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.

Yup. If you're that worried that teachers are somehow lacking in the support or resources to deliver what they are being asked then take them out of school. I am. I am surprised by the sense of entitlement in the UK about schooling not being a parents job. The schools can't do it? Time to step up then.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Most don’t care about education in its true sense just want kids off their hands completely untrue unfounded parent bashing!!!!

So ridiculous. This is part of the problem and impacts on what people think of teaching.

Did someone REALLY post about the 12 week holiday?

Do they realise teachers are not paid for these? They only get payment because the salary is averaged out over 12 months.

It's a thankless job, I wouldn't want to do it.

OnlyFoolsnMothers, police won't get stuck in a small room with 30+
children x multiple classes for all day, everyday, do they?

I don't see the unions putting forward any workable solutions as an alternative, or in fact any solutions at all. They have showed zero inclination to accept that this situation is going nowhere and that change and compromise is needed. Unlike other sectors they don't seem to accept that there's a job to be done and workable solutions to doing it are needed.

I agree the government hasn't handled this well, but the unions have made it worse.

At the end of the day many teachers have been fantastic during this situation, and many haven't. Compared to NHS workers they have shown that as a body in general they are happy to take a wage without accepting there is a job to be done.

Only a small minority of people can work with zero risk and be paid a full wage. The rest of us, including teachers have to get in with the job in hand- or find a different job.

And finally, on a different note the head teachers who have allowed secondary school bubbles to be whole year size instead of finding a better solution are shortsighted and storing up inevitable major issues. There's no easy solution but this is insanity!

What PPE @Jessicabrassica ? Our school has nothing apart from hand sanitiser and wipes.

*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*
You're so right

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Their worry is definitely valid, nothing like other jobs what about the police?

You are aware that the police have made huge changes to ensure as Covid Secure Environment as possible. Eg no double manned police cars, enhanced cleaning of stations (literally ever hour or so door handles touch surfaces etc), masks, cancelling all training where distancing can’t be adhered to. I’m not a police officer but was told by someone who is. They’ve had enormous changes to working practices.

The schools can't do it? Time to step up then this is fine for most primary school kids, how do you expect most adults to teach computer coding, Spanish, Alevel economics.....ffs no one thought they would need to be a qualified teacher when they conceived their children 11yrs ago, how silly of us not to have predicted a pandemic!!!

The Government also published their Plan B guidance last night. It has taken them 5 months to come up with that. Schools have been asking for ages for it.

Also the Government have been adamant that there should be no rotas but now they are a possibility.

One difference between the NHS and Education is that money has been thrown at the NHS, and individual Trusts have not had to finance it through their budgets. Not so Education. Schools are continually told they are not getting any funding and so can’t come up with solutions that will cost money.

You are aware that the police have made huge changes to ensure as Covid Secure Environment as possible. Eg no double manned police cars, enhanced cleaning of stations (literally ever hour or so door handles touch surfaces etc), masks, cancelling all training where distancing can’t be adhered to I’m sure, all work places have made alterations, as have schools. But ultimately police engage with adults- the group more likely to carry and pass corona- without ppe. It’s the idea that schools have to be completely risk free or kids can’t go back is what baffles me

So, one thing parents would no doubt like is clarity about bubbles popping and isolation and school closures. this bit of the guidance is statutory. School leaders begged and begged for the government to clarify this.

They did at 9.30 last night.

They withdrew the whole paragraph at 11.30 saying they had made a mistake.

Come . On.

Even if we are going to say teachers just had six week holiday, how about the DfE bringing out this guidance five or so weeks ago?

Thanks for your empathy OP. Appreciated.

OnlyFoolsnMothers, police won't get stuck in a small room with 30+ children x multiple classes for all day, everyday, do they? they have stood infront of raging protestors, they have been in interview rooms- how many people do you think supermarket workers encounter daily?! Children aren’t the predominate spreaders of this virus- it’s adults!!

@OnlyFoolsnMothers children pass the virus on too, children over 11 pass it on as much as adults.

There are also many adults in a school.

I agree the advice is shoddy coming in dribs and drabs but the new advice that schools may have to close at a moments notice is not shocking or unexpected is it? Look at travel- look at local areas. Also what does it actually change?

I agree Jessica I don't know why people have such an Issue with teacher's, we need them they have a huge effect on our children's lives.

I do feel for teachers and the constant last minute change to rules but none that actually ensure their safety. I don't want terrified teachers in front of my children. I love the 'get another job then' yes because teachers want to throw away their 3 year degree. Also we desperately need to keep our teachers.

We will have a problem when teachers are off sick or signed off with MH problems. Can't we just support these professionals who are so important to our children. I am a nurse and often get a similar backlash on MN. I can see lots of disruption going forward.

This government is incompetent, why does it take so long to draw up guidelines, they have had months. It must make the teachers feel really unsafe.

It's not crap red tape. There was no tape. Literally no guidelines on a Plan B or on isolating bubbles. That is public health type stuff and important.

Can I also point out music teachers have only just had their long awaited advice which has said 'coming shortly' since May. And it makes no sense.

Carers, supermarket workers, police etc have all continued to work mixing with the super spreaders that are adults.

Carers, supermarket workers, police etc do not have to prepare detailed, written plans for every aspect of every professional interaction with their 'clients', differentiating each interaction for at least three ability groups.

Teachers have been told to plan for full time classroom learning under social distancing rules. They spent the summer holiday doing this. The Friday evening before term begins, they're told to plan for simultaneous distance learning.

Yet it's unreasonable to think that this is an unreasonable demand.

Children aren’t the predominate spreaders of this virus- it’s adults!!

1. You know this how?

1. All the more reason to protect the adults.

Which the government advice does not.

We’re in a pandemic where things change rapidly on a daily basis... pretty much every single sector is dealing with rapidly changing guidelines and advice... the virus doesn’t take weekends off so we can’t expect everything to stop at Friday 5pm to pick up again on Monday at 9am. I think YABU in that you think this is normal times when really its extraordinary and everyone is learning/feeling as they go.

My DS is my life, I want him to have secure, confident teachers. If I were a teacher I'd be worried, since DH is vulnerable. We need to start listening to, and cooperating with, the people who help shape our children. We need to stop comparing teaching with other jobs, teaching is its own pillar.

I get so disheartened by the teacher bashing on here, just stop.

YADNBU

Clarity is so so so important for parents too. Multiple threads on here show how confused parents are. There literally is no parent friendly, potted advice anywhere.

@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'm really not that worried. My wife is a teacher but fortunately she is not working. But many of her friends are.

But I'm sure it will be ok.

I'm guessing that when the teachers start to die in significant numbers, we will go out on Thursday night and clap for them, (as long as it's not raining or too cold), and that will make everything all ok.

@derxa at least you got PPE