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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be shocked at yet another last minute gov announcement.

641 replies

wantmorenow · 28/08/2020 22:25

New guidance for schools just announced on a Friday night before schools return. Breathtaking incompetence.

OP posts:
Morfin · 29/08/2020 09:29

Lilybet1980 some parents can't /won't supply their children with stationary, not even a pencil, they don't offer breakfast, they don't provide a toothbrush so they are not going to bother with a test. Other parents won't repeatedly put their child through an invasive test everytime they get a symptom.

Lovemusic33 · 29/08/2020 09:31

How is this going to work? As soon as a child or member of staff has any symptoms they have to stay at home until they have a negative test? Winter is coming and most people have some kind of cold during the winter, some kids have continues cold symptoms, so lots of kids are going to be off school for many days whilst getting tested, waiting for results and possibly isolating for 14 days, then if more than one child tests positive in a school many children may have to isolate for 14 days? there will be a shortage of staff and kids will be miss g out chucks of education whilst waiting for test results or after being in contact with someone who tested positive?

Morfin · 29/08/2020 09:33

@Lovemusic33

How is this going to work? As soon as a child or member of staff has any symptoms they have to stay at home until they have a negative test? Winter is coming and most people have some kind of cold during the winter, some kids have continues cold symptoms, so lots of kids are going to be off school for many days whilst getting tested, waiting for results and possibly isolating for 14 days, then if more than one child tests positive in a school many children may have to isolate for 14 days? there will be a shortage of staff and kids will be miss g out chucks of education whilst waiting for test results or after being in contact with someone who tested positive?
And being outside of classroom for so long will have resulted in a drop in immunity, so more likely to come down with a bad cold etc. Especially as there will be no SD.
Lilybet1980 · 29/08/2020 09:34

@Morfin maybe we need a campaign around testing to encourage more people to test? Unlike the things you mentioned, tests are free. And they really aren’t invasive (I managed no problem to test my 4 year old). Maybe too many people have it in their head that it’s just too difficult?

Charlottet4242 · 29/08/2020 09:35

Hi, my first post. I have 3 secondary age children each in a bubble of 300. So if a positive child in the bubble, my child in that bubble has to isolate for 2 weeks?? What about the rest of our household? My 3 children will all be getting the same school bus etc. Please can you clarify? I work from home. My husband can't work from home. Thank you in advance.

Lovemusic33 · 29/08/2020 09:40

@Charlottet4242

Hi, my first post. I have 3 secondary age children each in a bubble of 300. So if a positive child in the bubble, my child in that bubble has to isolate for 2 weeks?? What about the rest of our household? My 3 children will all be getting the same school bus etc. Please can you clarify? I work from home. My husband can't work from home. Thank you in advance.
Exactly, surely all children who were on the same bus would have to isolate too? All children in the bubble? It’s just not going to work is it? There’s always going to be more kids at home than at school, many will just have a cold.
Bupkis · 29/08/2020 09:40

@Morfin

Lilybet1980 some parents can't /won't supply their children with stationary, not even a pencil, they don't offer breakfast, they don't provide a toothbrush so they are not going to bother with a test. Other parents won't repeatedly put their child through an invasive test everytime they get a symptom.
Yes to the above, and to add, even his paediatrician and GP have said it would be impossible to administer a test to ds - who has complex needs - his reflux makes him cough anyway, and I am dreading the Winter when his asthma is often worse, and he comes down with every cough and cold going.
SaltyAndFresh · 29/08/2020 09:40

@CraftyGin

We assumed that there would be disruption caused by students and staff self-isolating, and so have installed conference cameras in every classroom. This means that students who are at home will be able to participate in lessons, just as they all did after lockdown.

We’ve had since March to plan for this.

Glad your school has the budget and your students the technology for this. Please don't assume that's the case for the majority of schools. The biggest sticking point in all of this is that there has been no funding allocated, which, when compared to what happened with the NHS, is galling.
bettsbattenburg · 29/08/2020 09:42

[quote ittooshallpass]@TW2013

That's exactly what they're doing at my DDs secondary school. She will be in a bubble with here tutor groups so if anything happens if impacts 30 kids not 300.

I don't know why everyone is so surprised by the news today - we've known for ages that bubbles will be sent home if there's a positive test result 🤷‍♀️ [/quote]
That only works if the teachers are also in that bubble and only teach that bubble. That's not possible for most schools.

