To think the only way forward now for school staff is to strike in Jan

[OverTheRainbow88]

Sadly, I believe, the only way forward now for school staff in to strike in Jan.

Schools are unsafe, understaffed and not ‘covid secure’. This will get much worse in Jan when people are allowed to meet inside in a 3 household bubble and travel freely around ( in England at least).

Teachers on strike!! What is wrong with them? Its all me, me, me.

But pretty much every teacher on here says they don’t want to strike. Calm down.

@Bathroom12345

Brain has sadly got it spot on. Both my SIL's couldnt get hold of their DD schools. When eventually they got hold of a teacher she pointed them towards the Head but that even then she had her own children to take care of.

The private schools seemed to manage. The vast majority of teachers have broadband at home but some just didnt want to use it or made reason/excuse after excuse as to why they couldnt run a Zoom call, use their own bb. I do actually understand that some teachers are not familar with the technology but that can be fixed.

This. The difference between some state and some private schools' reaction to the crisis was shocking. My kids (private) got a full school day over zoom, my friend's son (state) got one email of a few worksheets over the entire period.

@Brainwave89

So for the purposes of this debate I am going to be harsh. when the first lockdown occurred, private schools moved very quickly to online learning on Teams and Zoom. Not ideal but it worked. Locally here state schools did not. My experience was mirrored by friends up and down the country. Schools did stay open for key workers, but this would be better described as child care, as limited teaching actually took place. I am aware that two of the teachers at my son's school disappeared to Cornwall (even though they should not have done so and posted frequently on Facebook about the best spring and summer ever with no intention of actually doing any work. There was also talk of doing some catch up work over the summer- teaching unions I believe said no. In continental Europe, teaching and exams continued as I understand it. Culturally I now see Covid being used as a reason to do nothing and underperform in state schools. I fear that over the next five years, the private school system will so outperform the state sector that we will see increasingly few state pupils at Oxford and Cambridge and fewer at Russell Group Universities. Sorry, but as a profession teaching needs to think about how it solves problems, not create more of them.

Unfortunately, the first section of this mirrors my own experience. Private schools provided live Zoom learning and all the parents that I know were in office based jobs and able to work at home, state school provision was mainly poor (comments from friends/family in various areas). I think things may be better organised in state schools now but calling for shut downs (except in very high risk circumstances) and strikes is absolutely the wrong message for a teacher to be sending. Better to spend your energies in helping with solutions just as many, many workers up and down the country having been trying to since the beginning.

But let’s have a full 5 day family Christmas as big as you like, invite all your extended family and party party party, mix mix mix... e right, we’ll just close the schools and the rest of the surviving business, may as well finish them off!!

But get your priorities right and have the best massive family Christmas 😤😤

I went to a state school, my DS's went privately. The youngest was in his last year so he effectively did not sit his A Levels. He did get into his first choice university BUT we will never know what results he would have got if he had sat them but everyone was in the same position this year.

My DM many years ago was also a primary school teacher. She left her union to one that didnt demand strike action after a Mother spoke to her about how she needed to take unpaid leave with little notice because of an upcoming strike.

I am honestly just fed up up of teachers and their unions threatening strikes, making a run for it after lockdown was announced in March and effectively having the longest holiday this year and on full pay. Yes, I know not all of them but the vast majority of them werent seen for dust. There were very few kids in schools so thank you to the teachers that did make the effort but (and I know I need to put my tin hat on) teachers need to get into the real world. Suggesting that supermarket workers might also consider striking along with the police - THIS IS NOT THE REAL WORLD!

All of the people screaming about how teachers are being selfish and then whining about their own situations are missing the point spectacularly.

You are focusing on your own needs. You need to work, your children need to go to school etc.

Of course this is true and obviously important but ultimately that's selfish as you are focusing on your own needs. Teachers are wanting schools to be safer for everyone.

Surely if schools were safer with more funding etc then there would be less likely of your children missing school in the long run.

If teachers striking for a day rose awareness and actually made schools safer then children would be less likely to miss school in the through isolation periods.

People should be saying to teachers, why are you at this awful point that you are suggesting striking over conditions? What can we do to support and make schools safer for staff and children which helps keep everyone safe.

That is what I would do if nhs or police etc were saying they felt driven to suggesting a strike.

Teachers have valid fears and concerns. They don't strike for nothing.

But get your priorities right and have the best massive family Christmas

I don’t know anyone planning a massive family Christmas, some folk might be planning to see one or two close relatives but I’m not aware of any large family gatherings in the circle of folk I know.

Surely if schools were safer with more funding etc then there would be less likely of your children missing school in the long run.

If teachers striking for a day rose awareness and actually made schools safer then children would be less likely to miss school in the through isolation periods.

People should be saying to teachers, why are you at this awful point that you are suggesting striking over conditions? What can we do to support and make schools safer for staff and children which helps keep everyone safe.

That is what I would do if nhs or police etc were saying they felt driven to suggesting a strike.

Teachers have valid fears and concerns. They don't strike for nothing.

@sherrystrull. Thank you.

I’ve not have a chance to read the whole thread, it’s heartbreaking that we are in such an awful situation. Those saying my kids school hasn’t had any covid cases, then you’ve been very lucky... so far. This could change tomorrow and then your opinion may change. Don’t you want better for your children? For their educators? For their learning mentors? For their LSAs Etc?

I started a thread about online learning for the first week in Jan after all the Christmas mixing and most parents weren’t happy with that either, something has to give and it shouldn’t be our physical or mental health.

