To ask if you are happy with the protection levels at school?

[MissMissICantDoThis]

I am a teacher so feel that I have some insight into what is going on in schools and I am feeling increasingly worried about the 'second wave'.

We have guidelines at our school and they mainly protect us adults. In reality, I couldn't do my job without breaking the guidelines and putting myself at risk. I accept this and felt that I accepted the risk in general. In my circle it is generally 'brave face and no complaining' attitude so I do not hear anyone talking about it.

I have mixed feelings for my own children. My son seems genuinely scared for the adults in the family and I am doing my best to support this.

I do not think that they will close schools again. The damage that the last lockdown did is evident. However, I am increasingly in favour of closing them again for a circuit breaker at least. The scientific evidence is so mixed that I do not know what to believe and wonder if the government are purposely being vague to avoid lockdown. Death rates are inevitably down compared to the first wave now that they only count deaths within 28 days yet they announced that it can take several weeks for someone to become critically ill.

My friend has a worried child too and she has said that if necessary, she will take her child out and face the fine. Is anyone else's child really worried? How do you feel about this?

I am genuinely prepared to accept that I am on half term and have spent more time watching the news than I normally would. Am I allowing myself to be scaremongered?

Yes, very happy. There have been several covid cases in my dds primary school and in no instance has there been any transmission. One 'outbreak' was recorded, which constituted 2 unrelated cases on the same day in pods that never had contact.

Anecdotally, I have friends with children in many schools where cases have also been recorded. In no instance has there been transmission apart from teacher to teacher.

So, anyone who is unhappy with measures in primary schools, have you any evidence of transmission? I am not aware that this is of concern - therefore measures appear to be proportionate.

I do appreciate that secondary schools is a different matter and as pupils get closer to adult age, they certainly do transmit the virus to each other. So I would say the measures there are not appropriate, but I don't have personal experience.

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So, anyone who is unhappy with measures in primary schools, have you any evidence of transmission? I am not aware that this is of concern - therefore measures appear to be proportionate.**

The evidence is unknown. If the bubble closes down, you would never know of other children tested positive unless you can tell me that you know every single child. Schools will not advertise a case so long as they have dealt with the original case and closed the bubble.

This is nonsense. I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't prefer kids to stay in school. What they do want is for schools to be safer than they are now.

Who is they? There are plenty of posters on this thread who are happy with what their school is offering.

I would love my dcs school to have smaller class sizes but they don't. I'm still sending them to school.

In no instance has there been transmission apart from teacher to teacher.

How do you know?

It's very easy to say 'there's no evidence of transmission', but when there's no proper testing being done, there's no evidence to say it's not happening either.

Who is they?

They are the people being accused of not wanting children to be in school because they aren't happy with current measures being taken.

It's always the same. If you say you have concerns about transmission in schools, people always pop up to say 'omg you want schools to close'

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Who is they? There are plenty of posters on this thread who are happy with what their school is offering.**

Unfortunately what is being "offered" publicly and what is actually happening is very different. If I catch covid, my school will surely blame the fact that I probably didn't follow their guidance. The fact is, it is impossible to do so.

Our school is struggling.

My department currently has four members of with coronavirus.

We have yet to have a full year group in. We attempt to do track and trace but it’s almost impossible when there are 260 kids in a bubble.

Our classrooms are too small to allow for us to stay 2 metres away from the pupils and our windows do not open more than 8cm so we can’t ensure proper circulation.

I am allowed to wear a mask when working closely with pupils, and they wear mask in lesson if they choose/I request. We have sanitiser in all rooms, and we are extremely prudent in ensuring pupils and staff use this, and each year group has its own bubble - unfortunately it isn’t enough, obviously.

However - I wouldn’t say I want schools to close. Teaching online isn’t as effective, and there’s no way I could effectively teach online and look after my own three children - so I would prefer for them to stay open. But there needs to be an accepted risk involved.

*off

It's always the same. If you say you have concerns about transmission in schools, people always pop up to say 'omg you want schools to close'

Who said that? I have concerns about transmission & concerns about Covid. I don't think people sending their kids in are concern free do you?

Do I think measures could be better? of course

Do I think a proper test & trace system is needed? Yes

However whilst we don't have those things I still would send my dc to school.

My daughter has been very anxious about it. I have had to reassure here that we are in a very low incidence area, her chances of catching it are very low and that school are doing all they can to keep them safe..... can't say I hand on heart believe all the words I said to her though.

But there needs to be an accepted risk involved

That's how I see it.

I don't think people sending their kids in are concern free do you?

You said There are plenty of posters on this thread who are happy with what their school is offering.

So which is it? Are they happy with what the school is offering, or do they have concerns (in which case they're not completely happy, are they?).

