COVID in the last 90 days). I think making a fuss about the few who are just being awkward is a waste of time and energy.

If the teachers are vulnerable they’ll either be shielding or will have now had their first vaccination or perhaps both. There’s basically no risk to children and any child who is at risk will also be shielding. Let them get on with it.

Prejudice is the go to word to silence someone who disagrees ........

Tell that to Meghan Sparkle Markel # Fake on the Make

@Norwaydidnthappen

If the teachers are vulnerable they’ll either be shielding or will have now had their first vaccination or perhaps both. There’s basically no risk to children and any child who is at risk will also be shielding. Let them get on with it.

This is not true. The categories changed many teachers I know are 50+ have had no vaccine and are bloody terrified - so put a mask on kids and do the right thing - for others

Good, and I say that as somebody with multiple factors making me CV and can't be vaccinated for a few months as I'm pregnant. Children should not be forced to undergo medical procedures in school and be denied their education if they refuse.

@Norwaydidnthappen

If the teachers are vulnerable they’ll either be shielding or will have now had their first vaccination or perhaps both. There’s basically no risk to children and any child who is at risk will also be shielding. Let them get on with it.

Wrt children shielding, my ds is shielding (back in school after Easter) but his sister's will be in school...so we would still rather avoid the dds getting Covid!

Having said that, I do not think testing should be compulsory - my dds have chosen to test, but I don't think they should be forced to.

The ignorance is astounding. No the clinically vulnerable have generally not had two vaccinations. Many have not had one. Most have not had three weeks to build up immunity. All clinically extremely vulnerable people should have been offered their first vaccine by now. I doubt many have had their second. Most people between 50-55 not classed as CV will not have had a jab yet, let alone had three weeks to build up immunity following a jab. Asymptomatic children refusing to test pose a threat to all the parents, teachers and people in wider society who are in groups 1-9 who do not yet have any immunity, of which there are a significant amount. Fact.