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.

‘Just wanted to point out that in schools, remember that even if school classes remain in the same classroom for the day, the teachers have to go from classroom to classroom.’

Well indeed. My friend is a supply teacher and has been in 3 schools in 3 days, so no bubble there.

I do think careful looking at processes is the crux, and that is what researchers are trying to understand - what situations of brief interactions are leading to high transmission and why, and the same for prolonged interaction.

Leave and find another job with 3 months holiday a year and a pension.
No ones keeping you there.

@jacks11 you are correct that surgical masks main purpose is to protect others, but there is gaining evidence that they also protect the wearer.
Same for cloth masks.
They do not prevent all coronavirus carrying particles from being breathed in, but they reduce the dose.
This linked article has lots of links in it to the various bits of research on this

It would be best if everyone wore face coverings, but there is some benefit to you even if noone else is.

theconversation.com/cloth-masks-do-protect-the-wearer-breathing-in-less-coronavirus-means-you-get-less-sick-143726

@jacks11 you are correct that surgical masks main purpose is to protect others, but there is gaining evidence that they also protect the wearer.
Same for cloth masks.
They do not prevent all coronavirus carrying particles from being breathed in, but they reduce the dose.
This linked article has lots of links in it to the various bits of research on this

It would be best if everyone wore face coverings, but there is some benefit to you even if noone else is.

theconversation.com/cloth-masks-do-protect-the-wearer-breathing-in-less-coronavirus-means-you-get-less-sick-143726

Stripes, I didn't look at one of your article

s because it concerned a tourist destination in Phuket. I think we need to look at like for like situations. As for the others, it seems to suggest that retail could be safer than classrooms at the moment precisely because customers wear masks. Retail environments tend to have much more air space to ceiling level, too. Currently, students in classrooms do not have to wear masks, unlike retail customers. So they are breathing droplets out into the classroom air constantly. I struggle to see how you would feel safer in a classroom.

Personally I think we will have to move to all students and staff wearing masks in the classroom as well as corridors etc, as happens in other countries. The issue WE have in our country is behaviour and discipline. In many schools it's just not good enough. I feel sorry for teachers who would have to maintain classroom behaviour when faced with 30 teenagers behind masks, shouting out whatever they wanted, and with no way for the teacher (often a supply teacher at the moment anyway, god help them) to tell who it was. BUT, I don't see that we will have any choice but to go down this route soon.

I wish teachers would go on strike. Myself and many parents I know would fully support them. No one should have to take the risks they have to now when PPE is available. It was a scandal when NHS workers didn’t have access to PPE and everyone and their dog were sewing face masks for them. How the hell is it ok for teachers to be told that they can’t wear masks. Why is everyone allowing that? I’m absolutely shocked that we have reached this point to be honest. Everyone deserves more protection than teachers have at the moment. And yes, I would rather work and homeschool at the same time or find my own childcare than see another human being having to take that risk every day to educate my child. Makes me ashamed to be British.

‘Just wanted to point out that in schools, remember that even if school classes remain in the same classroom for the day, the teachers have to go from classroom to classroom.’

Well indeed. My friend is a supply teacher and has been in 3 schools in 3 days, so no bubble there.

I do think careful looking at processes is the crux, and that is what researchers are trying to understand - what situations of brief interactions are leading to high transmission and why, and the same for prolonged interaction.

Leave and find another job with excellent holidays and a pension.
No ones keeping you there.

It genuinely amazes me that the same threads appear, about the same workplace (schools) and it goes around in circles.
I don't think I've seen a single thread started to protest the expectations in the pandemic on a Police Officer, Social Worker, Prison Officer, Probation Officer and so on. They are continually in the firing line of mixing at close quarters with others who could easily infect them and not being able to wear PPE within their roles/work environment. Nursery staff are another example of workers who just seem to be getting on with it.

I also don't think I've seen much verbalisation from NHS clinical staff, who just accept they have a role to play and seem to get on with it.

In fact I could list more worker examples, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

Teachers in my mind play a massive role in helping society to function and protecting young people from MH problems which are growing due to the pandemic, yet instead of embracing that (like the examples of other workers given above) I see continual protest in the papers and on here.

I have a lot of respect for teachers, I genuinely do. I used to teach part time many years ago and I can only imagine how much stress teachers are under now, but it really saddens me to see such resistance and negativity.

I appreciate this post won't be popular. I also appreciate people will no doubt pick holes in it, but if it gives a tiny bit of food for thought along the way then it's worth the dressing down from others that I will no doubt receive.

‘Just wanted to point out that in schools, remember that even if school classes remain in the same classroom for the day, the teachers have to go from classroom to classroom.’

Well indeed. My friend is a supply teacher and has been in 3 schools in 3 days, so no bubble there.

I do think careful looking at processes is the crux, and that is what researchers are trying to understand - what situations of brief interactions are leading to high transmission and why, and the same for prolonged interaction.

