"I work in a school surrounded by kids but cannot see my family" - anyone sick of hearing this?

[coffeeforone]

It's totally unfair - everyone gets it! It's shit for most people. But this line/situation obviously affects all who work in education settings (a lots of people I know) and is really starting to irritate as it's being spouted much more often than most other complaints.

True I know, and it doesn't make sense to lots of people...but what's the solution? Close schools so everyone can see family instead?

[Barrowmanfan22]

@morethanmeetstheeye

Right, OP.
So I'm not allowed to be immensely pissed off and upset that I (as an extremely clinically vulnerable teacher) have to work in a room full of children with no PPE to protect me.

And as a result of that I cannot go and see my very ill, very old parents who live a long way away from me and really haven't got long left. They're in a lockdown area, so I'm not meant to go into their house plus I wouldn't want to infect them anyway.

But it's ok for me to keep being amongst 30+ families and their germs at work.

Fuck off.

Well done for putting what I wanted to put and bottled

[coffeeforone]

@morethanmeetstheeye I'm sorry about your situation and of course you should be upset about it- it's clearly wrong that no provisions have been made for this.

Just to be clear the people I am talking about in real life are not vulnerable or high risk in any way (never mind shielding category) nor is anyone in their household. They just don't like the rule of 6 and they want to see family freely (as we all do) without breaking the law. I do understand it's shit for them, same as for everyone.

[Vivana]

I work in a supermarket surrounded by 100s of people every day and none of this makes sense anymore. The government have lost it completely

[Lolaloveslemons]

Just to be clear the people I am talking about in real life are not vulnerable or high risk in any way (never mind shielding category) nor is anyone in their household. They just don't like the rule of 6 and they want to see family freely (as we all do) without breaking the law. I do understand it's shit for them, same as for everyone.

Maybe you forgot to mention that you were talking ONLY about people who share every aspect of their life circumstances with you.
Friends? Family?
People you KNOW are just fine and are just complaining for the sake of it...

Don’t put a spin on it OP.
You specifically said you were irritated by teachers and people who work in education.

[Lolaloveslemons]

I work in a supermarket surrounded by 100s of people every day and none of this makes sense anymore. The government have lost it completely

It is baffling. Anyone who works with or comes into contact with 1000s of strangers or members of the public every day (yes, school children included OP) has the right to feel pissed off and confused by the logic.

[LouiseNW]

If I worked in a school I’d want to keep other contacts to an absolute minimum, for their sake rather than mine.

[KeepingPlain]

I don't hear this just from teachers, I hear this from everyone. Because they are, you know, right? These rules set by our daft governments make as much sense as a chocolate teapot. How can anyone agree that they are even remotely good rules, make sense or are in any way useful?

Look at what happens to the students now. You can have 6 people max from two households in Scotland. So the kids can go to school all day, meet usually a thousand other kids (in secondary or big primaries, dunno the numbers down south, could be more), and then as soon as it hits 3pm or whenever going home is, suddenly they can only pick one friend to see after school. And if they do that, they can't see other family members like grand parents. How does that make any sense? Does the virus suddenly know when it's 3pm and only attacks then? Of course they don't, so it's a pointless rule then.

These rules are unlikely to slow down the rates because they are pointless. A bit like our politicians.

[Stripesgalore]

The rules have just become completely ridiculous. Very few people seem to actually be following them.

[Whataroyalannoyance]

In my bubble there are 8 adults. But outside of that school building we're not allowed to get together. That's the kind of logic that is annoying. At work 8 adults and 70 kids is OK. (that doesn't include the additional adults in our setting who have to be able to be able to bubble hop) In my garden, on the weekend, somehow those same 8 are suddenly a threat...

[Whataroyalannoyance]

And additionally, in schools in reality, bubbles mean nothing.
The adults all have to use the same pad to log in.
all the toilets, bar 1, have been given over to the children to use. So 40+ adults are using 1 loo.
The kitchen has 1 kettle.
There are 2 printers.
We all have to use the same maths cupboard of resources, the fire doors still have to be pushed open, there is no ppe. We still have parents attempting to come into the building.
We still have parents trying to send twin 1 in when twin 2 is home with a temp.
Our cleaning supplies are running out so quickly that we are buying our own for class.
But no. My family of 5 can't see my sister and niece

[Snackasaurus]

Because it's true.

If they can be in a classroom of 30 children, why can't they see their families?

It's no different to the NHS staff, shop staff, delivery drivers and anybody else who complains about it.

The Government is at fault here for making such ridiculous rules!

[Tzatz1k1]

I get more hacked off that I am expected to sit in a class of 30 every day but my dc can’t have NHS face to face counselling.

[coffeeforone]

But isn't the answer - if people think the rules are so stupid and don't make sense then see family anyway instead of being a martyr. Anything that doesn't make sense like some of these situations described on this thread then you would take a common sense approach and see people anyway that you spend all day with?