I am from the other side. The vast vast majority of children and adults won’t even know they have the virus. Children don’t seem to be spreading it. We have had one case in our large school, only picked up as the parents tested positive

I’m not a teacher and am stuck at home. Would happily retrain as a teacher tomorrow and teach if I could. I feel useless at home - I’m lucky to be low risk and could offer a lot.

Perfectly happy with the protection levels at school, although none of us are vulnerable or fearful of Covid. Appreciate others are in more difficult situations.

Live in Tier 3; teach in Tier 2. I feel much safer going to the gym, shopping and cafes than I do going to work. I agree with Noble - I would love MPs to stand on a staircase at lesson changeover and watch thousands of students breaking one-way rules and failing to socially- distance, mainly because our teacher/ class-size ratios are so high in this country and many schools are too small for the number of students and staff a school contains. Staff are spending their time racing from end to end of a large site, meaning that students are unattended and in close proximity- and this means that teenagers are hugging, touching and borrowing each other’s hairbrushes etc when unsupervised. Why aren’t they testing in schools/ scheduled and random? Why are we still having to wait so long for test-results, leading to staff and students having to isolate for several days?

At my DDs' school, while they've done a lot to reorganize the building as best they can, pretty much none of the 'Covid safety' rules we were told about before they went back have been followed. We were told sharing food, supplies, or physical contact with those outside their household would be instant disciplinary, yeah that's not happening. They're literally doing food tech together involving all of the above let alone breaks, lunch, and having to bus for PE.

I do wish they could be supported in going part-time at the very least. Their temporary building is just not made for this number of students and reduced staffing has meant a lot of other safety concerns, particularly at letting-out time where parents are told there is supervision at higher risk spots (city centre location, previously beggars and others have approached kids - particularly girls - near the school and areas students have been fighting or scarejumping the younger kids), but there regularly isn't so my concerns at the moment aren't really Covid related. It's very frustrating.

With my DS1, I'm pretty happy, other than testing and track & trace which are national issues they can't really do much more about. He's already part time at a large college that has pretty much everything in the 'how to make schools safer' dream list: tiny classes, ventilation and space, masks, kids can bundle up as much as they want (no uniforms), and never had an issue with illness absence.

I may be selfish to want him to keep his on-campus time as much as possible, but that certainly not the worst I've been called.

I don't equate being happy with being concern free, if that were true my CPTSD mind could never be happy, which I'd call BS on. I can be happy as long as the threshold for that isn't complete orgasmic bliss. Just feeling generally positive about a situation is happy enough for me.

The vast vast majority of children and adults won’t even know they have the virus.

Then why am I wearing a mask in shops, standing behind a plastic screen at checkouts, doing stuff over the phone or via mail rather than face to face? If it's so not a problem, why are all these measures being taken to protect people everywhere apart from schools?

Children don’t seem to be spreading it.

Define children, because secondary school kids certainly appear to be.

Eh? There are plenty of posters on this thread who are happy with their schools provision, they have posted that. I assumed that conversation was referencing this specific thread.

In the wider context where the vast majority of the population are still sending their dc to school, of course some of the 8m plus children will have parents with concerns but still chose school. Parents aren't a homogenous group.

I also take issue with the fact that happy with = no concern.

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow

I am from the other side. The vast vast majority of children and adults won’t even know they have the virus. Children don’t seem to be spreading it. We have had one case in our large school, only picked up as the parents tested positive

I’m not a teacher and am stuck at home. Would happily retrain as a teacher tomorrow and teach if I could. I feel useless at home - I’m lucky to be low risk and could offer a lot.

Several of my husband's students have been very ill with it. Some are taking ages to return to health.

I also take issue with the fact that happy with = no concern.

Why would you be happy with something you have concerns about?

My kids report very little SDing at school - but the school are keen to ensure that the kids SD in public - it’s such bullshit.

I'm happy about lots of things that doesn't mean I have no concerns in those areas. I love my job & Im very happy with it, however I also have concerns about the economic impact of Covid may affect it in the months to come.

But that's a personal viewpoint it doesn't change the fact that some of the 8m plus children will have parents with concerns but still chose school. Parents aren't a homogenous group.

No one vulnerable in our family so I am happy with the level of protection yes.

I am aware SD is all for show, and the wearing of masks in corridors etc very ineffective. I am more concerned with the effects of lockdown and missing education TBH than an endemic virus.

Not bothered about DD or me if we do catch it, such is life. I'm an ITU nurse so have worked with pathogens all my career - was exposed to open TB twice in my twenties etc.

Live in Tier 3; teach in Tier 2. I feel much safer going to the gym, shopping and cafes than I do going to work

Living and teaching in tier 3. I had to use public transport recently because of car issues. It felt way safer on the bus than it ever has in a classroom!

I’m not a teacher and am stuck at home. Would happily retrain as a teacher tomorrow and teach if I could. I feel useless at home - I’m lucky to be low risk and could offer a lot

Then make an application to one or more of the myriad of ways there currently are to teacher train.