AIBU or are the lives of school staff worthless?

[Witchcraftandhokum]

I fully appreciate that the education and mental well-being of children is important but why does it trump the physical and mental health of school staff? The facts are simple, people are being told to stay at home because it is unsafe to do otherwise, unless you work in education or the NHS who are provided with effective PPE.

On a daily basis I am expected to supervise the diner where 150 students eat lunch (obviously mask free) if I wish to eat I am also mask free. I have to supervise the same 150 children in narrow corridors. For this pupils are supposed to wear masks but there are a number who refuse (not the students who are exempt) and we cannot enforce it. We hand out hundreds of masks per week to students whose parents don't ensure they have one with them.

We are not allowed to wear masks in classrooms but are given visors which aren't as effective. The children are not allowed to wear masks in classrooms. None of this are rules imposed by the school but are in-line with the government guidance.

We have students who say they have developed a cough knowing we have to send them home, we cannot make the decision as to whether they are lying or not, but I've been verbally abused by parents calling me "fucking stupid" for not knowing when a child is lying.

Before half-term we had 25% of staff off sick as they had tested positive (including myself). There are many experts stating schools should be shut but Boris has done a fantastic job of insinuating that school staff are lazy and don't want to work, and the early response to the unions concerns shows that this is working. I've never suffered with stress or anxiety but the thought of a return to school tomorrow is making me feel sick.

Talking to colleagues who work in other schools it appears my experience is not unusual. So AIBU to think that this government doesn't give a shiny shit about school staff.

Resignation handed in. I feel so much better.

@Witchcraftandhokum

Resignation handed in. I feel so much better.

Did you really hand your resignation in? That's such a shame!

I work for the NHS in a critical Covid patient facing role and it was blummin terrifying to begin with until PPE was sorted out. It kept chopping and changing every other day and it felt like it was in response to supply levels rather than in response to changing risk levels. I went to work full of dread for a solid few months. I reduced my hours and also thought about resigning and doing something a little less risky.

I really feel for teachers and anyone working in a position that doesn't allow them to feel safe or that their welfare is an important consideration. Nursery and schools closing had such a huge detrimental impact on my child with SEN. We breathed such a sigh of relief when they started Reception in September. Our biggest worry is that schools will close, teachers do an amazing job, the children need their settings, so many parents need their children in school just to allow them to work. You all really are unsung heroes in this, I'm not sure why everything possible isn't being done to keep you protected and well.

I don't blame you for walking away, you only have one life and there will always be other jobs.

As I said before, I wonder how many of those belittling teachers' concerns, would willingly walk into a small non-ventilated room with 30 unmasked teenagers in, and stay for five hours, with a different set of 30 coming in at the end of each hour.

I bet if they were on bus or a train and three or four of those teenagers came in unmasked, the same posters would give them stink eye and come on here to moan about 'kids today who don't follow the guidance and put us all at risk'.

@WhyNotMe40

Once more for those at the back teachers in England are NOT PERMITTED to wear masks in the classroom. No screens either. Or windows that open in a significant number of classrooms. It would be illegal in any other workplace under H&S.

This isn’t true - it’s not “recommended” or whatever but we aren’t forbidden from wearing them. Teaching is obviously not exactly the safest profession right now but I am absolutely certain we aren’t forbidden from wearing masks.

YOU aren't in your school, nor am I, but I'm not arrogant enough to assume the many staff I've seen saying they are forbidden by their head are just mistaken/making it up!!

@MistressIggi

YOU aren't in your school, nor am I, but I'm not arrogant enough to assume the many staff I've seen saying they are forbidden by their head are just mistaken/making it up!!

When someone says “teachers in England” I will, unsurprisingly, assume they’re talking about nationwide guidance and not their individual school. That doesn’t make me arrogant.

@Meowza74

Hang on, so are teachers not allowed to wear masks? What if they choose to?

Categorically, emphatically, not allowed.

When someone says “teachers in England” I will, unsurprisingly, assume they’re talking about nationwide guidance and not their individual school.

Nationwide guidance is that teachers do NOT wear masks. Eventually the govt came round to saying that individual heads could allow it, but made it pretty clear that it wasn't their preferred outcome.

None of the teachers in my family and friendship group are able to wear masks in lesson time. Only in the corridors.

But again, it's the pupils (especially in secondary) who need to wear masks if staff (and other pupils and their families) are to be protected.

Here is the guidance. Very much against masks in schools.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education/face-coverings-in-education#:~:text=In%20primary%20schools%20where%20social,face%20coverings%20in%20these%20circumstances.