Yes the rules are totally shit for everyone. But just take own personal decisions based on attitude to risk, especially if there is clearly no additional risk involved as your spending all day with those people anyway - what's the worst that can happen?

[Whataroyalannoyance]

@coffeeforone

But isn't the answer - if people think the rules are so stupid and don't make sense then see family anyway instead of being a martyr. Anything that doesn't make sense like some of these situations described on this thread then you would take a common sense approach and see people anyway that you spend all day with?

Yes the rules are totally shit for everyone. But just take own personal decisions based on attitude to risk, especially if there is clearly no additional risk involved as your spending all day with those people anyway - what's the worst that can happen?

Well if its against the law and you work in a school and get caught, you can lose your job....

[Lolaloveslemons]

if people think the rules are so stupid and don't make sense then see family anyway instead of being a martyr.

Are you just trying to sound stupid?

It is the law FFS. Penalty for breaking this particular law is a fine.

How can people ‘see family anyway’?

[Lolaloveslemons]

Well if its against the law and you work in a school and get caught, you can lose your job....

And this.

[coffeeforone]

Well if its against the law and you work in a school and get caught, you can lose your job....

Of course you would, sorry my mistake.

[Barrowmanfan22]

@coffeeforone

But isn't the answer - if people think the rules are so stupid and don't make sense then see family anyway instead of being a martyr. Anything that doesn't make sense like some of these situations described on this thread then you would take a common sense approach and see people anyway that you spend all day with?

Yes the rules are totally shit for everyone. But just take own personal decisions based on attitude to risk, especially if there is clearly no additional risk involved as your spending all day with those people anyway - what's the worst that can happen?

Not much I suppose , apart from losing my job , potentially putting the entire school into lockdown and the waves of that from parents also having to self isolate...oh and I might kill someone.

Apart from that , not a lot.

[ekidmxcl]

It’s pretty true through. I have teacher friends and relatives.

Teacher 1: contracted covid this term at school.
Teacher 2: afraid to see his sick mother.

Teachers have got a rough deal here. Standing in front of a class, many of whom could be asymptomatic healthy kids. Many kids don’t follow rules. A kid coughed on my brother (he teaches). I mean a 15yo not a 5yo!

[Snackasaurus]

@coffeeforone

But isn't the answer - if people think the rules are so stupid and don't make sense then see family anyway instead of being a martyr. Anything that doesn't make sense like some of these situations described on this thread then you would take a common sense approach and see people anyway that you spend all day with?

Yes the rules are totally shit for everyone. But just take own personal decisions based on attitude to risk, especially if there is clearly no additional risk involved as your spending all day with those people anyway - what's the worst that can happen?

The rules are shit for everyone so why is this post only directed at teaching staff? EVERYBODY is complaining about it!

[Barrowmanfan22]

@coffeeforone

OP I hope you haven't spent all day worrying about this. If you have and are looking for something to do, I have 31 exam papers to mark this weekend so I would appreciate some help.

No I have spent all day working and getting on with things, but with a constant flow of WhatsApp messages moaning about how it all "makes no sense"....etc etc.

Close friends, (most of the group happen to have different roles within school settings )so I wouldn't ever ask them not to have a moan or try to be more positive...but it's just the same lines over and over since June.

I just wondered if anyone else was over all the complaining or is it just me.

So the people you are posting about are close friends and you are posting their fears and worries on a public site.

You sound like a great friend. You should do them a favour and remove yourself from their WhatsApp.

[cologne4711]

All of you saying you can't go to visit your parents - why can't you, unless they are in a care home which has said you can't? I am not aware of all the local lockdown restrictions but if I had a vulnerable relative I'd just visit them in their garden, or meet them outside if they lived in a flat without outside space.

You are not going to pass on the virus sitting 2m away from someone outside.

If it is cold, they can sit in their doorway and you can sit outside.

[Playdoughbum]

Love my job. Love the kids.
Worked all through lockdown like everyone in my school.
Glad to be back properly but I think I’m allowed a moan occasionally. It helps with the stress of no social distancing, working longer hours (staggered arrivals etc), no breaks, mostly no lunch (cleaning) and knowing that I need to be ready to jump to zoom lessons at a moment’s notice.
It’s just a bloody moan. We are allowed. One of the kids asked about the rule of six and how does that mean all of them together is ok. Ten year old. So just let me have my little moan then I’ll scurry on back and do the job I’m paid to do.
If nothing else this pandemic has shown how hated we are as a profession. So bloody depressing.

[Bluepolkadots42]

I'm a teacher and I am very happy to be back at work- WFH was a living nightmare due to no childcare- but I do feel like this about the new rule of 6, which now means our family aren't able to all get together (12 of us in total). My MIL has a terminal cancer diagnosis and has been given 12 months max. It irks me hugely I can be in a school with no masks, no distancing- but 12 of us can't meet outside or inside in a distanced manner to make the most of the time we have left with MIL. It's total bullshit.