To be really angry on behalf of teachers

[Jessicabrassica]

I know mumsnet loves a bit of teacher bashing.
I'm really angry that once again the Department for Education has put out guidance for schools in a Friday night before a long weekend with some schools having already started and others back next week.
I cannot imagine how many iterations of risk assessments have already been completed to make schools as safe as possible given the constraints of staff numbers, building size and requirements to get every child back in school.
They are getting enough PPE to tick the box that it's been issued to all schools but not enough to be useful.
Teachers mostly haven't stopped working since the pandemic began. They have continued to teach, to support vulnerable learners, provided meals and good parcels out of school funds in lieu of FSM, they remained open through school holidays for key worker provision.
I really feel that they have been well and truly fucked over, left massively vulnerable and will be left to carry the can for community outbreaks.

I'm a parent and work for the NHS if it's if any consequence.

I work in a school. I've been in close contact with students this week and felt unprotected. It's not the fault of the school, they've provided face masks and visors as required, staggered times, minimised student movement but it just isn't enough. I don't know what the right answer is but the government have certainly been very unhelpful.

Organisations seem to love publishing guidance at 5.30 on a Friday night. Not so important but England Athletics published covid guidance a few weeks ago at the same time and of course it was as clear as mud but nobody was around to ask what it actually meant. (as an aside I still don't think people know what it means, weeks later).

Or the solicitors who send letters to you to arrive when you get home from work on a Friday evening or on a Saturday morning so of course you can't phone them and worry all weekend.

It's not a conspiracy, or malicious, just completely stupid. We're not exactly surprised that our government is stupid, are we?

I work in a school. I've been in close contact with students this week and felt unprotected. It's not the fault of the school, they've provided face masks and visors as required, staggered times, minimised student movement but it just isn't enough whys it not enough? It’s all very well to keep knocking things down but what’s the solution?

I'm not looking for lockdown to last forever. I didn't say I didn't want schools to reopen.
I can't wait to get back to working in schools and my kids need to go back for their own mental wellbeing.

In the NHS we've had a lot of changes. These have been issued in a timely manner.
Schools have repeatedly had guidance provided on a Friday afternoon. Sometimes 14 pieces of guidance on a Friday afternoon.
I think few other professions have had that.
Most teachers also work their socks off in termtime - evenings and weekends, knowing they get a break in the holidays. Only this year they didn't despite the media saying they were closed for 6mo.
I'm wondering why teachers are so disliked on mumsnet. Can someone actually tell me why?

What’s a teacher..... kids not seen one since March.

I didn't read that the OP thinks schools shouldn't open, I believe they should too and so do most teachers but teachers have got lots of unfair stick on here and everywhere it seems. I value teachers, I don't know any personally but my children's teachers are fantastic, kind, caring decent HUMAN BEINGS and they have done a fantastic job throughout. I'm so sick of the teacher bashing!

I don’t think teachers are disliked at all- in fact I’ve often said they aren’t respected or paid enough! But what has started to get to people is the gushing over them, the constant bleating on by people about them being safe etc- when other sections of society have just had to crack
On.
It’s like the nhs clapping, of course we are all grateful and there are many outstanding nurses, drs etc- but when you are queuing for 30mins to get into Tesco and a secretary in an nhs back office who is working from home, whose kid is in school gets to push infront of you, Yes it gets people’s backs up.

I’d like to know what’s going on at DfE, I bet things are strained trying to get stuff out.

Dfe has had since July to provide guidance. It didn't have to be done (twice) after schools closed for the weekend. The science isn't changing that rapidly.

@beelola

I work in a school. I've been in close contact with students this week and felt unprotected. It's not the fault of the school, they've provided face masks and visors as required, staggered times, minimised student movement but it just isn't enough. I don't know what the right answer is but the government have certainly been very unhelpful.

If you as a professional who works in a school doesn't know what the answer is why is it a surprise that governments don't have all the answes?

Do the teaching unions have workable plans that are being ignored? I havent been able to follow the news this week

It’s shocking that’s its always Posted so late in the day just before the weekend. The heads make plans and poof all change midnight Friday.

