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

[BelleSausage]

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?

@Dreambigger

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.

This government do not give a toss about dead bodies.

Teachers do not "choose" not to come into school for no reason pp. You have your facts so clearly wrong it's laughable.

If we vaccinate teachers, we admit they're at risk. Schools are covid secure, don't you know?!

@caringcarer

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.

Really? That is just awful. I think you should name and shame the school-what are they called?

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.

It's worked though. Plenty have lapped up the lies, and will come on here enthusing about all the measures and repeating the lie that schools are covid secure.

@caringcarer

Really? I seriously doubt that. How do you know whether teachers have been told to self isolate or not? How do you know they aren’t actually ill or waiting for tests? Would be interested to know if this is fact or school gate gossip.

I have nothing but contempt for the Government. I hold them accountable for him. Catching Covid and wrecking his GCSE years due to six self isolations, also impacting on his brother's GCSE years too.

The lies, the gaslighting the arrogance and ignorance. No plan, no investment.

They have left our children and schools to fester. My kids can vote in a few years and I hope they use this wisely.

I think they are scared of losing votes from parents of small children who found lockdown 1 impossible as they couldn't look after their children and do their jobs properly simultaneously. However, they have seriously misjudged this one. Secondary parents are furious about the risks and the disruption to education. If the govt had really invested in decent tech for all, and provided regular testing in schools, and been honest about the risks they would have garnered a lot more respect.

Bump for this. Why aren’t more people totally outraged at how they and their kids have been failed by the system.

That’s right- because schools pulled out all the stops to make it as normal for possible for kids and it still wasn’t enough in the face of a global pandemic.

If you are pissed for about this, write to Gavin Williamson.

Here is his Commons e-Mail address: mailto:[email protected].

I don't trust that anyone in this parliament of clowns either can, or would care to, read anything written by the oiks.

They do not have CEV shielding letters, do not have Covid 19 and have not been told to self isolate by track and trace
As there is absolutely zero chance of you knowing any one of these things is true, let alone all three, for even one member of staff, that is clearly a lie.

@Biscuitsneeded I'm a parent of a secondary school and I'm not furious. You don't have the right to speak for everyone. I'm happy to see my child go to school and be able to talk to others her age. Her school has worked extremely hard to make things as safe as possible and I appreciate it. I know staff would rather be in school than teach remotely. We've only had three positive cases since the start of term. I don't see how you could possibly justify 1,200 students staying at home.

@caringcarer

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.

I'm amazed you know this! I am a teacher and even we are not told who has Covid or who is self isolating. This is because it is private medical information. Just because a teacher is not in school, and you have not been told why, you cannot assume they are just choosing not to work. Only Public Health England can decide if a school shuts or if children and staff have to isolate. Not even the head teacher has this choice. I am currently self isolating because test and trace told me to. My head of year and slt know. Nobody else in school, not parents know.

My theory is that if too many schools go online then govt knows it will have to do another politically embarrassing U-turn and cancel exams (optically suicidal as Scotland and Wales have gone first) because preparation and provision will have been so unequal.

I think they’re also terrified it will expose their failures in managing schools all over again. It’s one thing schools choosing to go online because they’re confident they can manage it well, but it’s another having a whole local authority closing because inevitably children at schools with poor provision will fall further behind.

So it has nothing to do with education and everything to do with being seen to be in control and not having their egos undermined.

Although GW does raise one good point, if schools in T3 in other areas of the country didn’t close, why should London schools need to? I’m interested in how the difference can be justified now that I’ve staked my political position!

Had there been the November restrictions in October instead, had university education been largely online this term without the large scale movement of students in early October, if we had an adequate test and trace scheme, then far fewer people would have had the virus and more schools would be open.

All of which are the responsibility of the worst government in history. More deaths overall than from Nazi bombing of this country.

Chamberlain must be feeling a lot more cheerful in his grave. Johnson makes him look competent.

@caringcarer

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.

I suspect you have hairy toes and live under a bridge...

*caringcarer

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.*

There is not one truthful word in this. Are you a troll? Absolute rubbish.

I think Chamberlain is unfairly judged, he basically humiliated himself to give the country extra time to prepare for war. Johnson on the other hand is as bad as he looks.

One teacher told my son's class she would be staying home this week and teaching from home as she is worried about not being able to see her parents at Xmas. She said to whole class of students that many teachers were worried about becoming ill over Xmas and wanted to see their elderly parents so had to do this. I have rang his school and tried to spoke to head about this. She rang me back later and she did not deny it and said it was "unfortunate" teacher told class that. I have told Head I shall be taking this complaint to the Chair of Governors. I have checked this with one of my sons friends who also says teacher told them that. It is not a lie.

@caringcarer could you attach a picture of any corespondence with the school about this you can scribble out the school name?

Well, I've read some bollocks on these threads over the last few months, but I think this latest accusation might just win first prize.

Well, my daughter now has to self isolate for 10 days because there's a positive diagnosis of covid in her class.

Pretty bloody fucking devastating actually. Lucky we don't have extended family over here for Christmas.

And I don't bloody blame teachers, who are, like many of us, of the sandwich generation, being worried about how the hell they balance everyone and everything, in a Covid Christmas. It's not just our precious poppets that matter.