Key paragraph from the above link:

On the basis of current evidence, in light of the mitigating measures education settings are taking, and the negative impact on communication, face coverings will not generally be necessary in the classroom even where social distancing is not possible. There is greater use of the system of controls for minimising risk, including through keeping in small and consistent groups or bubbles, and greater scope for physical distancing by staff within classrooms. Face coverings can have a negative impact on learning and teaching and so their use in the classroom should be avoided.

It says they should be avoided due to various reasons but the language “not permitted” says to me that it’s banned, which it isn’t. We have had an email stating that we are allowed to wear masks “on school premises” which I presume means in class.
Of course - some schools will be saying no, which is totally unacceptable. But it’s not that we are “categorically and emphatically not allowed”.

Perhaps PPs don’t mean it is banned and I’ve misunderstood. I don’t want to seem like I’m saying there’s no issues with schools, of course there are, I experience it every day.

There is greater use of the system of controls for minimising risk, including through keeping in small and consistent groups or bubbles, and greater scope for physical distancing by staff within classrooms.

I read this yesterday and thought, what complete bollocks. “Scope for physical distancing”.

Stop moaning and just deal with it! A lot of us still have to go out to work and put ourselves ar risk. We are all in the same boat here!!! I dont have any childcare when the nurseries close and I still have to go out to work because I work for the NHS. Just think yourself lucky your not on a covid ward kissing your kids goodbye everyday wondering what the day will bring. Sick of the moaning now, we are ALL aware of what's going on!

This

I'm sorry you've had to resign for lack of safety measures.
I'm on the fence with schools closing but very much behind teachers.
They should be protected. I don't know of any other role never mind one in a cramped space with super spreaders that masks aren't mandatory when there is any chance of non social distancing.
All teachers in Ireland wear masks all teenagers too.
The treatment child care workers teachers in the UK is disgraceful from no funding, supplying stationary, then this it is a shame teachers direct your DC's future.

Don't understand why there can't be groups, where some key workers need childcare, where some DC need the support, or dc take turns, so that less teachers are put at risk. I've worked in care and on the frontline in hospitals.

@irelou

What a shame that you say you have no sympathy with teachers.

I'm a teacher and I have so much sympathy and respect for NHS workers like yourself. I was happy to look after your children during the entirety of the first lockdown and I will continue to do so.

We’ve had a few cases at my son’s school and the head teachers has now made masks compulsory for all pupils unless exempt Why can’t all headteachers do this? Makes a lot of sense. Screw the government guidelines as they clearly have no clue what they are doing. If I was a teacher I’d just wear and mask, what’s the worst that could happen?

Nursery staff. Is understandable.
Healthcare professionals
Carers Surely HCP's and Carers wear masks to protect their clients.
I saw 3 HCP throughout lockdown all masked.
Prison staff* why not? other than the risk of strangulation.

This, with bells on

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

You should also be aware that there's no way of knowing who is at risk of going through it yourself.

You misunderstand. I am not suggesting considering individual risk or how unpleasant long Covid might be for the statistically small proportion of people impacted severely or impacted long term. It is still, on a population, a very small proportion of cases that will result in severe Covid or long Covid.

The overlying point here is no matter how you spin, ON A POPULATION LEVEL,
most people will get Covid mildly. The government cannot focus on how shit it might be for the small percentage who are more badly affected. They need to government has to weigh up what is best for the population as a whole. Even though that means a small proportion of unlucky people will be more severely impacted than others.

THIS with bells on. I missed the quote out of my post

Gosh I’m so sorry you’ve felt the need to resign.

Afraid I’m in the camp that thinks schools must stay open - I’m a parent and a school governor. Kids have missed too much school already and it will only continue to widen the attainment gap if it continues.

That said, I don’t understand why more cannot be done to protect teachers while they work, particularly in secondaries.

FWIW the teachers I have met are generally enthusiastic about being back in the clasroom (I’m primary though, appreciate secondary is generally more risky from a Covid POV).

YABU as, difficult though it is, you are an essential workforce in education, along with transport, healthcare, food and drink and care etc, is essential.
I am still working too!

Lives of teaching and school staff are no more or less worthy than the millons of others who continued to work throughout lockdown while others were more protected by furlough schemes. Im afraid you kinda just have to get on with it like everyone else.

Resignation handed in. I feel so much better.

Sorry that it's come to this, Witchcraftandhokum

💐

Nursery staff. Is understandable.
Healthcare professionals
Carers Surely HCP's and Carers wear masks to protect their clients.
I saw 3 HCP throughout lockdown all masked.
Prison staff* why not? other than the risk of strangulation.

The ppe that carers have is the same as a supermarket disposable mask. This may protect the residents but the residents don't wear masks so there is nothing protecting us at all and we care for covid residents to often spending more than 15 mins helping them and up very close to them.