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Original poster

Anyone else worried about school staff?

250 replies

Sibsmum · 10/08/2020 13:58

I am sorting uniforms and other school things for September start and I am just thinking that I have heard a lot about children's safety but very little if anything about the safety of school staff.
It looks like they have no ppe and in secondary will be teaching lots of kids from lots of bubbles. Then there are the catering staff, exposed to everyone, TA's and other admin and support staff, cleaners and site staff. How are they being kept safe? Or are they just expendable because were desperate to get our Dc back ?
I feel a bit guilty that I hadn't considered that at all.

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 10/08/2020 17:42

@marinintheuk

Did you worry about supermarket workers ?

Did you worry about warehouse workers ?

Did you worry about delivery people ?

Did you worry about I.T. people ?

Did you worry about gas, electric and water workers ?

All of the above worked every day since March - what makes teachers so special ?

Yes I worried about all those.

Supermarket workers had limited numbers, Perspex screens, masks and social distancing.

Warehouse staff had SD, gloves and masks.

IT staff mainly worked from home as it's remote but people in offices had one way systems, Perspex screens, no hot desking

Gas electric etc for major companies were emergency only and had PPE if they had to visit homes and SD.

Despite all this of course I was concerned for them.

I am not a teacher.

But I'm also concerned for teachers and students as I am for everyone else. My concern extends somewhat because none of the above measures afforded to those professions you mentioned have been extended to teachers and schools.

user1471530109 · 10/08/2020 17:44

@marinintheuk

Did you worry about supermarket workers ?

Did you worry about warehouse workers ?

Did you worry about delivery people ?

Did you worry about I.T. people ?

Did you worry about gas, electric and water workers ?

All of the above worked every day since March - what makes teachers so special ?

I can see reading comprehension isn't really something that many on mumsnet are good at. We wonder why some of the kids struggle!

So I will repeat it again.

It's the lack of PPE that people are upset about. Not going back! We all want back! But Gav's guidance says face coverings aren't necessary for students or staff. All their research is looking at children...I teach kids who are near enough adults.
Of course most Heads will follow the guidance to the letter as they are worried about being held accountable if anyone dies. I can understand their position. The government have made sure they have worded everything to be able to out the blame in the school.

Hardbackwriter · 10/08/2020 17:44

How can anyone possibly look at the 'active' page of MN - or, as it seems to currently be, 'the index of the current top threads on schools and coronavirus' - and wonder if anyone else has thought about the safety of teachers or has any concerns about it?! Confused

pooiepooie25 · 10/08/2020 17:45

@marinintheuk

Did you worry about supermarket workers ?

Did you worry about warehouse workers ?

Did you worry about delivery people ?

Did you worry about I.T. people ?

Did you worry about gas, electric and water workers ?

All of the above worked every day since March - what makes teachers so special ?

Oh ffs really? First of all, teachers have been working all the way through. Secondly, any decent person would worry about others. Thirdly, it appears that teachers are the only job that is being made less Covid secure, rather than more. Please tell us why you think teachers should not have a Covid safe workplace? Or as COVID safe as is possible? Why do you hate school staff so much? Not a penny has been given to schools to help. Not even a penny towards extra soap. Listen to yourself...
Sh05 · 10/08/2020 17:52

All the teachers I know want to go back but this doesn't mean they're not worried aboutcatching and then potentially taking the virus home.
Teachers live to teach, of course they want to be back in the classroom with their classes but they just as equally want to stay well.

Sh05 · 10/08/2020 17:54

And I agree with pp that all other key workers have had measures put in place to make their workplaces as covid secure as is possible whereas schools have been given no extra budget.
Heads can't magic up classroom space out of thin air nor can they pay to hire extra space with money they don't have!

noblegiraffe · 10/08/2020 17:57

Look at this story from two days ago

www.tes.com/news/covid-19-ps40m-help-pupils-travel-school-safely

“More than £40 million is being handed to local transport authorities next term to ease pressure on public transport as children return to school in September.

The money will pay for the hiring of dedicated coaches to get students to school and college, and it will help operators create extra capacity, says the Department for Education (DfE). It says this extra provision will allow hundreds of thousands more students to use alternatives to general public transport, while social distancing measures remain in place.”

The question is Why the fuck is this being announced 3 weeks before the kids go back? Has it only just occurred to the DfE that kids need to get to school? And why are they worrying about kids on general transport ‘while social distancing measures remain in place’ when they don’t give a shit about kids in classrooms and there are no social distancing measures in schools? Kids need to be separated from the general public because they might spread it to them but they definitely won’t spread it to their teachers even though they wear masks on the bus and they won’t in the classroom?

What the actual fuck is going on at the DfE?