Those saying no place is covid secure... I disagree, those working from home are working in a covid secure environment, our local food shop has its doors wide open, masks on, one in one out, shop assistant behind a plastic screen. WE CANT EVEN OPEN OUR WINDOWS. Kids are still being sent in whilst awaiting a covid test result. Kids are telling me about the parties they have gone to over the weekend. I’ve literally gone over to children’s homes to help swab them. During lockdown 1, some came to work in my garden as I could see they were being neglected... trust me, the last thing I would ever want is to cause more educational and social harm to children but our Government is forcing our hand now, by their reluctance to act.

The latest initiate of not isolating close contacts and swabbing them daily is the final straw. What an insult.

I’ve emailed my MP numerous time, not once responses. We’ve asked for safer working environments; we’ve given suggestions, 8
Months later... nothing!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55348886

This looks slightly more promising

You need to have a cup of tea and chill the fuck out.

The world has to keep turning. Kids need education, businesses need to make money to pay taxes to keep the country running, people need social interaction, NHS need to keep non urgent services running (such as smear tests, vaccinations, day surgeries etc ...)

We can’t just sit inside waiting for the world to recover. Sorry but you can’t.

Is there any data to prove teachers are dying more than anyone else?

Fucking hell the DfE are so awful that they threatened court action against schools moving to online learning for the last week of term to keep families safe over Christmas because it was so vitally important that they be in school and in the same week announce that secondaries will move to online learning for a staggered start in January because apparently school isn’t vital a few weeks later.

This level of total and utter incompetence and last minute chaos and people still think that teachers are complaining about nothing?

This is their general approach to schools. They are just a total shitshow and actively endangering lives with it.

Is there any data to prove teachers are dying more than anyone else?

The government is refusing to release it. There have been FOI requests.

If teachers see no option but to strike then they should strike. I've always been a union member and support the right of all workers to withdraw their labour. But most people will not support it, will only be angry, and I doubt the government we have will respond to any form of industrial action by giving those calling for strike what they want.

I'm a teacher and I've not heard any of my colleagues say we want to strike. This would simply fuel the narrative in the media that we are pathetic etc. I am however anxious about January. Also, I will not be administering any covid tests on pupils. That is the one thing I will refuse to do.

@noelgiraffe

Is there any data to prove teachers are dying more than anyone else?

The government is refusing to release it. There have been FOI requests.

I'm confused so forgive me- if the data has not been released, how do we know what it shows?

I'm confused so forgive me- if the data has not been released, how do we know what it shows?

If the data shows that teachers are actually fine and dandy, why aren’t the government releasing the data that proves it instead of refusing to comply with FOI requests?

They’ve already been reported to the National Statistics Authority for using fudged data about teacher infection rates to make them look better so the suspicion is probably warranted.

Yeah, that just what teachers' reputations need at the moment. A strike.
Thank god our nurses and doctors are a bit more resilient or we really would be screwed.

Also, I will not be administering any covid tests on pupils. That is the one thing I will refuse to do.

I think that’s absolutely fair enough, teachers can’t possibly be responsible for testing students - they’re teachers and should be teaching. There are complex ethics around consent which teachers can’t be expected to navigate, if the government want a mass testing in schools they need to resource it with HCPs.

if the government want a mass testing in schools they need to resource it with HCPs.

There won’t be mass testing in secondary schools.

They want to improve attendance figures by stopping close contacts of positive cases from having to the isolate. They will be sent into school instead, potentially infecting everyone on the way, and be tested with one of those crappy tests that only picks up half the cases. They’ll then be freely mixing with their peers.

Thank god our nurses and doctors are a bit more resilient or we really would be screwed.

Thank God nurses and doctors get to wear PPE. That they ask patients to sanitise their hands on arrival and wear a mask. That the often have a window to open. That those working frontline now get 2 tests a week. That most GP appointments are now done over the phone, or if you go in you wait outside, have a mask on, clean hands as arrive etc. Thank God most people admitted to hospital are given a covid test so they know who is positive.

I also thank God daily for our wonderful nurses and doctors and health care assistants, and hospital porters and cleaners. I want them to have a safer working environment, who wouldn’t? I want everyone to have the safest working environment as possible.

YABVU No workplace is 100% safe, but we can't just all stop going to work.

@noelgiraffe

I'm confused so forgive me- if the data has not been released, how do we know what it shows?

If the data shows that teachers are actually fine and dandy, why aren’t the government releasing the data that proves it instead of refusing to comply with FOI requests?

They’ve already been reported to the National Statistics Authority for using fudged data about teacher infection rates to make them look better so the suspicion is probably warranted.

Oh, ok. We suspect but do not know. Yes, given the government we have suspicion is almost certainly warranted, but I really was just asking how we knew if the data wasn't out there.

Thank God nurses and doctors get to wear PPE. That they ask patients to sanitise their hands on arrival and wear a mask. That the often have a window to open. That those working frontline now get 2 tests a week.

Our patients are MH patients. They often can't wear masks due to risk to self or others, or can't wear them as they are too ill to comply. Our wards do not have opening windows. None of us get tests. I do wish people complaining about the misrepresentation of the reality for teachers would think before they type about the reality for other working groups.

There’s up to date information from ONS on positive rates just released.

@Jellycatspyjamas

But get your priorities right and have the best massive family Christmas

I don’t know anyone planning a massive family Christmas, some folk might be planning to see one or two close relatives but I’m not aware of any large family gatherings in the circle of folk I know.

The point is - they are allowed, it won’t be illegal.

Why can’t they say you can mix with one other family for 2 days!