Leave and find another job with 3 months holiday a year and a pension.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but ALL workplaces now have to offer a pension, don't they?

It's natural that we don't understand what someone's workplace is like unless we have worked in it. We should all be kinder and try to get a real understanding of what we are all working with in our workplaces.

Very nicely said.

It's natural that we don't understand what someone's workplace is like unless we have worked in it. We should all be kinder and try to get a real understanding of what we are all working with in our workplaces.

Very nicely said.

I was more looking at the science behind the spread than the specific situation, and the link was to explain why as a customer you were less at risk than a worker, not to compare schools to shops.

It genuinely amazes me that the same threads appear, about the same workplace (schools) and it goes around in circles.
I don't think I've seen a single thread started to protest the expectations in the pandemic on a Police Officer, Social Worker, Prison Officer, Probation Officer and so on. They are continually in the firing line of mixing at close quarters with others who could easily infect them and not being able to wear PPE within their roles/work environment. Nursery staff are another example of workers who just seem to be getting on with it.

I also don't think I've seen much verbalisation from NHS clinical staff, who just accept they have a role to play and seem to get on with it.

In fact I could list more worker examples, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

Teachers in my mind play a massive role in helping society to function and protecting young people from MH problems which are growing due to the pandemic, yet instead of embracing that (like the examples of other workers given above) I see continual protest in the papers and on here.

I have a lot of respect for teachers, I genuinely do. I used to teach part time many years ago and I can only imagine how much stress teachers are under now, but it really saddens me to see such resistance and negativity.

I appreciate this post won't be popular. I also appreciate people will no doubt pick holes in it, but if it gives a tiny bit of food for thought along the way then it's worth the dressing down from others that I will no doubt receive.

I was more looking at the science behind the spread than the specific situation, and the link was to explain why as a customer you were less at risk than a worker, not to compare schools to shops.

Ha, laughing at the "What's wrong with MN and multiple posts?" post being double-posted!

Not sure what's wrong with it tonight. You press "Post message" and nothing happens at all, so you think the error was with you so you press it again. Then you think it must be your device so you start a new tab and copy and paste and "post message" again. I assume it's the MN server if it's happening to various people.

Leave and find another job with 3 months holiday a year and a pension.
No ones keeping you there.

Everyone gets a pension now

I don't get 3 months holiday a year, I'm pro-rata

I know no-one is keeping me there, hence the leaving.

@OhDearMuriel

Leave and find another job with excellent holidays and a pension. No ones keeping you there.

How about your career doesn’t let you work from home and doesn’t let you wear a mask while in rooms full of people. Would you be happy to just ‘get another job’? Give up your career you worked hard for and enjoy? And teachers don’t get paid for the holidays so not only was your post heartless it was also stupid.

I wish teachers would go on strike. Myself and many parents I know would fully support them. No one should have to take the risks they have to now when PPE is available. It was a scandal when NHS workers didn’t have access to PPE and everyone and their dog were sewing face masks for them. How the hell is it ok for teachers to be told that they can’t wear masks. Why is everyone allowing that? I’m absolutely shocked that we have reached this point to be honest. Everyone deserves more protection than teachers have at the moment. And yes, I would rather work and homeschool at the same time or find my own childcare than see another human being having to take that risk every day to educate my child. Makes me ashamed to be British.

I wish teachers would go on strike. Myself and many parents I know would fully support them. No one should have to take the risks they have to now when PPE is available. It was a scandal when NHS workers didn’t have access to PPE and everyone and their dog were sewing face masks for them. How the hell is it ok for teachers to be told that they can’t wear masks. Why is everyone allowing that? I’m absolutely shocked that we have reached this point to be honest. Everyone deserves more protection than teachers have at the moment. And yes, I would rather work and homeschool at the same time or find my own childcare than see another human being having to take that risk every day to educate my child.

Parents aren’t required to wear face masks when in the enclosed office space at my school and the office staff aren’t even allowed a visor to wear let alone a mask due to school policy. This is wrong given that the wearing of face masks is mandatory in most public places.

I think school policies vary hugely and if you have a head teacher who doesn’t want any staff to have visors or face coverings then they can make life very difficult.

I haven’t seen campaign groups in the newspapers and on MN actively and specifically campaigning for less safe working environments for social workers or probation officers? Did I miss those?

I haven’t seen campaign groups in the newspapers and on MN actively and specifically campaigning for less safe working environments for social workers or probation officers? Did I miss those?

Parents aren’t required to wear face masks when in the enclosed office space at my school and the office staff aren’t even allowed a visor to wear let alone a mask due to school policy. This is wrong given that the wearing of face masks is mandatory in most public places.

I think school policies vary hugely and if you have a head teacher who doesn’t want any staff to have visors or face coverings then they can make life very difficult.