Pesimistic · 10/08/2020 18:01

I'm going to be I'm my third trimester when we go back so yes I'm not looking forward to it. Schools arent magically exempt from coronovirus, schools are breeding grounds for illness all this crap about no risk in schools is just to get the kids back in with the least amount of fuss. They need to re introduce shielding in my opinion, it's not fair to put people at risk, fair enough people who ar below risk, but there are others that are going to be greatly affected if they get it

welcometohell · 10/08/2020 18:04

More than £40 million is being handed to local transport authorities next term to ease pressure on public transport as children return to school in September.

Since the promised laptops for our disadvantaged students never materialised and the FSM vouchers were an absolute shambles I'll believe this when I see it.

sonicbook · 10/08/2020 18:13

*Did you worry about supermarket workers ?

Did you worry about warehouse workers ?

Did you worry about delivery people ?

Did you worry about I.T. people ?

Did you worry about gas, electric and water workers ?

All of the above worked every day since March - what makes teachers so special*?

All of those examples were given PPE and can social distance to an extent. That's why.

noblegiraffe · 10/08/2020 18:13

Yes welcome, I’m feeling the same about the funding for tutoring and the money for new buildings that has also been promised.

But the DfE has looked at schools and thought hmmm, the area that’s really problematic and needs money is the bit before they get to school WHERE THEY’LL ALL BE WEARING MASKS.

Can’t expose the kids to the public. Teachers though...

spanieleyes · 10/08/2020 18:14

Our TWO laptops turned up eventually, but not until after School had finished for the summer, so not exactly useful (except for the gaming which I'm pretty sure is all they have been used for!)

Vivana · 10/08/2020 18:14

Nope I'm not

sonicbook · 10/08/2020 18:14

Apologies didn't read the full thread where several other poster made the same point, more eloquently, than I did.

itsgettingweird · 10/08/2020 18:19

www.gov.uk/guidance/steps-to-take-following-the-death-of-a-colleague-in-childrens-services

This is guidance from government.

Read the bottom about HSE investigating.

Then read the other guidance that says staff don't need PPE and there will be no funding provided to meet the demands of hygiene levels required.

Then consider just how unreasonable school staff are being for wanting an actual plan.

FrippEnos · 10/08/2020 18:22

Ponoka7

That really should be that there are no confirmed cases.

In the same way that there are no confirmed cases of bus drivers catching it off passengers.

Or there are no confirmed cases of doctors catching it off patients.

Also look at the dates were these come from, and also compare your studies to others that children can transmit the virus at the same levels as adults (especially teenagers).

marinintheuk · 10/08/2020 18:25

Absolute rot.

Many of those had no PPE for several weeks.

Many in I.T. and other industries also could not work from home and had to work in situations with no PPE or social distancing.

SideEyeing · 10/08/2020 18:27

I'm worried. Secondary teacher, huge class sizes. DH works in the same school as me, also teaching. I'm worried I will catch it and pass it to my in laws who will be looking after our daughter one day a week. I'm also worried she'll pick it up at nursery and pass it on. I'm unhappy about the lack of PPE, dreading the lack of control over what is already poor student behaviour.

I'm going back because I care (and I need to pay the mortgage) after 9m of mat leave but I am scared.

canigooutyet · 10/08/2020 18:29

Oh the laptop thing.
School identifies 50 students need a laptop and put in the request.
The school get sent 6 and ask about the rest.
That's all you're getting.

The tutor scheme - can only use certain companies, and the schools have to find additional money for this.

And for those who say let's see how it goes in whatever country, here you go

www.nytimes.com/2020/08/06/us/coronavirus-students.html

canigooutyet · 10/08/2020 18:30

THis one came from Gloucestershire council

rs-delve.github.io/reports/2020/07/24/balancing-the-risk-of-pupils-returning-to-schools.html

And here's the link they have for everything else about schools opening

www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/schoolsnet/school-provision-during-covid-19-crisis/dfe-and-other-national-guidance/

Letseatgrandma · 10/08/2020 18:31

@marinintheuk

Absolute rot.

Many of those had no PPE for several weeks.

Many in I.T. and other industries also could not work from home and had to work in situations with no PPE or social distancing.

But they’re not doing so now, are they?

Why is it that the measures put in place for people in other jobs have improved over time, as we learnt more about the virus, whereas they are due to become markedly worse for school staff?

SideEyeing · 10/08/2020 18:32

@itsgettingweird Thank you for posting this - this is why I feel uneasy.

FrippEnos · 10/08/2020 18:33

marinintheuk

So its a race to the bottom?

Because they didn't no-one should?

user1471530109 · 10/08/2020 18:34

@marinintheuk

Absolute rot.

Many of those had no PPE for several weeks.

Many in I.T. and other industries also could not work from home and had to work in situations with no PPE or social distancing.

But they are now!!!

Teachers also worked without PPE with keyworker and vulnerable kids.

I am so frustrated with this. Why the fuck are some people so against teaching as a profession? Did you have a crap time at school or something? I am appalled at your attitude. You wouldn't dare go up to any other person in RL and say that you don't care about them working with no PPE? That you refuse to wear a mask etc. What the hell is wrong with people? Seriously, are you just saying it to wind us all up?