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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To remind you that the government NOT schools are letting down parents.

106 replies

BelleSausage · 14/12/2020 20:21

This really. We’ve all talked about it endlessly. Teachers on MN predicted this exact outcome (the education system in parts of the country falls over because of the number of staff and kids isolating and ill) but the government went ahead with no significant measure to mitigate disruption in schools.

Where is the plan to actually make it feasible to continue to educate kids and provide learning for vulnerable students? Where are the school laptops we were promised? Where is the back up childcare system to help working parents?

That’s right- no where. Any idiot with half a brain could have seen this coming. Why is the DfE doing nothing but repeating ‘schools are COIVD secure’ over and over like a broken bloody record?

OP posts:
BefuddledPerson · 14/12/2020 20:23

The government have left us to it. I'm beyond livid with them.

Appuskidu · 14/12/2020 20:24

Yup!

livevomitlaugh · 14/12/2020 20:25

100%

livevomitlaugh · 14/12/2020 20:26

It’s also in the interests of education to have safer schools as then that means there is less disruption

LassFromLeedsWithALustForLife · 14/12/2020 20:27

And yet some people with this literally happening in front of them will still either repeat the government line or blame teachers.

mbosnz · 14/12/2020 20:28

I've got nothing but blame for the Government, and nothing but sympathy and admiration for our school and its teachers, trying so hard to manage this situation, with sweet fanny adams in terms of support from the Government, financial or otherwise.

Youngest DD has WFH today, because they didn't have sufficient staff to cover all classes and years. She's year 10, and she was saying how the younger years have been shortchanged by curtailed hours, she's so sympathetic to them.

Oldest DD has just been told she has to self-isolate for the next ten days, because of a positive case in her year group.

And I know that some parents will be giving it to the school both barrels. . .

Bluegreen70 · 14/12/2020 20:30

And PHE has advised Greenwich to close all schools, and the government is attempting to get a high court order to keep them open.

Murderers.

I hate them. I have never felt so much hatred in my life

Original poster
BelleSausage · 14/12/2020 20:31

I do think the government has gotten off lightly over this.

Unless there is something massive I am missing- why try so desperately to keep schools open in the face of the rising tide of infections? It is hard not to have wild conspiracy theories.

The sad truth is that they don’t want to invest any time or money into education because it is a public service they have actively been trying to defund for years.

OP posts:
birdseedpie · 14/12/2020 20:32

@Bluegreen70

And PHE has advised Greenwich to close all schools, and the government is attempting to get a high court order to keep them open.

Murderers.

I hate them. I have never felt so much hatred in my life

WTF? Seriously - the arsewipes are doing that?!

Words fail me.

WhenSheWasBad · 14/12/2020 20:33

So pissed off with the government. I’ve seen a number of teachers crying in my secondary school. They’ve been teaching years but this year has pushed some to the limit, me included.

7 teachers at my school have caught Covid, some were very sick with it.

For the record I don’t want schools shut, but they need to be safer.

OppsUpsSide · 14/12/2020 20:33

I don’t understand the governments stance at all with regards to Greenwich

Iwantacookie · 14/12/2020 20:36

Why are the government so desperate to keep schools open? This is the real question. Every single member of school staff is working their arse off it is not their fault. The blame lies directly with the government

Original poster
BelleSausage · 14/12/2020 20:39

@Iwantacookie

This is what I want to know. If I worked in hospitality I would be livid that the government is not being more transparent about this.

Are they trying for herd immunity by stealth?

OP posts:
livevomitlaugh · 14/12/2020 20:41

But why would they try for herd immunity but at the same time have lockdown which damage the economy?

livevomitlaugh · 14/12/2020 20:41

I’m sorry but I don’t believe that one

Original poster
BelleSausage · 14/12/2020 20:43

@livevomitlaugh

No idea. Just clutching at straws. I cannot begin to explain why the government have a massive blind spot to the issues in schools.

OP posts:
PoptartPoptart · 14/12/2020 20:49

The government rhetoric that schools are Covid secure is a joke.
Schools are not Covid secure. They are not even close to being Covid secure. Secondaries in particular are being badly hit. Teachers and TA’s are the only frontline workers who are expected to be indoors, with literally hundreds of different people, not socially distanced, and without proper PPE.
It’s a joke.
Children should be in school, of course they should, but the government needs to be honest about the risks to everyone involved, including children and their parents.

Chosennonesneakymincepie · 14/12/2020 20:50

I returned to to school in September with a determination and focus that 'we could all go this together'. I turned up for INSET ready for clear guidelines, regular testing on site and regular deep cleaning. By the end of the morning session none of this had been mentioned, just the one way systems and hand gel Confused

How stupidly naieve I was, I honestly thought there would be a clear plan to keep children and staff safe as we fully opened all schools. Instead there has been fudging data, gaslighting, ignoring professionals in the frontline. Disgusting Angry

Original poster
BelleSausage · 14/12/2020 21:02

Why why why why why why!

It is total madness. I despair.

OP posts:
Dreambigger · 14/12/2020 21:04

Why are teachers not further up the list in the priority for vaccination ?? They are in a very unique position of being vulnerable in terms of catching it as they cannot wear enough PPE and also spreading it. If we vaccinate teachers earlier in the process we can secure schools staying open. The government really doesn't care about education or our children.

caringcarer · 14/12/2020 21:10

I am furious with my sons secondary school. Despite living in area with less than 100 in every 100,000 his school has closed until after Xmas as so many teachers chose not to come in to work as don't want to spoil their Xmas. Over 50 % of teachers are at home. They do not have CEV shielding letters, do not have Covid 19 and have not been told to self isolate by track and trace. Just told Head they will be in after Xmas but will do online teaching. Son gets 1 1/2 hours teaching each morning and set independent work in afternoon. Nothing gets marked and no feedback for improvement. The Head is useless and is not disciplining. I have written to complain to school and was told nothing Head could do if teachers chose to stay home so they did not get ill over Xmas. This is not down to government but individual school. No known cases in school atm.

MrsHamlet · 14/12/2020 21:13

so many teachers chose not to come in to work as don't want to spoil their Xmas.
If this were true, it would be a disciplinary matter.

Bluegreen70 · 14/12/2020 21:15

@MrsHamlet

so many teachers chose not to come in to work as don't want to spoil their Xmas. If this were true, it would be a disciplinary matter.
obviously not true.
MrsHamlet · 14/12/2020 21:17

Indeed.