I must say our teachers continued throughout with online learning, a few phone calls and zoom story times as well as making YouTube videos and tweeting. So no Not all went off on a jolly.

Wow.
Can we not discuss a policy change without reverting back to the teacher bashing of the lockdown.
I can't seem to join any thread about my job without feeling angry and frustrated.
You are right- the government consistently changed advice late in the evening before anything could be actioned. They give no consideration to those implementing the advice.

yy, the only way kids can learn is for teachers to be able to keep healthy. No good opening the schools if the teachers end up ill.

Would have been helpful to have the advice before we start back again.

The teacher bashers are missing the point. Issuing new guidance at the time they did demonstrates a complete lack of respect for the people on the ground who have to implement it. It's typical of this govt and they do it in every sector, not just education.

And it's not true that 99.9% of children are at no risk. Particularly those who are adult-sized and/or carry the risk of transmitting the virus to vulnerable family members. On a personal level, I'd very much like my teenage daughter's music teacher to have had more than zero notice of how to run their GCSE music classes safely.

Unfortunately they’re still learning as they go, they ought to give them more notice yes but everyone’s still learning about covid19.
I’m just glad the schools are reopening!

To be honest I'm more concerned that my children are going back to school to be taught by teachers who don't want them there. Kids pick up on that kind of thing and I don't think it's ok.

Who has said they don't want then children back? We would just like NOT to have 14 different guidance documents, including one that contradicted another, to be issued the day before they are going back.

In my experience, last minute government guidance is generally a result of a blazing row within Whitehall about what should be in it. Not a timely response to a fast changing situation. Or at least that's how it goes in my part of the public sector. Expert writes guidance. Politician doesn't like it. The row continues till the 11th hour. Then the guidance is stuck on the internet at 6pm on Friday evening and the people that have to make it happen put their heads in their hands.

No idea if any of that applies in this case, but I offer my experience for the benefit of anyone that still believes that Whitehall is a smooth running machine that is doing it's best in difficult times.

In this situation. You vs sent have everything written in stone. When work/ school begins workers and employers have to be flexible as something's work in reality and some don't.

The problem is with schools teachers seem to want to have one plan fits all and stays the same forever.

Some last minute changes maybe necessary. You have to suck it and see I'm afraid.

Im a nurse. Imagine the changes that weve had to get to grips with in ever changing circumstances. Still changing and can dramatically change again over winter.

I dont want to bash teachers but they repeatedly seem to be of the 'precious and dramatic mindset'

Could the guidelines of come out sooner....yes.

However....real life at the moment is unpredictable......WE ALL HAVE TO BE WILLING TO ADAPT AND CHANGE AT A MOMENTS NOTICE.

Spoken from a burned out...battleworn weary nurse who has no patience for...

LIFES UNFAIR...sentiments.

Lets just get on with it. We know government is full of crap red tape....were not going to change that in the current climate.

Lean in to the work and soon this will also settle

The irrational teacher bashing has reached fever pitch at times on MN. So much frothing from ill-informed hysterics is almost amusing.

Some teacher members warned months ago that this latest set of guidelines would happen and got the usual abuse hurled at them. They are owed an apology from those who said they were scaremongering.

That which they predicted has come to pass. And the more rational among us always knew it would.

Of course teachers want children back in school but they have been asking for Covid safe guidelines for months and still the government is introducing last minute changes.

Does anyone with an IQ above that of a jellyfish think that's right or fair?

I want the kids back and I want to be back.
I'm just sick of guidance changing literally last minute.
(Also suck of the anger toward teachers)
Thank you for the thread op- you are right. Off as I can't cope with attitudes on here and have lots of planning to do on a Saturday.

I agree OP these people look after our children every day and yet we seem to have no care or respect for them at all!!

Yep. And they pass that attitude on to their precious little darlings too.

@ukgift2016

Boo hoo

Many of us have still worked through the pandemic. Teacher must play their in our society.

Their....what? You obviously loved school.