Bupkis · 29/08/2020 09:43

[quote Lilybet1980]@Morfin maybe we need a campaign around testing to encourage more people to test? Unlike the things you mentioned, tests are free. And they really aren’t invasive (I managed no problem to test my 4 year old). Maybe too many people have it in their head that it’s just too difficult?[/quote]
Lilybet1980, for a child with complex needs, learning disabilities, macroglossia (large tongue) and an incredibly sensitive gag reflex in part due to chronic reflux...it really would be quite a challenge.

Chloemol · 29/08/2020 09:44

It says could be not will be

pennylane83 · 29/08/2020 09:45

Its ridiculous that everyone seems to have forgotten that there were viral infections before Covid - all of which have a cross over of symptoms yet suddenly no-one can now have a sore throat without having COVID screamed at them and being forced to isolate at home for 2 weeks.

There are 2 people being treated in ICU for Covid in my local hospital....2......yet my children will potentially be forced to endure a test every other week because a child/family member has a sniffle (during cold/flu season) or face constant disruption of being in and out of school isolating because of the irrational fear that has been created around this illness.

ineedaholidaynow · 29/08/2020 09:45

@CraftyGin are you a private school? You are also assuming all pupils will have access to technology so can watch the lessons.

wheresmymojo · 29/08/2020 09:47

At the same time they're trying to tell people to go back to work in offices.

Business leaders aren't stupid, they know that this school year is going to be a shit show because many of them have children themselves.

A good part of the reason they're still happy with everyone working from home is that it's much less disruption and risk to continue WFH than to bring everyone back and then have people in and out all the time needing to cover picking up kids with symptoms and then isolating without all the WFH equipment they need.

veza09 · 29/08/2020 09:48

@Lilybet it's not working in the whole of England my family booked a test Sunday, went to drive threw on Monday at 11am, we're still awaiting our results. Doesn't bode well for schools around here, mine included as I'm back next week.

bettsbattenburg · 29/08/2020 09:49

@BlackeyedSusan

Anyone predicting a shortage of headteachers in the next year or so?
No, those that leave will be replaced with one of the many MN experts who know better than teachers. The DfE will be working on the recruitment campaign with the likes of clavinova right now.
Oaktree55 · 29/08/2020 09:50

Finally people start catching up with what has been obvious for months! There won’t be a lot of schooling happening over the winter in many parts of the U.K. Boris can proudly say he opened schools in September though 🙄

ineedaholidaynow · 29/08/2020 09:51

What I would like to know is why the erroneous paragraph ever appeared in the guidance at all. It is not something that has been in the guidance before so how could it have got there in the first place, and when removed they just went back to the previous advice.

cdtaylornats · 29/08/2020 09:52

Lots of complaints - no solutions.

Mumratheevergiving · 29/08/2020 09:53

Just read the bbc report on it. Tier system seems sensible approach as would be bringing in mobile unit for testing at school. Let’s hope a reliable saliva test is introduced soon and we’ll have a better chance of minimising disruption.

Like pp I think children might have more chance of being exposed on transport to school or through friends than in a massive year group the size of an entire primary school where they are unlikely to come into contact with most of their year.

The Government are very unreasonable to release this guidance on a Friday night before a bank holiday weekend when senior leadership teams have training ready for staff on INSET days on Tuesday / pupils due back. Couldn’t they have issued it on say Weds and given them at least a little time to incorporate the info into letters they were releasing to parents.

Sending Cake and Flowers to all teachers out there. I think you do a difficult job at the best of times and you are the country’s superheros this Autumn / winter. Thank you.

herecomesthsun · 29/08/2020 09:55

YANBU to think this Government are rubbish.

However, I have such low expectations of them now that nothing would shock me much (though I am sure they will continue to test all our boundaries on this)

SaltyAndFresh · 29/08/2020 09:56

@cdtaylornats

Lots of complaints - no solutions.
Come on then, solve it.
RoseMartha · 29/08/2020 09:57

As we are in a pandemic we are going to get countless short notice announcements, it is to be expected really.

I know they are not usually convenient for us but we are just going to have to roll with it. Doesnt mean we have to like it or agree with it. For example although I comply and wear a mask, I hate it as it makes me feel claustrophobic.

I am fully expecting more restrictions and short notice rules as autumn and winter sets in.

nosswith · 29/08/2020 09:58

I am surprised that you are shocked at the announcement being last minute. I was surprised that the latest changes to quarantine were announced on a Thursday not a Friday, given how last minute all announcements have been.

ineedaholidaynow · 29/08/2020 09:58

@cdtaylornats why don’t you come up with some solutions, and remember no money must be spent on them per the Government guidelines